Donald Trump was supposed to visit a World War I cemetery in France today to pay respects to 1,800 U.S. soldiers who died fighting at the Battle of Belleau Wood.
Independent: Trump cancels First World War memorial visit to US cemetery because of ‘poor weather’
Donald Trump‘s visit to a First World War cemetery was called off by the White House because of poor weather.
The US leader was set to visit the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in the French village of Belleau – the site of a 1918 battle in which the Americans and French repelled German forces. More than 1,800 Americans died there.
The battle looms large in the history of the US Marine Corps.
Mr Trump was supposed to participate in a wreath-laying and a moment of silence at the site, but heavy rain prevented him from arriving via helicopter to the site, which is more than 50 miles east of the French capital.
Ostensibly, the reason for Trump’s visit to France was to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of the end of World War I, yet Donald Trump couldn’t find it in himself to brave the rain to pay his respects to U.S. soldiers who died fighting in that war. He used rain as his excuse, however this same rain didn’t stop others from visiting, including the wife of John Kelly:
White House chief of staff John Kelly, a retired Marine Corps general, his wife and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo will visit instead.
Poor weather appears to be a pretty flimsy excuse for not paying respects to World War I soldiers who gave their lives for this country. The reality is probably that Donald Trump was worried about his hair, as he has shown over and over again to be a huge concern of his: The Hill: Trump jokes about canceling event due to bad hair day after declining to cancel it over shooting
This is, however, not the first time he has used a ridiculous excuse for something related to paying respect to members of the military. Speaking to the Associated Press in October, Donald Trump explained why he hasn’t yet visited any military troops who are serving overseas, unlike his predecessor Barack Obama:
NY Daily News: President Trump says he has yet to visit troops overseas because he is ‘very busy’
The commander-in-chief spoke to the Associated Press Tuesday, and said that while he doesn’t feel it’s “overly necessary” to pay a visit to a military base in a combat zone like Iraq or Afghanistan, he plans to at some point in the future.
“I’ve been very busy with everything that’s taking place here,” he said, before diving into a rambling boast about the state of the country’s economy and unemployment rates.
This was such a ridiculous excuse for any President, but it is made even more ridiculous for Donald Trump, because he has spent 149 days at golf courses in 20 months, almost 25% of his Presidency. Paying a visit to troops serving overseas is apparently much less important to Donald Trump than golfing, which he has no problem making time for.
What this excuse was not, though, is surprising. It is just one more in an ever lengthening list of cases of Donald Trump demeaning members of the military.
Most recently, during an interview with Fox and Friends on Thursday, October 11, he expressed his gratitude to Devin Nunes in a curious manner:
Donald Trump interview with Fox & Friends, October 11, 2018
“Devin Nunes — he should get — if this all turns out like everyone, thinks it will. Devin Nunes should get the Medal of Honor. He should really what he’s gone through and his bravery.”
The Medal of Honor is the United States of America’s highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who distinguished themselves by acts of valor.
Devin Nunes, is of course, not in the military. Nor has he done anything that a sane person would define as an “act of valor”. Devin Nunes has instead mostly been trying to use his position within the House Intelligence Committee to obstruct the Mueller Investigation in an attempt to cover-up the Trump campaign’s collusion with Russia during the 2016 election
On Memorial Day of this year, Donald Trump sent a tweet that was disrespectful of the military:
ABC News: Trump touts his accomplishments in Memorial Day tweet about fallen soldiers
The somber speech was a striking departure from a politically-charged tweet the president had sent out earlier surmising “those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud” with his presidency, appearing to politicize what is typically observed as a solemn holiday.
The president’s campaign also used the occasion to blast an email out to supporters advertising a sale on flags, hats, koozies and other merchandise.
“Within the next 14 hours, use the the coupon code “REMEMBER” to save 25% on ANY item in the Official Trump Store,” the email said.
And, of course , there was Trump’s wish for the military to be forced to parade in front of him:
Salon: Vets and military families don’t want to be props in Trump’s fantasy
“This parade is a perfect example of Trump’s relationship to the military,” said Alexander McCoy, a former Marine embassy guard and the current communications director for Common Defense, in an email. “Trump doesn’t want to honor the people who served, he wants them to honor him.”
About a year ago, he joked about a military flag raising ceremony:
President Trump sat down for an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity inside a Pennsylvania National Guard hangar in Middletown on Wednesday evening, and while they were discussing GDP growth, a bugle call sounded in the background. “What a nice sound that is — are they playing that for you or for me?” Trump asked, laughing. “They’re playing that in honor of his ratings.” The bugle call was “Retreat,” a signal that the day is done, followed by “To the Color,” which, according to The Washington Post, “signifies the raising or lowering of the American flag on a military installation.” The U.S. Army says “‘To the Color’ commands all the same courtesies as the National Anthem.”
Some of the people in Trump’s audience stood during the bugle calls, but Trump kept talking about the economy. “Although Trump attended a military high school, the commander in chief appeared unaware of the music’s meaning,” says the Post‘s Patrick Martin.
That was around the same time he created a feud with the widow of a soldier who was killed in action:
New Republic: Donald Trump is back to insulting Gold Star families.
On Tuesday, Trump called the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in the ambush, as she was on her way to meet her husband’s body. Rep. Frederica Wilson was in the car with Johnson and overheard the conversation, which occurred over speakerphone. Johnson told a radio station that Trump told Johnson that her husband “knew what he signed up for,” causing her to cry.
Then there were several episodes that occurred during his Presidential campaign and before:
NY Times: Donald Trump Criticizes Muslim Family of Slain U.S. Soldier, Drawing Ire
Donald J. Trump belittled the parents of a slain Muslim soldier who had strongly denounced Mr. Trump during the Democratic National Convention, saying that the soldier’s father had delivered the entire speech because his mother was not “allowed” to speak.
Politico: Trump: ‘I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier’
Without setting foot on a battlefield, Donald Trump said he received a Purple Heart medal on Tuesday at his rally in Ashburn, Virginia, from a retired lieutenant colonel and supporter.
“I said to him, ‘Is that like the real one, or is that a copy?” the Republican nominee said moments after taking the stage at a local high school.
Trump recounted the exchange, remarking that the man, who he identified as retired Lt. Col. Louis Dorfman said, “That’s my real Purple Heart. I have such confidence in you.”
“And I said, ‘Man, that’s like big stuff. I always wanted to get the Purple Heart,” Trump said. “This was much easier.”
Daily Kos: About That Time Trump Said He Knows More About ISIS Than Our Generals
“I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me,’’
NBC News: Trump Implies Vets Suffering from PTSD “Can’t Handle War”
Speaking with the Retired American Warriors PAC in Virginia, the Republican nominee suggested veterans suffering from PTSD are not “strong” and “can’t handle” the stresses of war.
“When people come back from war and combat and they see things that, maybe a lot of the folks in this room have seen many times over, and you’re strong and you can handle it, but a lot of people can’t handle it,” Trump said.
ThinkProgress: Trump Blasts Military Generals, Says They Are ‘Embarrassing To Our Country’
Appearing at the Commander-in-Chief forum on MSNBC, Donald Trump said the generals of the U.S. military were “embarrassing” to America.
Trump said that the generals had been “reduced to rubble.”
Politico: Trump attacks McCain: ‘I like people who weren’t captured’
“He’s not a war hero,” said Trump. “He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
Guardian: Donald Trump’s disrespect for the military is appalling – and unprecedented
Trump continued to inappropriately compare his civilian experiences to military ones since the Howard Stern appearance. Last year Trump told a biographer that he “always felt like I had been in the military” because of his time at the New York Military Academy, an expensive military-themed boarding school where Trump’s parents sent him because of behavioral problems.
Guardian: Donald Trump’s disrespect for the military is appalling – and unprecedented
Trump’s disrespect of veterans began long before the current election cycle. On the Howard Stern show back in 1997, sandwiched in between a bunch of embarrassing comments about women, Trump compared his sex life in the 1980s to a war experience.
“I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world. It is a dangerous world out there – it’s scary, like Vietnam. Sort of like the Vietnam era. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave soldier,” Trump bloviated.
Donald Trump obviously has no respect for veterans. He has made that clear over and over again.
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