PA GOP gubernatorial candidate posed for photo in Confederate uniform


Doug Mastriano, a Pennsylvania state senator and the Republican nominee for governor, posed in a Confederate uniform for a 2014 faculty photo at the Army War College, Reuters reported Friday.
Mastriano was the only one of the 21 faculty members in the photo to don a Confederate uniform for the occasion. Jenna Ellis, a senior adviser to Mastriano's campaign, wrote in response to the story that "[t]he left wants to erase history," while Mastriano, who has a PhD in history, "wants us to learn from it."
"Doug Mastriano wore the uniform of traitors who fought to defend slavery on official grounds of the U.S. Army War College," Democratic gubernatorial nominee Josh Shapiro tweeted Friday night. "It's deeply offensive and proves who he is, once again. He's unfit to be Governor."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
According to Reuters, which obtained the photo through a request filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the picture was removed from the wall at the Army War College where it had hung alongside other annual faculty portraits. The college said in a statement that they removed the photo because "it does not meet AWC values."
Mastriano retired from the U.S. Army in 2017 with the rank of colonel and rose to national prominence for his efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania. The New York Times notes that Mastriano has proposed "de-registering all of Pennsylvania's roughly nine million registered voters and requiring them to register again."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Grayson Quay was the weekend editor at TheWeek.com. His writing has also been published in National Review, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Modern Age, The American Conservative, The Spectator World, and other outlets. Grayson earned his M.A. from Georgetown University in 2019.
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Trump revives K-12 Presidential Fitness Test
Speed Read The Obama administration phased the test out in 2012, replacing it with a program focused on overall health rather than standardized benchmarks
-
El Salvador scraps term limits, boosting Nayib Bukele
Speed Read New constitutional changes will allow presidents to seek reelection an indefinite number of times
-
Trump assigns tariffs, delays all except on Canada
Speed Read A 35% tariff on many Canadian goods has gone into effect
-
Harris rules out run for California governor
Speed Read The 2024 Democratic presidential nominee ended months of speculation about her plans for the contest
-
Trump sets new tariff rates as deadline nears
Speed Read New tariff rates for South Korea, Brazil and India announced
-
Ghislaine Maxwell: angling for a Trump pardon
Talking Point Convicted sex trafficker's testimony could shed new light on president's links to Jeffrey Epstein
-
Senate confirms Trump loyalist Bove to top court
Speed Read The president's former criminal defense lawyer was narrowly approved to earn a lifetime seat
-
Ghislaine Maxwell offers testimony for immunity
Speed Read The convicted sex trafficker offered to testify to Congress about her relationship with late boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein