‘This is awesome’: Twitter reacts as Obama cuts Chelsea Manning’s sentence
US President Barack Obama has cut the bulk of whistleblower Chelsea Manning prison sentence just days before leaving the White House, causing an outpouring of reaction on Twitter.
Manning, who has served 7 of a 35 year jail term, will now be freed on May 17 instead of her scheduled 2045 release.
The 29-year old transgender former US military intelligence analyst, born Bradley Manning, was jailed for leaking American military and diplomatic correspondence across the world in a cache of classified files leaked to WikiLeaks in 2010.
READ MORE: Obama commutes much of Chelsea Manning's sentence
Let it be said here in earnest, with good heart: Thanks, Obama. https://t.co/IeumTasRNN
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) January 17, 2017
Chelsea Manning risked EVERYTHING & has languished in prison for 7yrs cause she chose 2 reveal documents about the lies that led to Iraq War
— Michael Moore (@MMFlint) January 17, 2017
VICTORY: Obama commutes Chelsea Manning sentence from 35 years to 7. Release date now May 17. Background: https://t.co/HndsbVbRer
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) January 17, 2017
Holy shit. @POTUS commuted Chelsea Manning's sentence.. https://t.co/69jb77gd19 That's fucking GREAT news.
— Anonymous (@AnonPress) January 17, 2017
Some opposed the timing of the move, however, criticising Obama for not acting sooner, while others took issue with the outgoing president’s perceived lenient stance against Manning.
READ MORE: Stuxnet leak source, activists among 273 people Obama commutes and pardons
Unsurprisingly there was also a partisan reaction as Republican and Democrat supporters saw it as an opportunity to lock horns.
Former Army PFC #Manning stabbed fellow service members in the back by releasing classified information which put them at risk. (1)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 17, 2017
A pardon for Chelsea Manning, nothing for Gen. Petraeus. It's not too late: Impeach Obama!
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 17, 2017
17 January 2017
23:28 GMTPresident Obama did the right thing with Chelsea Manning's sentence today. Now, how about pardoning Snowden?
— Jesse Ventura (@GovJVentura) January 17, 2017- 23:24 GMT
The freedom of Chelsea Manning shouldn't have been limited to the deadline of Obama's administration. Chelsea is a hero! #FreeManning
— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) January 17, 2017 - 23:16 GMT
Republican stalwart John McCain calls Manning’s commutation a “grave mistake”
“President Obama’s commutation of Chelsea Manning’s sentence is a grave mistake that I fear will encourage further acts of espionage and undermine military discipline,” McCain said.
“Thousands of Americans have given their lives in Afghanistan and Iraq upholding their oaths and defending this nation. Chelsea Manning broke her oath and made it more likely that others would join the ranks of her fallen comrades. Her prison sentence may end in a few months’ time, but her dishonor will last forever.”
Read the full statement here:
.@POTUS's commutation of #ChelseaManning’s sentence is a grave mistake that will encourage further acts of espionage https://t.co/nB5SeHCrKM
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) January 17, 2017 - 23:15 GMT
Manning leaks military secrets: forgiven! Hillary allows state dept 2 B hacked: Make her Pres! DNC allows itself 2 B hacked: Trump's fault!
— Ann Coulter (@AnnCoulter) January 17, 2017 - 23:09 GMT
A Tweet from journalist Judith Miller asked how many lives Manning’s leak had cost, sparking a rebuttal from peers who questioned her stance on the war in Iraq.
Obama commutes sentence of Chelsea Manning. How many people died because of manning' leak? https://t.co/WrijBtp4fo
— Judith Miller (@JMfreespeech) January 17, 2017How many people died because of the US gov's "WMD" lies you helped spread?
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) January 17, 2017
Oh, we have an answer: More than 1 million Iraqis@JMfreespeechpic.twitter.com/0yzq8YV2WhHow many people died because of the lies you wrote which led to the Iraq War??? https://t.co/X7FtsdjZYP
— Anya Parampil (@anyaparampil) January 17, 2017 - 22:48 GMT
Chelsea Manning is a brave hero who never should have been tortured, caged and punished. President Obama did the right thing!
— jeremy scahill (@jeremyscahill) January 17, 2017 - 22:43 GMT
Disturbing video of journalists, civilians killed in #Baghdad leaked by #ChelseaManninghttps://t.co/zxHuVWnqt4#WikiLeaks#Assangepic.twitter.com/JBKqoJLacv
— RT (@RT_com) January 17, 2017 - 22:42 GMT
Chelsea Manning's treachery put American lives at risk and exposed some of our nation's most sensitive secrets.
— Paul Ryan (@SpeakerRyan) January 17, 2017
My full statement ↓ pic.twitter.com/PcQrgK2SI3 - 22:40 GMT
Obama complains about "Russians" leaking DNC emails and then he frees Chelsea Manning who leaked our country's top secrets.
— MaydnUSA (@MaydnUSA) January 17, 2017 - 22:39 GMT
That is awesome. https://t.co/gLbjCEuGc2
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) January 17, 2017
