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Former Navy SEAL Robert J. O’Neill, who was part of the 2011 raid that killed Osama bin Laden, gave a pregame speech to Team USA players before their World Baseball Classic quarterfinal game against Canada on Friday.
Team USA beat Canada 5-3 to advance to the semifinals after O’Neill’s pep talk. But the speech also received criticism from left-wing social media users inside and outside the United States.
Many of those who criticized the speech condemned its pro-war message and the association of the war with American values.
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Edouard Julien of Canada slides into second base against Brice Turang of the United States during the fifth inning at Daikin Park on March 13, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Other Americans praised the speech and responded to critics.
“It’s unfathomable that the comments section is full of people upset that an American hero tells a team representing America a heroic story about a mission his team accomplished. We went from a patriotic country after 9/11 to a country full of terrorist sympathizers,” wrote one X user.
Another user wrote: “Epic! Well played by @USABaseball. American hero and legend in the clubhouse.”
MARK DEROSA, TEAM USA BASEBALL DIRECTOR, RESPONDS TO CRITICISM AMID GROWING CONTROVERSY
Team USA manager Mark DeRosa during the singing of the national anthem before a game against Great Britain at Daikin Park on March 7, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Gabriella Ricciardi/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The United States will play the Dominican Republic in a WBC semifinal on Sunday.
The victory over Canada marked the third time in less than a month that the Americans crushed Canadian sports dreams on the world stage after dramatic victories over Canada in the men’s and women’s hockey Olympic gold medal games last month.
O’Neill wasn’t the only one cheering on Team USA before the game.
U.S. team manager Mark DeRosa revealed that U.S. hockey hero Jack Hughes, who scored the winning goal in the gold medal game against Canada at the Olympics, approached U.S. baseball players before Friday’s game.
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Aaron Judge of the United States shakes hands with his teammates before a game against Canada during the 2026 World Baseball Classic at Daikin Park on March 13, 2026, in Houston, Texas. (Houston Astros/Getty Images)
“Jack Hughes sent the guys a nice little excited message that I posted in their group chat,” DeRosa said during a press conference Thursday before the game.
“I know there’s some talk about sending out some hockey jerseys tomorrow for the guys to wear during practice or in the clubhouse.”
