Reuters Uncovers Photo of GOP Candidate For Gov. of Pennsylvania Dressed as Confederate Soldier
Republican nominee for governor of Pennsylvania, Doug Mastriano, “posed in Confederate uniform for a faculty photo at the Army War College,” reported Reuters on Friday.
Mastriano has been a lightning rod of controversy during his bid to become governor of Pennsylvania. Mastriano’s campaign paid Gab, a far-right social media platform, a consulting fee which resulted in him becoming an instant follow for new users.
“The previously unreported photo, released by the War College to Reuters after a request under the Freedom of Information Act, showed Mastriano in a 2013-14 portrait for the Department of Military Strategy, Plans, and Operations, where he worked,” the report added.
Mastriano dressed as a Confederate soldier by choice as each faculty member was given the option to dress as a historical figure for the photo. Reuters notes that most chose not to dress up and Mastriano was “the only one wearing a Confederate uniform.”
SCOOP – Three years before retiring from the U.S. Army in 2017, Donald Trump-backed Pennsylvania gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano posed in Confederate uniform for a faculty photo at the Army War College, according to a copy of the photo obtained by Reuters. pic.twitter.com/xYDJiY4gFB
— Phil Stewart (@phildstewart) August 26, 2022
The report adds that “Confederate symbols and dress have been embraced by white supremacists in the United States, and monuments and flags honoring the Confederacy have been removed from many public areas in recent years.”
Mastriano, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, released a statement in late July attempting to distance himself from Gab and Gab’s CEO Andrew Torba who is an avowed white nationalist and anti-Semite.
“Andrew Torba doesn’t speak for me or my campaign. I reject anti-Semitism in any form. Recent smears by the Democrats and the media are blatant attempts to distract Pennsylvanians from suffering inflicted by Democrat policies,” Mastriano said in a statement.
Many Americans wear Confederate uniforms during Civil War re-enactments which are considered a tradition and act of historical remembrance in many parts of the country. The Bulwark’s Amanda Carpenter noted of Mastriano’s uniform choice, “Uh, what’s up with this? Civil War re-enactments are definitely a thing but I don’t see anyone in Union blue.”
Uh, what’s up with this? Civil War re-enactments are definitely a thing but I don’t see anyone in Union blue. https://t.co/3kM7C1KWqN
— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) August 26, 2022
