The Republican National Committee used Twitter on Monday to defend President Trump Donald John TrumpBiden on Trump's refusal to commit to peaceful transfer of power: 'What country are we in?' Romney: 'Unthinkable and unacceptable' to not commit to peaceful transition of power Two Louisville police officers shot amid Breonna Taylor grand jury protests MORE's ongoing criticism of retired Navy Adm. William McRaven, tweeting that the former Navy SEAL is "hardly a non-political figure."

The tweet accusing McRaven of partisan leanings earned pushback, including from a progressive veteran's group.

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"Worth noting after recent comments: Retired Adm. William McRaven was reportedly on Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham ClintonDemocratic groups using Bloomberg money to launch M in Spanish language ads in Florida The Hill's Campaign Report: Presidential polls tighten weeks out from Election Day More than 50 Latino faith leaders endorse Biden MORE’s short list for Vice President in 2016," the GOP account tweeted. "He’s been critical of President @realDonaldTrump— even dating back to the 2016 campaign. He’s hardly a non-political figure."

Worth noting after recent comments: Retired Adm. William McRaven was reportedly on Hillary Clinton’s short list for Vice President in 2016.



He’s been critical of President @realDonaldTrump— even dating back to the 2016 campaign.



He’s hardly a non-political figure. — GOP (@GOP) November 19, 2018

McRaven was on a long list of possible vice presidential nominees that Clinton’s campaign chairman sent in an email. The email was hacked by Russia and released by WikiLeaks, CBS News reported at the time.

McRaven was also on a list of staff suggestions for Trump's national security adviser, according to The Washington Post.

Trump for days has been attacking McRaven, calling him a "Hillary Clinton fan" and "Obama-backer" during a Sunday interview. McRaven in a statement to CNN over the weekend said that he "did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else."

"I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for," he added.

McRaven, who oversaw the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, called Trump's anti-media rhetoric "the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime."

"Worth noting that @GOP is now backing smears against a man who did nothing but dedicate 37 years of his life to defending America, organizing and overseeing the mission to take out one of our most dangerous foes in the process," progressive veteran's group Vote Vets tweeted in response to the GOP post.

Conservative radio show host and former Illinois congressman Joe Walsh tweeted, "So f***ing stupid of the GOP. But they do what Trump says."

Worth noting that @GOP is now backing smears against a man who did nothing but dedicate 37 years of his life to defending America, organizing and overseeing the mission to take out one of our most dangerous foes in the process.



Disgusting. Absolutely disgusting. https://t.co/V7laAO12iS — VoteVets (@votevets) November 19, 2018

So f***ing stupid of the GOP. But they do what Trump says. https://t.co/lJuzAmFybw — Joe Walsh (@WalshFreedom) November 19, 2018

I'm no political genius but I think attacking a retired military commander who led the Bin Laden raid and is now struggling with cancer is ... poor optics. https://t.co/lpAuHVxDPZ — Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) November 19, 2018

Worth noting this isn't just the unhinged blather of @realDonaldTrump; it's the Republican National Committee now racing to defend one of the more indefensible statements to have come out of the President's mouth.



Note to @GOP: It's OK to take a pass. https://t.co/pgGz75D8c0 — Ned Price (@nedprice) November 19, 2018

Trump has been suggesting that the U.S. took too long to hunt down bin Laden, saying it should have been easier to locate the al Qaeda leader in Pakistan.

The former Navy SEAL who reportedly killed bin Laden also defended the mission on Monday, saying, "We all wanted to get him as soon as we could."

— Updated 2:44 p.m.