A major publication has dropped a bombshell that may have many active and veteran members of military service reconsidering voting for Donald Trump in November.
Trump, according to The Atlantic, thinks those in military cemeteries are “losers,” and those who died in battle were, “suckers.”
In The Atlantic article, four anonymous sources close to Trump cited his inability to comprehend why men and women serve their country, when there is no money to be gained by doing so.
Trump was given the moniker, “Cadet Bonespurs” during his campaign for President in the 2016 election, claiming “a bone spur” prevented him from serving in the military during the Vietnam War.
“It was a long time ago,” Trump told reporters at a July 2015 campaign rally in Iowa. “I had student deferments and then ultimately had a medical deferment because of my feet. I had a bone spur.”
When asked in 2015, which foot had the problem, Trump – who has claimed to have “one of the greatest memories of all time” – told reporters that he could not remember. His campaign later released a statement saying the spurs affected both feet.
Which means, if his campaign was honest, Trump couldn’t remember both his feet had a problem with bone spurs.
The doctor, from whom Trump received his deferment was a tenant of Trump’s father at the time, but is now deceased. The doctor’s daughter claims her father issued the bone spur diagnosis as a favor to Trump’s father, Fred Trump.
For every other President before Trump the Atlantic story would be one that could easily be pushed back by The White House, which it is trying to do with little success. Trump has used his favorite word to address the story. It’s another “hoax,” according to Trump, but other than his hard core believers, people aren’t accepting his hoax claim so readily.
That’s because his claims of previous subjects being hoaxes are coming to light as based in fact, including his past campaign ties to Russia, and his past history of demeaning some who served honorably and with distinction.
Trump’s own past statements give evidence that The Atlantic story is believable.
Trump disparaged Republican Sen. John McCain as being a loser, for being a POW. “I don’t like losers. People think he’s a hero for being a POW. I like those who aren’t captured,” Trump had stated in an interview. He also followed up with a Tweet of McCain being a “loser.”
McCain was captured during the Vietnam War after being shot down. He spent 5 years in a Hanoi prison, subjected to torture. Early in his captivity he refused to be returned in an offer from North Vietnam when they realized he was the son of an active Naval Admiral. McCain would not accept a return until those POWs who were captured before him were returned first.
President George H.W. Bush was also a target of Trump’s disdain, calling Bush a “loser” for having been shot down by the Japanese during World War II. Bush was rescued from his life raft by a U.S. submarine. Eight others in that mission were also shot down. They were captured by the Japanese, tortured, and executed.
General James Mattis, who Trump called, “a General’s General” before tapping him for the position of Secretary of Defense in his administration, also came under fire.
Mattis resigned after Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, leaving our long-time allies, the Kurds, to be slaughtered by Turkish Troops that invaded a swath of Syria, in which the Kurds controlled with U.S. support.
Following Mattis’ resignation Trump falsely claimed he fired Mattis, and then went on to call him, “the most overrated General.” Trump also broadcast his opinion that the highly decorated General Kelly was exhausted and couldn’t handle the pressure of working in The White House.
These, and many more examples may have been ignored by those who served, because Trump hadn’t directed his disdain specifically at them, as he campaigned on a platform that appealed to racists and far-right conservatives with the promise of a wall, and fear of those who weren’t Christian with a ban on Muslims, from Middle East countries he had no financial interests in.
Now that present and former military personnel know how he really feels about them and their brothers-in-arms who came before, will they turn away from a President who never served, avoided service because there was no monetary profit in it for him, and has taken no action when it was recently revealed Russia offered a bounty on U.S. servicemen fighting in Afghanistan?
Or will they join the Trump flag wavers today in Nazareth, led by a racist constable, and continue supporting a man who thinks of them as little more than cannon fodder?
UPDATE 9/6/20
Following Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin’s confirmation on air that she was able to confirm key elements in The Atlantic story, her report has since been buried by the Fox Network, and Trump has tweeted for her to be fired. Fox News Senior Political Analyst Brit Hume defended his colleague. “Jen plays it straight and always has,” said Hume.
Associated Press reporter James LaPorta, and other news networks have also confirmed key elements regarding the article in The Atlantic.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
