Doug Collins and Veterans
2020: Despite A Warning From The U.S. Air Force, Collins Aired Campaign Ads Showing Him In Uniform Without The Required, Clearly Displayed Disclaimer. According to Military.com, “House Republican Doug Collins of Georgia has gotten a warning from the Air Force about a U.S. Senate campaign ad that shows him in uniform, but does not include the required disclaimer. Collins, a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve, was informed, along with his campaign team, about Defense Department regulations stating that candidates ‘may include photographs of themselves in military uniform in campaign materials when accompanied by a disclaimer,’ an Air Force Reserve spokesman said. ‘Congressman Collins and his campaign team are aware of the disclaimer requirements,’ the spokesman told Military.com. But several of the ads run by the campaign appear to lack a disclaimer, or have one that is difficult to read. […] Weinstein, a lawyer and Air Force veteran, charged Thursday that Collins was still running the ads in ‘blatant violation’ of DoD directives and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. ‘He has still not taken the ads down,’ Weinstein said, adding that he viewed the Air Force warning to Collins as inadequate.” [Military.com, 10/30/20]
- Veterans And Advocacy Groups Called For Collins To Be Formally Reprimanded. According to Newsweek, “Representative Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican who is locked in a contentious intraparty battle for the Senate, has violated Department of Defense policy at least two dozen times in recent days by improperly using photos of himself wearing his military uniform in campaign ads. The move has enraged veterans and advocacy groups, who want Collins—a chaplain in the U.S. Air Force Reserves—formally reprimanded for the inappropriate ads consistently posted on social media platforms. Collins has also infuriated officials within DoD, according to the watchdog and advocacy group Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF).” [Newsweek, 10/23/20]
Doug Collins and Trump Loyalty
December 2019: Collins Claimed The First Trump Impeachment Trial Was An “Inevitable” Result Of Democrats Winning The U.S. House Majority. According to Axios, “Read Collins’ full statement: Thank you, Madam Speaker. Here we are, where we always knew we’d be. The moment Democrats won the House majority, it was inevitable we would be voting on articles of impeachment. On September 24, Speaker Pelosi announced an impeachment ‘inquiry’ before even seeing the call transcript. For Democrats, it was impeach first, investigate later. The conclusion was never in doubt, and everything has been based on a clock and a calendar. What does ‘clock and calendar’ mean? It means Democrats are on a political timetable and must impeach before Christmas. Several Senate Democrats are running for president, and House Democrats are under orders to impeach before the Iowa Caucuses. To Democrats, it’s politics, not facts, that matter.” [Axios, 12/18/19]
- Collins Wrote A Book Claiming Trump’s First Impeachment Was Revenge From Democrats For The 2016 Election. According to the Associated Press, “Collins wrote a book about Trump’s first impeachment over allegations that he improperly withheld military aid from Ukraine in order to push Ukraine into announcing an investigation into Joe Biden, who went on to beat Trump in 2020. That book, ‘The Clock and the Calendar,’ argued that Democrats were impeaching Trump to get revenge for him beating Hillary Clinton in 2016 and to prevent him from being reelected in 2020.” [Associated Press, 11/14/24]
December 2019: Trump Lobbied Georgia Governor Brian Kemp To Appoint Collins To Fill A Vacant U.S. Senate Seat. According to Politico, “Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has begun informing Republican officials he plans to appoint financial services executive Kelly Loeffler to the state’s soon-to-be vacant Senate seat, according to three people familiar with the conversations. […] The choice could face serious backlash from conservatives. President Donald Trump has told Kemp he favors GOP Rep. Doug Collins, a staunch ally and the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, for the appointment. […] Trump and his allies had been pushing hard for Collins. Had he gotten the post, Collins could have been a potentially critical juror in any Senate impeachment trial, soon after he helps lead the case for Trump in the House.” [Politico, 12/1/19]
Collins Was The Georgia Chair Of The Trump-Aligned America First Policy Institute. According to the Associated Press, “Collins helped represent Trump in challenging the results of the 2020 election in Georgia and became the Georgia chair of the Trump-aligned America First Policy Institute.” [Associated Press, 11/14/24]
Collins Led Trump’s Efforts To Challenge The 2020 Election In Georgia. According to PBS, “U.S. Rep. Doug Collins, a Georgia Republican who’s leading Trump’s legal efforts in Georgia, called the upcoming audit a ‘first step.’ He noted the Trump campaign had requested a hand recount. ‘This is a victory for integrity,’ Collins said. ‘This is a victory for transparency.’” [PBS, 11/11/20]
Doug Collins and Poor Judgement
2020: Collins Claimed Democrats Were “In Love With Terrorists” After Speaker Pelosi Sought To Restrain Trump’s Military Power After He Executed A Drone Strike On Iranian General Qasem Soleimani. According to CNN, “The top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday accused Democrats of being ‘in love with terrorists,’ claiming, without evidence, the party’s members mourn the recent death of Iran’s top military general more than they do fallen US service members. The remarks from Georgia Rep. Doug Collins came during an interview with Fox News’ Lou Dobbs in which the congressman was asked about House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s announcement earlier that day that the chamber will take up legislation on Thursday to restrain President Donald Trump’s military actions amid hostilities with Iran. The vote comes a week after a US drone strike killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani and sharply escalated tensions between the longtime adversaries.” [CNN, 1/9/20]