HOT TAKES: Left-Wing Commentator Plays Chickenhawk Game With Afghanistan Veteran, Immediately Regrets It

There’s something to be said for doing at least the bare minimum research on the public figures you’re itching to blast on social media before you fire off that epic post you hope goes insanely viral and gets seen by all the “cool” people, but that’s not something a lot of folks – including yours truly – always do.

Not doing so sometimes leads to embarrassment for the Twitter user. Most of us who use the platform have seen it happen numerous times (or have been guilty of it ourselves on occasion), and a number of scenarios play out once the tweeter in question gets called out.

They either a) stupidly double down, b) keep the post up because they love the RTs but then issue a follow-up post expressing regret, or c) delete the post altogether and issue a correction and apology in another one.

All of this leads me to today’s latest hot take gone badly wrong, and it comes courtesy of left-wing political commentator Brian Tyler Cohen, an actor and producer who also has a large following on Twitter and his YouTube channel.

It all started out when the Daily Beast media critic/Fox News hall monitor Justin Baragona, who has his own set of credibility issues, tweeted out this clip of Fox News contributor Joey Jones advocating an aggressive military strike against the Taliban:

Fox News contributor Johnny Joey Jones: “I’ll tell you, the war dogs are hungry and it might be time to let them eat. I hate that, it’s not woke… as we would say, stack the bodies and let them see it.” pic.twitter.com/2VZnDfi60L

— Justin Baragona (@justinbaragona) August 26, 2021

In a set of now-deleted tweets, Cohen proceeded to suggest Jones was a chickenhawk for advocating for war while safely cocooned in an air-conditioned studio:

Saving this in the event he deletes it. pic.twitter.com/byFS3kdZwe

— Sister Toldjah 😁 (@sistertoldjah) August 26, 2021

And this one: pic.twitter.com/S4Id0cibP3

— Sister Toldjah 😁 (@sistertoldjah) August 26, 2021

The big problem here is that Jones actually has served. He’s a retired United States Marine who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2010, Jones lost both his legs below the knee after he stepped on an IED in Afghanistan. In addition to the loss of both of his legs, the explosion “caused severe damage to his right forearm and both wrists.”

So yeah, he’s served and then some, and has the battle scars to prove it:

Yup https://t.co/WFbJnjZhOO pic.twitter.com/j2Da74nwQ1

— a newsman (@a_newsman) August 26, 2021

It wasn’t long before Cohen realized his mistake after a number of Twitter users made sure to point it out. Fortunately, he did the right thing and apologized, also tagging Jones in a follow-up tweet:

Deleted this— didn’t realize he’d lost his legs. Very, very dumb tweet on my part, and I apologize. pic.twitter.com/2qkHzO7uBJ

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 26, 2021

Should’ve tagged @Johnny_Joey in my apology. I apologize for the stupid tweet.

— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) August 26, 2021

Jones, a class act, was nice about it in response:

thank you. https://t.co/2QGiy0r60z

— Joey Jones (@Johnny_Joey) August 26, 2021

All’s well that ends well, of course, but let this be a lesson to all of us to not be so quick to jump the gun in the future before we know who we’re talking to – and about.