Zinke invited birthers, questioned Obama's college records on his radio show in 2013
Source: CNN
By Andrew Kaczynski, CNN
Updated 3:29 PM ET, Mon April 16, 2018
(CNN)Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke invited a self-professed birther on his radio show in 2013 and raised questions about then-President Barack Obama's college records.
Before serving in President Donald Trump's Cabinet and as a US congressman, Zinke interviewed fellow former Navy SEAL and political activist Larry Bailey on "Commander Z," Zinke's Montana radio show that aired on the Military Appreciation Channel. Bailey, a co-founder of the anti-Obama group Special Operations Speaks, described himself in 2012 as a birther and said, falsely, that Obama wasn't born in the United States.
The interview with Bailey and two other radio appearances reviewed by CNN's KFile show Zinke engaging with and promoting fringe, conspiratorial views.
In a statement to CNN, Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift said, "As a radio host, (Zinke) had many guests on his program who expressed a variety of views and opinions. Mr. Zinke would always challenge his guests to defend their opinions regardless of the topic and no matter how controversial."
Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/16/politics/kfile-ryan-zinke-radio-birther/index.html
saidsimplesimon
(7,888 posts)is occupied by many Cheny sycophants, zealots and militia crazies. A relative by marriage sold their summer home there, trout fishermen's paradise, because the residents in the area reacted to their last name. The husband is Jewish.
SergeStorms
(19,201 posts)I personally guarantee there's more right-wing crazies there, per-capita, than anywhere else in U.S. I have a cousin who's one of them.
Lonestarblue
(9,993 posts)Zinke fits right into the pit of vipers Trump has chosen to destroy government. I saw a post on Facebook this morning that I hope was real. It was a 1998 news clipping supposedly from People Magazine in which Trump said, If I were to run, Id run as a Republican. Theyre the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and theyd still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific.
I havent had time today to research this, but if its a real quote, Democrats should use it often.
exboyfil
(17,863 posts)at the confirmation hearing. Didn't the Democrats do any opposition research on the nominees, especially someone as odious as this?
marble falls
(57,093 posts)No surprise here that he's been that for years.