Trump uses Pat Tillman — killed by friendly fire — in patriotism feud with the NFL

President Donald Trump is catching shade for embracing the example of Army Ranger Pat Tillman in Trump’s feud with the NFL over patriotism and respect for the flag.

Trump retweeted a post by @jayMAGA45 that featured a photo of Tillman, a former football player who enlisted in the Army in 2002 and was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2004.

“He fought 4our country/freedom,” the tweet said. “#StandForOurAnthem #Boycott NFL.”

Tillman played for the Arizona Cardinals before quitting the NFL and enlisting in the Army following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

But Tillman might not be the best poster boy to enlist in Trump’s crusade against football players who he says are disrespecting the flag by “taking a knee” and refusing to stand for the national anthem.

For one thing, Tillman was killed by friendly fire, a fact the Army tried to cover up. Not the kind of episode that makes an American swell with pride.

For another thing, Tillman reportedly was critical of President George W. Bush and thought the Iraq war, in which he served, was “so f----ing illegal.” Tillman was to meet with anti-war author Noam Chomsky when he returned home.

Reporter and administration critic Glenn Greenwald tweeted that Trump had “crassly exploited (Tillman) in defense of his war against the right to dissent.”

After Trump in January announced a travel ban against people from Muslim countries, Tillman’s widow, Marie, posted on Facebook that “this was not the country he (Pat) dreamed of, not what he served for and not what he died for.”

This story was originally published September 25, 2017 at 12:54 PM with the headline "Trump uses Pat Tillman — killed by friendly fire — in patriotism feud with the NFL."