Erik Prince — the infamous founder of the mercenary firm Blackwater and brother of ex-Education Secretary Betsy DeVos — is at it again. Less than six months ago, he was charging $6,500 for a plane ride out of Afghanistan (prompting people to declare, “What an absolute POS”), and of course, he’s got thoughts about Russia’s declaration of war upon Ukraine. Following the invasion, Prince paid a visit to Fox News’ Tucker Carlson (who trashed Ukraine as “corrupt” earlier this week and won’t stop with the pro-Russia propaganda), where Prince announced that he could have stopped this attack from happening, if only Biden would have let him do it.
In the below clip, Prince declared that Biden shut down his pitch to have mercenary pilots take 140 jets to Ukraine, which would have saved it from Russian invasion.
Tucker brings on Erik Prince, who claims he pitched a plan to the Administration in Dec to have 140 fighter planes that were about to be retired from service sent to Ukraine, flown by mercenary pilots, and that Putin wouldn’t have invaded if Biden had agreed to his plan. pic.twitter.com/vz7c8vBLwk
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 25, 2022
Prince, of course, is shady at best, as evidenced by previous reports that tried to open a secret line of communication between Russia and the Trump administration. He also once bragged to USA Today that Trump really wanted to privatize the war in Afghanistan. Yet it sounds like he wanted to privatize something unorthodox in Ukraine, and he’s not pleased that it didn’t happen.
Well, Prince’s history isn’t great, and people know this. Even his most recent statements don’t look good. Earlier this week, he visited with Steve Bannon for the War Room podcast, where they talked about how great Putin is because he’s “anti-woke,” and further, they were happy that Putin’s not supportive of LGBTQ. “How many genders are there in Russia?” Bannon asked, and Prince merrily responded, “Two.”
Steve Bannon and Erik Prince say we should be supporting Russia because Putin is anti-woke and has no tolerance for LGBTQ. pic.twitter.com/qzHl2TkwxJ
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) February 24, 2022
Let’s just say that people were armed with not only reminders of this podcast episode but all of the other sketchiness that Prince has committed regarding Russia and Ukraine over the years. And they unloaded on Prince.
Since when does the US govt take advice from Erik Prince?
— Merritt Kelly (@MerrittKelly1) February 25, 2022
As others have been pointing out to me on another thread b/c I didn’t include a link in the first place, Prince has been involved in a bunch of shady plans involving Ukraine for a while, and he could have tried selling plans to Russia. For one: https://t.co/cq8ZVJp3St
— 999FunnyUsername000 (@OrionWinning) February 25, 2022
And another that I didn’t find myself, for example. https://t.co/qDEWR0xuFs
— 999FunnyUsername000 (@OrionWinning) February 25, 2022
Prince forgot to mention that his mercenary pilots would support Putin.
— Carolyn Wood (@Carolyn84905526) February 25, 2022
Why would anyone in the Biden Administration trust Erik Prince? Why would any of us?
— Vaxxxxed&Masked
Memento Mori Memento Vivere (@Cori__P) February 25, 2022
Isn’t he basically a Bond villain?
— Reese (@JackJackington) February 25, 2022
Meanwhile he was on the Bannon podcast praising Putin.
— Goddamn Glenn
(@GoddamnGlenn) February 25, 2022
So they went from “Putin is our friend, and that we should take his side in the war between Ukraine and Putin” one night, to “we could have defended Ukraine better”, the next
Ah, ok Eric
— Cruz Thomas
(@realCruzThomas) February 25, 2022
Gee, Erik, since your sister is Betsy DeVos who did such a grand job as Sec of Education, then quit rather than confront madman Trump after his insurrection attempt on Jan 6, and you live part time in the UAE and founded Blackwater – why should anyone take your advice?
Grifter— nakedbatsf (@nakedbatsf) February 25, 2022
— Will Hutchinson (@unnamedwill) February 25, 2022
This Erik Prince? https://t.co/rVaC2XuYH1
— Kathy Merry