“The liberal left has cut and spliced my words about terrorism and ISIS blatantly falsifying what I've said,” Dr. Mark Green wrote in a Facebook post. | AP Photo Army secretary nominee: 'Liberal left' painting me as a 'hater'

President Donald Trump’s Army secretary nominee is accusing the “liberal left” of mischaracterizing and “blatantly falsifying” his comments on terrorism, the Islamic State and the LGBT community.

“The liberal left has cut and spliced my words about terrorism and ISIS blatantly falsifying what I've said,” Dr. Mark Green, a Tennessee state senator, wrote in a Facebook post early Tuesday.


The post included a link to a Christian Fighter Pilot report. The site brands itself as a venue for Christians in the military, and the article accuses LGBT advocates of targeting Green over his religion.

“It would seem that this gentleman has figured out why certain people are cutting and splicing my words to paint me as a hater,” Green wrote, referring to the author of the report, which does not include a byline. “It will not stand.”

Green had been criticized for comments on a radio program in which he referred to Syrian refugees — whom he called “ISIS people” — and transgender bathroom-access fights as “evil.”

“Evil is crushed. So I’m going to protect women in their bathrooms, and I’m going to protect our state against potential infiltration of Syrian ISIS people through a refugee program,” Green said on the program.

The New York Times reported LGBT groups’ criticism of Trump’s selection of Green as Army secretary earlier this month. The American Military Partner Association, the largest group of LGBT military families, said Green has made “a shameful political career out of targeting LGBT people for discrimination.” The group’s president, Ashley Broadway-Mark, added that Green has a “vicious, anti-LGBT record” and “cannot be trusted to ensure all those who serve have the support they need and deserve.”

The Times noted that Green has a history of controversial statements regarding LGBT rights, including telling the Chattanooga Tea Party at an event last year that “if you poll the psychiatrists, they’re going to tell you that transgender is a disease.”

Green argued in his Facebook post, however, that he only called terrorists evil and suggested terrorists be crushed. He said he has “never and will never force my religion on anyone” and believes “every American has a right to defend their country regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religion.”

“It's the radical left that won't allow the latter,” he said. “I have never considered myself a judge of anyone, but I have been a protector of everyone in this nation.”

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A spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign said in a statement to POLITICO that soldiers “deserve better leadership than Green” and called on the Senate to oppose his nomination.

“It's possible that Mark Green is a master of irony, but far more likely that he simply lacks sound judgment and leadership,” the spokesperson said in an email. “He cited an extreme anti-LGBTQ blogger to prove he is not anti-LGBTQ, called being transgender a ‘disease’ even though any real doctor knows better, and repeatedly cited Wikipedia as a source for his book. Soldiers serving our country deserve better leadership than Mark Green. Trump should have never nominated him, but now the Senate must ensure he is not confirmed.”

Green is Trump’s second nominee to lead the Army. The first, Vincent Viola, withdrew his nomination in February after struggling to disentangle himself from his business ties. If confirmed, Green’s tenure would follow Eric Fanning, the first openly gay civilian leader of the Army.

Tara Palmeri contributed to this report.