Ex-CIA director compares Trump supporters to the Taliban
Hayden is a retired US Air Force four-star general
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden was widely panned for a retweet that signaled he equated President Trump’s supporters in the United States with the Taliban in Afghanistan.
On Thursday, Hayden retweeted a split image. The top showed black-clad Islamic militants waving guns and flags from a line of cars with a caption reading: "Their Taliban." Beneath that was a line of pickup trucks hoisting American flags and "Trump 2020" flags with the caption: "Our Taliban"
Hayden is a retired U.S. Air Force four-star general who at various points was the Director of the National Security Agency, the Principal Deputy Director of National Intelligence, in addition to being the Director of the CIA.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
While some of the replies seemed to concur with Hayden’s sentiment – that Trump supporters and the Taliban are essentially the same – the vast majority were critical.
"Wow. Hate much," tweeted one user.
BIDEN URGES TALIBAN TO PROVIDE FOR ‘WELL BEING’ OF AFGHANS
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
"Wow, with all of your experience, if you can’t tell the difference between a real threat and media hype…and retweeting this crap? Swampier than most," wrote another user.
"The CIA is a joke," read another Tweet.
Hayden’s tweet came as the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan following the U.S. military’s departure from that country after nearly 20 years.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
Earlier this year, the CIA riled up Twitter with a recruitment video many derided as being "full of woke propaganda."
The 2-minute video features a 36-year-old Latina CIA agent who described herself as "intersectional," "cisgender," and "millennial."
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}
The officer tells viewers that while she used to suffer from "'imposter syndrome," she has embraced herself "unapologetically" because she refuses to internalize "misguided patriarchal ideas of what a woman can or should be."
Fox News’ Yael Halon contributed to this report.