Talk show host and military veteran Montel Williams delivered a fiery rant against President Barack Obama, Congress and the government for the Department of Veterans Affairs scandal and accused Americans of turning their backs on the troops who swore to protect them.
Williams, who served 22 years in the U.S. Marines and Navy, expressed his outrage during an appearance on Fox News’ “Your World with Neil Cavuto” on Wednesday.
“I’m angry my friend,” he said. “I’m angry because, you know, we made a promise. When I stood with my hand up proudly up, I said, ‘I do solemnly swear and affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies foreign and domestic, and I will bear true faith.’ I went through my oath, I told the world I’m willing to put my life on the line and die for you.
“Now, our guys went over, they’ve left body parts. Some of them never made it back. Some of them are here now and their souls are still there. And we have the audacity to turn our back on them right this second?”
While more than 80 lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have called on VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to resign, Williams argued that his firing wouldn’t solve the problem and cited the Miracle Mike chicken that survived for two years after its head was cut off.
“All societies are judged by what they do for the least of them, of us. The least of us are the ones who are protecting this democracy. We owe this debt, more than anything else,” Williams said, becoming more enraged. “The president just promised $5 billion for terrorists around the world? At West Point? Well he could’ve used today to say, ‘I’m sorry for the pain that I’ve caused you, your families, and I’m going to fix it today!”
The former Marine didn’t just take aim at the president, though. He also criticized the American people — his fellow celebrities included — for their diminished support for the military.
“Be as tired as you want, but that barbecue you had on Sunday was paid for on the backs of soldiers who left body parts in the battlefield,” Williams said when asked if he believed Americans were experiencing battle fatigue. “So you have no right to forget.”
Williams closed his segment by criticizing the mainstream media for ignoring the VA scandal and called out those who believe he shouldn’t have spoken with Glenn Beck about it.
“Well guess what, Neil?” he said. “I put out my op-ed piece, Glenn Beck was the only person who picked it up. I couldn’t get traction in The New York Times, Washington Post. They don’t want to hear from me, I guess.”
A new inspector general report, released Wednesday, confirmed reports that a Phoenix, Ariz., VA medical center was operating secret waiting lists that kept veterans from receiving care. The report also found that 1,700 veterans were never scheduled for an appointment and kept off the waiting lists altogether.
Roughly 42 VA medical centers are now under investigation for possible scheduling malpractices.
h/t The Daily Caller
