Chief of Staff John Kelly had some choice words Wednesday for the California teacher who said that members of the military are the “lowest of the low” and “a bunch of dumb sh*ts.”
“Well, I think the guy ought to go to hell. I just hope he enjoys the liberties and the lifestyle that we have fought for,” Kelly said on a Fox radio interview Wednesday.
Kelly is a retired Marine Corps general who joined the military in 1970.
A series of videos was posted to Facebook in which a history and social studies teacher at El Rancho High School in Pico Rivera, California, can be heard completely disrespecting and trashing the U.S. military and the men and women who serve the country.
The videos, taken on Jan. 19 by a student using a cell phone, have gone viral, with one being viewed more than 5.6 million times.
John Kelly says California teacher caught on video bashing troops ‘ought to go to hell’ https://t.co/0TMOg6rubD @Travis_Tritten
— Dave Brown (@dave_brown24) January 31, 2018
In the videos, the male teacher goes on a rant for several minutes. He says he doesn’t know how anyone ends up joining the military.
“It’s because you have no other options,” the teacher says.
While constantly berating the military and those who serve, the teacher also asks why anyone would “wear something you can’t even support.”
“Don’t you ever bring the military into this again,” he says. “We don’t let pimps into school. Is anyone interested in being a hoe? … They’re going to lie to you.”
At one point in the videos, the teacher also talks about those who were killed in the Twin Towers on 9/11.
“Why did people jump out of the World Trade Center on 9/11? It was so bad in there, they would rather jump and die that way than burn to death,” he says. “What option is better?”
Salcido did not return a request for comment from American Military News. Salcido is no stranger to controversy and is apparently known for his unconventional world views that he openly shares with his students. He was reportedly placed on administrative leave from the school district in August 2017 over his questionable classroom conduct.
There is now an investigation into the videos, and Salcido has reportedly been placed on administrative leave and removed from all committees on the Pico Rivera City Council, where he sat as a councilman.
Pentagon Spokeswoman Amber Smith had said the comments made by El Rancho High School teacher and city council member Gregory Salcido were “uninformed.”
“I have seen maybe a few things that he said that were very uninformed, and I think that’s an excellent example of who we would like to connect with, and inform them with an accurate image of those who are serving and why they serve,” Smith said.
