- A 2014 photo shows Pennsylvania Republican Doug Mastriano in a Confederate uniform.
- The photo was taken while the state senator was teaching at the U.S. Army War College.
- Faculty members were allowed to pose for pictures while dressing up as historical figures.
Pennsylvania Republican Doug Mastriano, a state senator and Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate, wore a Confederate uniform as an instructor at the U.S. Army War College in 2014 group photo, Reuters reports Friday night.
Mastriano, a retired Army colonel and military historian, was posing for photos with other faculty members, who had the option of donning historical clothing, Reuters reported. Only 6 of the 21 instructors did so. Mastriano left the army in 2017.
Mastriano did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did representatives of his opponent Josh Shapiro’s campaign.
Under updated guidance, the Department of Defense effectively banned the Confederate flag on U.S. military bases in 2020.
In recent years, Mastriano has established himself as a Trump loyalist, serving as a “key man” in the former presidential campaign to oust the 2020 Pennsylvania election. According to him, he has been a vocal denier for the 2020 election, but must ensure that his role in the conspiracy is not “illegal” New York Times.
The gubernatorial candidate continued to spark controversy earlier this year when he was criticized for his efforts to cultivate support for Gab, a social network that describes itself as a Christian nationalist.
Mastriano has since deleted his Gab account, but not before he paid the network $5,000 for consulting services, according to campaign finance documents. The founders of Gab have repeatedly expressed contempt for the Jewshe said he had no place in his right-wing movement.
Engagement with Gab is a particularly sensitive issue in Pennsylvania. In 2018, a user of the site posted that he could not “sit and watch“When Jewish groups helped resettle refugees – 11 Jews were shot at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh.
Reuters noted that Mastriano’s state Senate district is also home to Gettysburg, the site of the bloodiest fighting during the Civil War, which the Union side won.
