The Dishonored Dead

I hate to start the week with a rant against Trump. And it's Labor Day for Christ's sake; can we not get a day off around here from being bugged by Trump's latest stupid/illegal/unethical/immoral thing? 

Anway...

Trump was visiting France in 2018. A trip was planned to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, a World War I cemetery in Belleau, France, near the site of the Battle of Belleau Wood. 

Li'l Donnie did not want to go. 

It was raining and Trump was worried the rain would mess up his hair. 

And besides, what was the point of going anyway.  


In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit, Trump said, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” 

Trump also referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed.

And that's not all. 

Trump refuses to go to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to receive the bodies of U.S. soldiers, despite his insistence that he’s paid his respects to “many, many” U.S. soldiers killed in the line of duty.  

Apparently someone was mean to him once. 

Bill Owens, the father of a slain Navy SEAL, refused to shake Trump’s hand at a 2017 meeting and berated him for his incompetence. 

Trump hasn't been back since.

Trump and his supporters purport to be one of his strengths is his support for the military. Trump likes to yell and strut at his rallies that Obama and the Democrats were destroying the military, that the Army was actually running out of bullets and more and only Donald Trump was able to restore the American military to greatness and glory.

Which is of course all bullshit and is the very antithesis of his actual conduct. Conduct that has been ongoing and consistent since he was a much younger man. 

Two words: Bone spurs. 

Trump called out those who served in Vietnam as suckers for not being smart enough to get out of it.  

Trump's refusal to address Putin's bounties for American soldiers in Afghanistan is another example of his lack of respect or support for the military.  

Just five days into his presidency, Trump ordered a SEAL team into Yemen while sitting across a dinner table from Steve Bannon in Mar-a-Lago. Bill Owens' son, William Ryan Owens, was the Navy SEAL killed in the raid, which targeted al Qaeda leader Qasim al-Raymi. As many as 30 civilians also died. Trump's first instinct was deflect blame from himself and towards his generals, the military, even former President Barack Obama. 

Or when Trump overruled his own generals to pardon people who violated the military code of conduct. Trump thinks soldiers should do whatever they want to in a war zone because they are "killing machines". Denigrating those people who have chosen to serve our country as mere "machines" is no way to show respect for our military. 

Describing soldiers as "killing machines" shows a massive lack of understanding and respect for the men and women who wear that uniform. 

There are so many things that Trump fails at as President. But the son of a bitch can't even manage basic competence in the things he and his supporters say he is supposed to be good at, supporting the military. 

Trump likes to cite increases to the Pentagon's budget as proof of his support and respect for the very military. Just like Trump to think throwing money at something as proof of one's love and devotion.  

But time and time again, in ways that are truly meaningful, Trump has failed to deliver being a strong and respectful supporter of the military.