Green Beret and former UFC fighter Tim Kennedy livestreamed a video of himself Saturday voluntarily being waterboarded by his friends to illustrate that the practice could not be compared to real torture tactics.
The more than 40-minute-long video, Kennedy said, was meant to show support for President Trump’s nomination of Gina Haspel for CIA director.
Many Democrats and some Republicans in the Senate oppose Haspel because she oversaw in 2002 a CIA black site that tortured terror suspects. However, Haspel’s confirmation seems likely as at least two Democrats who are vulnerable in the 2018 midterms say they’ll vote in her favor.
Between sessions of being waterboarded, Kennedy would answer questions posed by those watching the live stream, reiterating that this was an enhanced interrogation method of question and not torture, adding that it was simply an uncomfortable experience.
“The reason we are doing this … is for us to have a conversation. Right now, an amazing hero has been appointed to be director of the CIA and because of that, some of the things she has done are being attacked,” Kennedy said.
The homemade waterboarding station was set up in a backyard where Kennedy laid on a collapsible plastic table propped up on one side by Yeti coolers.
