Five retired Navy SEALs running for Congress: 'America certainly can be fixed'

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By Nika Shakhnazarova

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Five retired Navy SEALs are running for Congress in 2022 to "save the America they swore an oath to protect and defend".

They are Republicans Ryan Zinke for Montana's 2nd District, Derrick Van Orden for Wisconsin's 3rd District, Eli Crane for Arizona's 1st District, Morgan Luttrell for Texas's 8th District, and Brady Duke for Florida's 7th District.

"It's exciting because what you have is you have two fire teams of warriors that don't flinch in the fight for freedom, Zinke, who was the first SEAL to become a cabinet secretary and congressman in Montana's at large district, told Breitbart News.

"These guys, you're not going to be able to intimidate them. You're not going to be able to harass them. They'll do the right thing for America and they'll put America first," he added.

The five veterans spoke to Breitbart News about what SEAL veterans can uniquely bring to Congress.

Zinke said as a SEAL, you have a small team, dedicate long hours working hard towards one goal. "That's in this case, to save America,” he said.

Luttrell, also a former Trump administration official and business owner, said SEALs have a unique ability to problem-solve but are also humble.

"We work well in large teams and small teams. We work well if we have to, as an individual, and we're innovative creative thinkers. Politics [is] a long game. It's a marathon and ultra-marathon, and SEALs have staying power. We prove that after we get through Hell Week, we prove that through the wars that we fought from the past two decades."

He added: "But I think one of the most defining characteristics that a SEAL would bring to politics is humility and integrity. I would chalk it up to their experiences and the things that we’ve seen, done, smelled, and tasted. It’s ingrained in us that humility is always the best characteristic to have - it just levels the playing field and allows you to accomplish more instead of knee-jerk reactions."

Earlier this year, the five men told Fox News why they are running and what they plan to accomplish.

"A lot of my friends say, 'look, the U.S. is falling apart. It can't be fixed.' It certainly can be fixed," Zinke said. "There's no one better in crisis than SEALs Special Forces. We're going to win, and we're going to save America."

When asked why he wants to run for Congress, 14-year military veteran Luttrell said he doesn't. "It's just most certainly out of necessity," he said. "We have to bring our country back to the center. That's why we're all running because we believe so much in the red, white, and blue. "

Featured image credit: Inge Johnsson / Alamy