You may not know the name, but you know the guy.
Robert J. O’Neill was the SEAL Team Six member who took out Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks against the U.S. more than 20 years ago.
On the day after the anniversary, O’Neill posted a tweet on Twitter that went viral, getting 50,000 likes and more than 12,000 retweets.
“20 years after 9/11. The Taliban controls Afghanistan. The guy who killed bin Laden is on a no-fly list,” he wrote.
20 years after 9/11. The Taliban controls Afghanistan. The guy who killed bin Laden is on a no-fly list.
— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) September 12, 2021
Back in August, O’Neill claimed that he was banned from Delta Air Lines for not wearing a mask as mandated. The ban came after O’Neill took a selfie of himself on a flight with a passenger and a flight attendant in the background wearing masks with the caption, “I’m not a p***y.”
A few days later, he tweeted, “I just got banned from [Delta] for posting a picture. Wow.”
A spokesman for Delta confirmed the ban to The Daily Wire, adding, “Part of every customer’s commitment prior to traveling on Delta is the requirement to acknowledge our updated travel policies, which includes wearing a mask.”
According to its website, Delta requires masks for both employees and customers. “Delta customers and employees are required to wear a face mask, or appropriate cloth face covering over their nose and mouth throughout their travel, aligning with best practice guidelines from the CDC,” their COVID-19 FAQ reads in part.
O’Neill’s tweet drew scorn from the mainstream media, including from Dan Saltzstein, a New York Times deputy editor, who wrote, “I don’t know this guy but: counterpoint, you might just be because you’re not willing to sacrifice and be a little uncomfortable for your fellow humans (including that marine behind you)!”
Saltzstein later deleted his tweet and honored O’Neill’s heroism and sacrifice for his country, but maintained his criticism.
“I deleted a previous version of this tweet because I broke my own rule about name-calling. So let me try again: I honor O’Neill for his sacrifices to his country and his heroism. It’s sad that he can’t extend the same for the safety of his fellow passengers,” he wrote.
https://twitter.com/dansaltzstein/status/1296126545841528833
O’Neill has been a vocal opponent of masks. In other tweets reported by The Daily Wire, he wrote: “China told you to wear a mask. Look down… you’re wearing a mask. I’m not.”
“Make no mistake.. this ‘pandemic’ was sent to you by China,” he went on, adding, “Do you remember the complete, incompetent morons buying all of the toilet paper? They’re the ones telling you to wear masks now.”
“I’m not being rude… I’m just telling you facts,” he said.
O’Neill also told his many Twitter followers, “I know more about biological warfare than most of you. We were trained. These dumb a** masks do nothing. Nothing,” and insisted a bandana “does more harm than good.”
“I’m not afraid of the mob,” O’Neill wrote after facing backlash. “Come get some.” He also said in a series of tweets, “There is a time to act. Who’s with me?” and “I shook thousands of hands and gave thousands of hugs this week. I flew on some planes. I’ll be alive next week.”