Speech to US baseball team by Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden prompts liberal backlash

Former Navy SEAL Robert J. O'Neill, who was portion of the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, delivered a pregame code to Team USA players up of their World Baseball Classic quarterfinal crippled against Canada Friday. 

Team USA bushed Canada 5-3 to beforehand to the semifinals aft O'Neill's pep talk. But the code besides received disapproval from left-wing societal media users wrong and beyond the U.S. 

Many who criticized the code condemned its pro-war messaging and relation of warfare with American values. 

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Edouard Julien of Canada slides into 2nd basal against Brice Turang of the United States during the 5th inning astatine Daikin Park March 13, 2026, successful Houston, Texas.  (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)

Other Americans praised the code and fired backmost astatine the critics. 

"It’s unfathomable that the remark conception is filled with radical upset astir an American leader telling a squad representing America astir a heroic communicative astir a ngo his squad accomplished. We went from a patriotic state station 9/11 to a state afloat of violent sympathizers," 1 X idiosyncratic wrote.

Another idiosyncratic wrote, "Epic! Well played by @USABaseball. American leader and fable successful the clubhouse." 

TEAM USA BASEBALL MANAGER MARK DEROSA RESPONDS TO CRITICISM AMID MOUNTING CONTROVERSY

Manager Mark DeRosa of Team USA during the singing of the nationalist anthem earlier a crippled against Great Britain astatine Daikin Park March 7, 2026, successful Houston, Texas.  (Gabriella Ricciardi/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

The U.S. volition play the Dominican Republic successful a WBC semifinal Sunday. 

The triumph implicit Canada marked the 3rd clip successful little than a period that Americans person crushed Canadian sports dreams connected the satellite signifier aft melodramatic victories implicit Canada successful some the men’s and women’s Olympic hockey golden medal games past month. 

O'Neill wasn't the lone 1 to hype up Team USA earlier the game. 

Team USA manager Mark DeRosa revealed that USA hockey leader Jack Hughes, who scored the winning extremity successful the golden medal crippled against Canada astatine the Olympics, reached retired to the American shot players earlier Friday's game. 

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Aaron Judge of the United States shakes hands with teammates earlier a crippled against Canada during the 2026 World Baseball Classic astatine Daikin Park March 13, 2026, successful Houston, Texas.  (Houston Astros/Getty Images)

"Jack Hughes sent the boys a bully small fire-up connection that I enactment retired connected their radical chat," DeRosa said during a property league Thursday up of the game.

"I cognize determination are immoderate talks astir immoderate hockey jerseys being sent successful time for the guys to deterioration during BP oregon retired and astir successful the clubhouse."

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