July 28, 2020

Wyden Statement on DOD Nomination of Anthony Tata

U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today released the following statement regarding the nomination of Anthony Tata to serve in a senior policy making position at the Department of Defense (DOD):

“Anthony Tata’s long history of rampant Islamophobia, conspiratorial claims and hyper-partisanship make him entirely unfit to serve as the Pentagon’s policy chief. He has shown such atrocious judgment that retired generals have publicly withdrawn their support for this nomination. 

“In addition to Tata’s litany of disqualifying statements, he is so extreme I cannot be confident that he would uphold the Posse Comitatus Act if Donald Trump illegally ordered the military to start policing America’s streets and assaulting peaceful Black Lives Matter protestors. This is a very real concern, since Donald Trump has already deployed federal agents to antagonize Black Lives Matter protestors in my hometown of Portland, Oregon. I simply cannot gamble away Americans’ civil liberties and safety by confirming a Trump loyalist to such a critical policymaking role at DOD.”  

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