FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 20, 2026
Contact: Hannah Osantowske
press@johnjamesmi.com
The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden Is Backing John James for Michigan Governor
Navy SEAL Hero Rob O’Neill: “This Race Matters to Every Single American Who Believes This Country Is Worth Fighting For”
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Robert O’Neill, the former U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six operator who shot and killed Osama bin Laden, came to Michigan to sound the alarm and endorse fellow veteran and former Apache combat pilot John James for governor, warning that the radical left is on the verge of taking this state over for good and the whole country will pay the price if they do.
O’Neill and James toured Vos Glass in Grand Rapids, talked with workers on the floor, and took the message live to Scott Jennings and WJR’s Ryan Ermanni.
“John James is the American story that the radical left is terrified of. West Point. Apache pilot. Combat veteran. Job creator. And now the next governor of Michigan. I have been in rooms where the wrong call gets people killed. I know what real leadership looks like and I know what is at stake when you get it wrong. The same radical left that is destroying cities across this country has Michigan in its sights. I came here because this race matters to every single American who believes this country is worth fighting for and John James is the man to win it.”
— Rob O’Neill
“Rob O’Neill flew to Michigan because he knows what is at stake and so do I. The radical left is one governor’s race away from owning this state for good. Gretchen Whitmer was just the beginning. These radicals believe America is racist, men can have babies, borders do not matter, and cops are the enemy. They are wrong and families have paid the price long enough. We are taking this state back, we are restoring faith and common sense, and we are going to show the rest of the country it can be done right here in Michigan.”
— John James
“O’Neill joins a growing coalition of conservatives who have looked at this race and reached the same conclusion: John James is the real deal. President Trump is fighting to Make America Great Again and John James is going to Make Michigan Great Again. Kid Rock, Ted Nugent, and now the man who killed Osama bin Laden have all made the same call. Michigan is worth fighting for and James is the fighter to lead it. On this 250th anniversary of America’s founding, the stakes could not be higher and the choice could not be clearer.”
— Hannah Osantowske, Spokesperson, John James for Governor
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Congressman John James is a West Point graduate, decorated Apache combat veteran, and Michigan job creator running for Governor. He is the only candidate who can win in November and deliver the bold conservative leadership Michigan families deserve.
Robert O’Neill is a highly decorated U.S. Navy SEAL Team Six veteran and one of the most celebrated special operations warriors in American history. His podcast, The Operator with Rob O’Neill, is available on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.