If you thought now-former MSNBC foreign-policy analyst Malcolm Nance was just going to sit back where it’s safe and report the news about the Russian invasion of Ukraine—then you don’t know Nance. 

On Monday, the combat veteran-turned-journalist revealed that he has returned to his roots as a soldier and left the world of news reporting in order to join the fight against the Russian forces.

Nance, who served as an intelligence collections operator for the Navy, made the announcement during an interview with Joy Reid on The ReidOut saying that he joined Ukraine’s international legion about a month ago.

“The more I saw of the war going on, the more I thought, ‘I’m done talking, all right? It’s time to take action here,’” Nance said while suited up in full uniform and gripping an assault rifle. “I am here to help this country fight… what essentially is a war of extermination. This is an existential war and Russia has brought it to these people and they are mass murdering civilians, and there are people here like me who are here to do something about it.”

Lots of people are talking shit. Props and respect to my friend @MalcolmNance for putting his own ass on the line to #StandWithUkraine. I can’t wait to have him back on @indy_americans soon to tell us all about it. Be safe out there, Nancestradamus. #LookForTheHelpers https://t.co/uABu2jw0ve

— Paul Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) April 19, 2022

I’m DONE talking. #JoinTheLegion #StopRussia #SlavaUkraini pic.twitter.com/ob3gL1cZ7P

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) April 19, 2022

Asked if being a foreigner “poses any special danger” to himself or others like him, Nance said, “No, it doesn’t, because the war that’s being waged here is being waged against everybody.”

“(The Russians) are not going around hunting for American flag patches or to see who’s Black, who’s Asian, who’s Latino,” he added.

In an interview with the Daily Beast, Nance praised his platoon, which he met a at secure outpost in Ukraine.

“The international legion is one of the best-kept secrets in the country,” he said. “That’s the story. They were higher-level people than I am. Most journalists have never seen an actual member or been following freelancers all over the battlefield. I really can’t tell you how diverse a group it really is. It is literally a multinational force of men and women who are here to defend Ukraine. I was very touched when I met the first platoon and saw they were here for the right reasons. They were not here just to get guns.”

Nance also had some words for anyone who has anything negative to say about him joining the Legion.

For those who don’t know, Malcolm Nance has an established track record of selling outrageous lies for the empire and remaining in the mass media’s good graces the entire time.https://t.co/rdnfXkJA5n

— Caitlin Johnstone (@caitoz) April 19, 2022

Everyone who’s been in the Navy and knows what a senior chief CT actually does is laughing hard at this. Hope they show him which end the bullet comes out of before they send him out lmao https://t.co/DKvXwe9mtf

— Martyr Made (@martyrmade) April 19, 2022

So he’s in Lviv. Look at the background, trying to give the impression he’s in a dark forest sneaking up on enemy lines. pic.twitter.com/PU3rO0YBOZ

— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) April 19, 2022

It’s the biggest cosplay in media history. He should go to comicons.

— 押井緑Midori #1 daughter ~U.S. out of (@MidoriOshii) April 19, 2022

“Also if anybody gives me any fucking flak just tell them to shut the fuck up since they’re obviously p*ssies who have never been in combat,” Nance said in response to all the salty conservative Twitter tears. “The Legion only takes combat vets. #BOFADEEZ.”

On Twitter, he clarified that he meant “THE LEGION” not “allegiant.”

Ok @twitter needs an EDIT button. I meant “THE LEGION” not “allegiant”. The rest is spelled correctly. Especially the hashtag. https://t.co/Bs61uqaqnV

— Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) April 19, 2022

But honestly, the reception of the news on Twitter has been largely positive with people praising the 60-year-old for his dedication to the cause. Many of them pointed out that while Nance is actually doing something on the ground in Ukraine, right-wingers are doing, well, nothing as usual.

Tucker Carlson is busy cheering for Putin. Malcolm Nance is busy fighting Putin.

Be like Malcolm Nance.

— Grant Stern is boosted! (@grantstern) April 19, 2022

Lil’ Dan Crenshaw making a tik tok video of himself walking into an airport maskless on the same day Malcolm Nance is suited up and fighting genocide in Ukraine is a perfect illustration of right/left politics. One is performative idiocy and one is the real f*cking deal.

— NoelCaslerComedy (@caslernoel) April 19, 2022

In a world full of Tucker Carlsons, Alex Jones’ and Roger Stones, be a Malcolm Nance. pic.twitter.com/NcmZLgkfiX

— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) April 18, 2022

Malcolm Nance is a motherfuckin’ BADASS. He left MSNBC to go fight the Russian army in Ukraine while Fox News has Tucker Carlson trying to convince viewers to tan their testicles.

— Kyla In The Burgh (@KylaInTheBurgh) April 19, 2022

Malcolm Nance (@MalcolmNance) is so moved by what he sees, he joins the fight. Yet @TuckerCarlson shills for #Putin, @GOPLeader McCarthy has attacked @Liz_Cheney and I more than those members expressing Putin love. Must be nice to live so secure and have no guilt about that. https://t.co/PHw6wcmBuY

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) April 19, 2022

Thanks to Malcolm Nance for being on the ground in Ukraine. He has always been an American patriot. In 2016 he who told us to keep going when investigating Trump’s Russian business ties. He always called out Trump and the traitors in the GOP. We need more heroes like Malcolm.

— Scott Dworkin (@funder) April 19, 2022

In a world full of Tucker Carlsons, be a Malcolm Nance. pic.twitter.com/Tc7od29gFg

— Rocky Mountain Mike (@RockyMntnMike) April 19, 2022

Malcolm Nance is a hero. pic.twitter.com/G3l55taqWX

— Wall Street Queen (@WallStreetQuee2) April 19, 2022

In case you’re wondering why Tucker Carlson‘s name keeps coming up in all of this, while Nance is joining the fight in Ukraine, the Fox News host is getting dragged for some “The End of Men” documentary he’s promoting for Tucker Carlson Originals.

I mean, it’s weird as hell.

This is actually real. Evidently he likes men without shirts, which may explain the Putin obsession. https://t.co/tBl2FPq2nT

— Adam Kinzinger (@AdamKinzinger) April 17, 2022

 

Anyway, back to Nance. During the interview with Reid, Nance directly addressed President Joe Biden with a request for “heavy weapons.”

“Russia has one advantage on the battlefield and that is long-range artillery,” he said. “Let me say something to the president of the United States: Give (Ukraine) counter-battery long-range artillery—multiple rocket launch systems…to out-range the artillery. If you do that, you stop the attacks on civilians because that’s what they’re doing with the artillery.”

Malcolm Nance, we salute you.

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