Why ex-Navy SEAL who shot Osama bin Laden faces plane ban

Robert O'Neill, 44, has spoken out against the mandatory wearing of face masks in several states across America.

The ex-Navy SEAL who killed Osama bin Laden was forced to delete a plane selfie without a mask as he faces being banned from Delta Airlines. Robert O'Neill, 44, has spoken out against the mandatory wearing of face masks in several states across America. In one controversial tweet, the former military man said he wouldn't wear a face-covering because he's not a "p****". In his latest tweet, O'Neill, who shot dead terrorist mastermind bin Laden in a 2011 raid, posted an image of him smiling to the camera without a mask.

Other passengers on board can be seen wearing their face coverings as well as an air stewardess in the aisle. Deltas, which it appears he was travelling with, has said it is cracking down on passengers who attempt to travel without a face covering. The airline has said they are aware of the incident and that he may face a lifetime ban. O'Neill's tweet comes as the US recorded 5.5 million cases of coronavirus and 173,000 related deaths.

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The post prompted some angry backlash, with some saying his behaviour could "potentially kill" others around him. Actress Ayssa Milano responding directly to tell him he could have killed people.

"You do realize you may be a-symptomatic and give the virus to other people that could potentially kill them,' she wrote to him in a tweet.

"I think that makes you a sociopath. Besides, p****** are actually so strong that we can deliver human beings out of them. Please, I’m begging you, wear a damn mask."

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O'Neill's tweet was eventually removed - however, he claims his wife removed the offending post as opposed to him. Ready for the backlash he'd get off the back of the image, O'Neill continued to post to Twitter on Wednesday night, saying: "I shook thousands of hands and gave thousands of hugs this week. I flew on some planes. I’ll be alive next week."

In another anti-mask rant online, last month O'Neill said people should "wise-up" and should not be forced to have their temperature taken or to quarantine if asked to by the state, reports the Mail.

On July 31 he wrote: "They can’t make you wear masks. They can’t make you take your temperature. They can’t make you quarantine. Wise up."