“He is the gold standard there, so I am very supportive of the position ...," former Joint Chiefs Chairman retired Adm. Michael Mullen said. | AP Photo Former Joint Chiefs chair: Haspel ‘should be held responsible’ for views on torture

Former Joint Chiefs Chairman Michael Mullen on Sunday said Gina Haspel “should be held responsible” for her role in the George W. Bush administration’s use of brutal interrogation tactics against detainees.

The retired admiral said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday” that he has aligned himself with Sen. John McCain’s view on “torture and what the standard is.


“He is the gold standard there, so I am very supportive of the position he’s taken in that regard and I recognize lots of intelligence professionals I talked to think Gina is an extraordinary person with a great background,” Mullen said of the Arizona senator, who has come under criticism from Trump supporters for his view.

“That said, she has a past — and recently while she stated that she was in compliance with the law — where I think Sen. McCain is, is where I am, that morally it was wrong. It was torture and that she should be held responsible for that.“

McCain this past week came out against Haspel and urged his fellow senators to reject her nomination to become CIA director. However, after his statement, Haspel won the support of two key swing votes for confirmation, Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.).

Asked whether Haspel should not be CIA director, Mullen said: “I’m not voting, I’ll let those that vote make that decision.”