Dog expert blurts out Jeffrey Epstein conspiracy theory during Fox News interview

An unexpected outburst from a K-9 trainer on Fox News this weekend has the internet in an uproar.

Mike Ritland, a former Navy SEAL and founder of the Warrior Dog Foundation, appeared on an episode of Fox News show Watters’ World on Saturday to discuss Conan, the Belgian Malinois dog who recently assisted U.S. troops in a special forces operation to bring down ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

As the segment started to wind down, Ritland was asked by show host Jesse Watters what those considering adopting a military dog should do. Ritland replied honestly, explaining that it’s a serious commitment to raise a dog of this kind. But it was the comment he added in after he answered the question that left viewers in shock.

“The remarkable nature of these dogs and them being highlighted in news creates a huge demand by people that frankly shouldn’t have them. If you see the coverage and you decide I want one of these dogs either buy a fully trained and finished dog from a professional or don’t get one at all,” Ritland said, who then blurted out — “That, and Epstein didn’t kill himself.”

Warning: The below video clip includes an expletive.

Ritland’s comments were in reference to Jeffrey Epstein, the multimillionaire financier who was found dead of in his New York City prison cell back in August while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges involving underage girls. Though the medical examiner ruled it a death by suicide, Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist hired by Epstein's family, told Fox News on Wednesday that he believes an autopsy suggests homicide. He based this theory on the three fractures of Epstein's hyoid bone and thyroid cartilage, which are injuries that are more indicative of homicidal strangulation than suicide, he claimed.

At first, Watters replied to Ritland’s outburst with “Alright,” then let out a laugh and said, “OK.”

“Thank you for that commentary,” Watters said, laughing. “Maybe more on that later.”

Watters later mentioned the incident on social media, retweeting a video of the outburst along with an emoji of a shocked face with an open mouth.

Interest in military dogs has surged since President Trump tweeted a photo of Conan the dog on Monday. Yahoo reported that the amount of people looking to adopt retired American military dogs has skyrocketed.

Ritland’s outburst wasn’t the only one to make the rounds on the internet this week. A Washington Nationals fan’s comments went viral on live TV earlier this week while celebrating his team’s win over the Houston Astros in the World Series.

“I think this is huge for D.C.,” the unnamed fan said on Fox 5, the local Washington, D.C. station, HuffPost reported. “D.C. needed this. We got some a*****e in the (expletive) White House.”

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