PolitiFact Finds NRA's Ted Nugent Greatly Exaggerated His Law Enforcement Credentials

Nugent Also Claims He Has “Official” Green Beret, Army Ranger, And Navy SEAL Training

PolitiFact reports that National Rifle Association board member and Outdoor Channel spokesperson Ted Nugent exaggerated his law enforcement credentials, which included his claim that he is “a cop in Lake County, Michigan” and that he “conduct[s] federal raids with the DEA and ATF and U.S. Marshals and the FBI and Texas Rangers.”

In giving Nugent's claims a “pants on fire” designation, PolitiFact said none of the agencies mentioned by Nugent confirmed his participation in raids. The Texas Rangers issued a flat denial, telling PolitiFact, “In regards to your question about the Texas Rangers, that did not occur.” The ATF, the federal agency tasked with enforcing gun laws, said "[w]e are not aware of him conducting any raids with us." The U.S. Marshals confirmed that Nugent had shot footage of a ride-along in 2005 when a raid was conducted for his Spirit of the Wild TV show, but that civilian observers of raids “cannot go with us into private residences.”

PolitiFact concluded, “He is not a cop in Michigan by any conventional meaning of the word. No agency said that he presently plays any role in any of their raids.”

While PolitiFact only rated Nugent's claims about his law enforcement credentials that were made during a recent appearance on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront, Nugent has also previously claimed that for decades he has received “official” training from elite military units.

During a 2011 interview with Military.com, Nugent claimed, “I've been very privileged and honored to have trained the with the Navy SEALs, some Green Beret special ops, Army Rangers, since the late 70s, during different training maneuvers both official and non-official, I was able to do some sniper work and some various combat type training with these guys.” Being his usual inflammatory self, he also attacked the Obama administration, stating, “Over my dead body will I let this current regime continue in their abuse of power”: