President Donald Trump’s nominee for the role of Undersecretary of Defense for Domestic Policy is apologizing for derogatory comments he made about former President Barack Obama, the Daily Caller reports.
The Daily Caller said it obtained a letter penned by retired Army Brigadier Gen. Anthony Tata to members of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Tata apologized for tweets and comments he made calling Obama a “terrorist leader” and claiming the former president had “Islamic roots.”
“It is with disappointment that I am writing to you today about past remarks I made, which have been described in recent media reports. I had hoped to meet in person to discuss my public service and record and sincerely hope to have the opportunity to do that soon. In the meantime, please accept this sincere outreach,” Tata’s letter to Armed Services Committee Chairman James Inhofe and ranking member Jack Reed states. “I deeply regret comments that I made on social media several years ago. My tweets were completely out of character, something many of my former colleagues and friends know.”
Both Sens. Inhofe and Reed said they were going to take Tata’s statements into account ahead of potential confirmation proceedings.
“I understand that it was unprofessional to have discussed our former commander in chief in the fashion I did,” he wrote. “My regret, however, has nothing to do with my nomination for Undersecretary of Defense of Policy. Rather, I have a lifetime of public service leadership and a cadre of soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and civilian mentors and protégés whom I disappointed with those comments.”
Tata’s comments were first brought up by CNN’s "KFILE" earlier this month. A few Democrats said they were opposed to Tata’s nomination after they were made aware of his statements.
Reed’s office told Politico that Tata’s comments were “real warning signs” and added that “if this nomination moves forward, Sen. Reed will oppose it.”
“An Islamophobic conspiracy theorist who called President Obama a ‘terrorist leader’ should not be #3 at the Pentagon,” Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in a statement to Politico. “Anthony Tata is by far Trump’s most unqualified & ill-suited senior defense nominee — a high bar.”
CNN then reported two generals, who originally supported Tata’s nomination, withdrew their support after hearing about his comments about Obama.
Tata finished his letter stating “there is no excuse” for making the statements, and called them an “aberration in a four-decade thread of faithful public service.”
“Serving is my passion, my life’s work and I hope to continue down this path,” the letter concludes. “I can guarantee that if given the opportunity to meet and discuss these important issues, I will demonstrate to you my strength of character and commitment to sound public policy that has driven my desire to enhance our national and domestic security and make a difference for all races, religions, and ethnicities.”
White House deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere called on the Senate to move forward with Tata’s confirmation.
Deere told the Daily Caller that Tata “is a distinguished public servant whose career has provided him with planning, policy, and operational experience both at home and abroad.”
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