Oh, come on, was anybody really shocked? Comrade Trump thinks people who join the military are suckers and losers — is that actually a surprise? Since the day he stepped into the Oval Office, Trump has shown his disregard for the military and military culture.
It’s not just that Trump dodged the draft during Vietnam; lots of rich white kids did that. I don’t hold that against him. Most draft dodgers didn’t brag about it like Trump, but that’s small beans.
No, Trump’s feelings about the military were apparent in the way he sneered at John McCain for getting ‘caught’. I mean, it doesn’t take any great skill for a fighter pilot to get shot down, but it takes character to deal with all those years as a POW. I’m okay with Trump disagreeing with McCain’s politics (I do too), and I’m okay with mocking him for being a showboat as a politician. But you don’t get to mock his suffering, especially if you’ve evaded military service yourself.
Trump’s feeling about the military was apparent in the way casually sneered at the family of Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed during a suicide attack in Iraq. In the way he forgot the name of Sgt. La David Johnson (who was killed in an insurgent attack in Niger, and whose body was left behind) in his condolence call to the widow, in the way he said this about her husband’s death: “It’s what he signed up for.” It was apparent when his Trump Foundation publicly raised money for a veterans group but failed to failed to actually give that money to the group until the New York Attorney General began an investigation into the misappropriation of the funds. It was apparent in the way he interfered (against all protocol) in the cases of at least two soldiers accused/convicted of war crimes.
And, of course, his feelings about the military were apparent in 2018 when he bailed on attending a ceremony at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, which holds the bodies of more than 1800 US Marines who died during the battle of Bellaeu Wood. Trump claimed the weather that day prohibited his helicopter from flying; he also said the Secret Service was reluctant to drive him the 40 miles to the cemetery for security reasons. And yet Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel were able to attend the ceremony despite the rain. So was Trump’s own Chief of Staff, John Kelly, who was driven there by his staff.
But not Trump.
A year earlier, on Memorial Day in 2017. Trump accompanied Kelly, to Arlington National Cemetery, where Kelly’s son is buried. According to reports, Trump looked at the long lines of white headstones and said to Kelly, “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”
And there it is. That comment is perfectly on-brand for Trump, and it explains his feelings about military service. Trump views the world in purely transactional terms; he sees every interaction (at least with those outside his family) as a negotiation, an exchange in which somebody gains and somebody loses. Every interaction — what’s in it for me, what’s in it for them, and what do I need to do to come out on top?
If that is, in fact, Trump’s worldview (and I see no reason to doubt it), then of course he’d see the troops as suckers, as losers. There’s no tangible profit in serving in the military. You can make a fortune selling stuff to the military, but putting on a uniform? Following orders that could get you killed, and for a ridiculously low salary? That’s a mug’s game.
Me, I’m a mug. So were both my brothers. So was my father and many of my uncles. I don’t like playing the patriot card, but we’ve paid our dues. Which is something nobody named Trump has ever done.
EDITORIAL NOTE: We’ve got less than 60 days to the election. Do your duty. Vote. Vote early. Vote, but just vote ONCE.
gregfallis.com 
“I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”
And there it is. That comment is perfectly on-brand for Trump, and it explains his feelings about military service. Trump views the world in purely transactional terms; he sees every interaction (at least with those outside his family) as a negotiation, an exchange in which somebody gains and somebody loses.
Truer words were never spoken.
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In a very real way, I suppose it’s not Trump’s fault. If person was color blind, you wouldn’t blame them for not being able to recognize the color blue. I suspect Trump is emotionally incapable of understanding or recognizing the concept of altruistic sacrifice. For him it’s an alien concept delivered in a foreign language.
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There is an aspect of patriotism that is lost on the red hat patriots, the sense of community. Trump’s patriotism, and that of his followers, is about an idealized America, where everyone thinks and does as the white, flag waving, red white and blue wearing, never served, god fearing, gun carrying right. Their America does not exist.
Trump lost me altogether and forever over the Kahn comments. My DD214 says no further service required.
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My guess is the majority of folks who have a DD214 may know no further service is required, but are still willing to willingly offer it when needed. I’ve got a shiny new nickel that says you believe that too.
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And what is your definition? A socialist America? What version of patriotism do us “red hat wearing” folk have that irks you so much? I mean I guess if you believe all the lies told by the media and the democrats you might think that 60+ million Trump voters of all races, genders, and nationalities might all be racist, bigoted, homophobes, but of course the reality is vastly different.
We do not demand anyone follow any particular way of life other than supporting freedoms and the rights to express those freedoms. We do not look to make some speech illegal. We do not put one race over another within the law, a murder of black man is just as tragic as that of a white man. He is no more dead due to his skin color. So what is it exactly that you think we are?
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“We do not demand anyone follow any particular way of life other than supporting freedoms and the rights to express those freedoms. We do not look to make some speech illegal.”
I had to stop reading at that comment because it was too ridiculous to continue. You’re seriously saying that the side that has demonized the mainstream media as an “enemy of the state” and “fake news” is for free speech?!?!?
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Why, is being critical of those who lie in the media suddenly illegal. Show me where any conservative has asked for any legislation to stop anyone from speaking their mind. Which side of this argument favors the cancel culture for not speaking how they are superposed to speak or saying what they are supposed to say? it is not the conservative side. Which side looks back years or decades to hold people accountable for words they spoke at a different time to help get them off the air? Which side is trying to fire people for having views different than theirs?
Wake up man, you are supporting those who oppose free speech, not defend it. I support 100% the media being able to spew whatever crap they want but I also support being able to be critical about it.
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Trump is the Cancellor in Chief! He called Fox to have the their reporter fired for having backed up the “suckers” and “losers” comments. If that ain’t cancel culture… Getting 40% of the people to falsley believing the truth-telling media are the enemy of the state can surely be called “cancel culture”.
Why do you believe anything he says?.
We know that before the 2016 election, when asked about ties to Russia, Trump said he had no interest in Russia. Then Michael Cohen outed him and Trump then said that of course he was in talks with Russia but it was okay because he wasn’t yet president. He lied about dealings with an adversary and continues to kowtow to Putin.
Did you not see the interview from 2015 or 16 in which Trump called John McCain “a loser” because he was captured and “I like people who weren’t captured.”
His Trump “Charity” was forced by the courts to disband and pay a $2,000,000 fine.
When speaking at the Republican convention, Don Jr. said that they were going to get rid of the payroll tax. That tax is what pays for Social Security. He will soon be gutting Social Security!
He doesn’t care about you – unless you’re rich and a campaign donor. The only thing he wants from you is for you to attend his rallies and fawn over him so he can feel like the authoritarian he wants to be, and vote for him, of course.
Doesn’t any of this other you?
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“what do you think of Trump’s soul?”
An actual softball question from the Biden presser where he had every answer to every question that was going to asked of him, already written for him. All he had to do was read them.
He read them so well he even read the instructions off the already written answers:
“…end quote”
Dude your hatred of a man who has done nothing but good for the nation is driving you to vote for a man who cannot even answer softball questions on his own. He cannot call on members of the press by name he has to have his staffer do it. You are willingly trying to put a man in office knowing he is mentally incapable of making a clear decision on anything as he has lost total touch with reality.
You will also believe the Atlantic, a rag that has had it out for Trump for years. They post a story with zero evidence other than 2nd and 3rd hand info in which none of the people will come forward at all to confirm in public. This from event that happened years ago and suddenly just now, 4 hidden people who refuse to come forward, are only now making their statements? 4 other sources, including Bolton, who is no fan of Trump, who was actually there and actually was willing to come forward, stated he never heard Trump say those things. But of course you ignore those real facts in favor of anonymous facts. The security people there at the time have confirmed the details. The Biden campaign already had an ad ready to go with this… how very odd that they could have an ad all ready to go, but again, ignore those facts.
This is 100% coordinated and you have chosen to ignore it. The economy has had a nearly 50% rebound already after this attempted destruction of the economy because of the solid economy built by Trump.
You, like the Democrats are now grasping at straws.
Oh, as for McCain, if you did not understand the insults of McCain as election political speak, then you need to go back and look at a few more elections throughout history. McCain had abandoned his conservative American principles in favor of an open borders, more leftist agenda to try and gain favor with the lefty media. He, like Clinton felt the presidency was owed him, so he was petty and childish and pissy because he was not going to beat Trump. He was so petty he knew when he was going to die that he made sure to not have Trump at his service!
You know, I would have more respect if you would at least, through all of your vivid hatred of Trump, do a post on the fact that Biden is not presidential material, that in fact he is being hidden from all hard questions, that in fact he is losing his mental capacities, that indeed he will not be running the country if elected, but you just do not care and will vote for him anyways, just be honest.
Hell I can be honest about Trump. He is a flawed man. But you know, all men are flawed. The difference with Trump is he is not polishing his flaws behind fake political styled speeches and carefully organized appearances. No, Trump goes right into the lions den and takes question after question from the media who would not dare to ask Biden a hard hitting question, but Trump takes them all. There is a reason all democrats and most establishment republicans hate Trump, he has exposed all of them for the worthless, do nothingness, con men and women they truly are.
47 years Biden had to make positive change, he has done nothing.
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Are you F*ng kidding? you had to make this about BIDEN? Who served in the US Army Reserves? Really?
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Trump supporters love his hatefulness, cruelty, insensitivity, indecency, vulgarity, and inhumanity. He is the person they all desire to be.
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Yes, this is 100% about Biden because this was a 100% planned hit piece. He already had a damned commercial ready to go when the story came out. Look, you can be blind all you want. Unlike you I support your right to vote stupid. But at least be honest. You know damn well Biden is a shell of the person he used to be and he is being protected by his handlers and the media, but you choose to ignore it because of your hatred for trump. The country has never been better but because you have such a bad case of TDS that you would rather destroy the country to get Trump out. A Biden presidency will destroy the economy. We create massive inflation, raise taxes, destroy job, increase energy costs for everyone… but you go ahead and keep getting your panties in a wad about a story so horrible that the 4 people who claimed to have heard it refuse to say who they are.
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We’ll be able to judge the cognitive abilities of both candidates at the first debate, which I believe is in about three weeks. We’ll also be able to judge them on their honesty, their understanding of domestic and world issues, and their plans for the future of the nation.
I look forward to it.
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I do as well. Do you not find it rather sad that he is not currently trusted to answer an hard questions? Nothing about Hunter and his dealing with China and the Ukraine, nothing about the sexual misconduct charges, nothing about his plagiarism during his speeches, nothing about his evidenced cognitive decline, nothing about how while the economy was great he took credit for it with Obama but then when it went south due to covid he blamed it on Trump’s economy.
I mean if you really, honestly thought Biden was the best man for the job, should you not want him answering all these tough questions and displaying his ability to handle them under the spotlight, unrehearsed and unscripted?
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” No, Trump goes right into the lions den and takes question after question from the media who would not dare to ask Biden a hard hitting question, but Trump takes them all.”
That’s BS! If he doesn’t like a question from the press, he lies in his reply or calls them “nasty” or doesn’t answer and calls on another reporter instead, or he’ll just leave the presser. Or, again, he cites everything true as fake news to discredit them.
Oh, and I forgot to address the issue of “anonymous sources”. First of all, these publications know who the sources are and know they are reliable. Trump, however, uses anonymous sources all the time. What do you think he’s doing when he says ‘people are saying…’ or ‘I’ve been told…’ before saying something contentious?
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Oh I just did a spit take when you said the:
“First of all, these publications know who the sources are and know they are reliable.”
You actually believe this which is so cute. Does the tooth fairy still visit you too?
The media has been exposed for who they are. They are anti-Trump and ant-conservative. They attack Trump 24/7. Compare the interview given Biden in his presser to that of ANY given to Trump. I mean dear god, they asked Biden what he thought of the Presidents soul.
And yes, the President will tell the media to go pound sand because they have needed it for years. They are no longer the 4th estate, they are nearly 100% in the back pocket of the left. Yes, I know you will come back with “what about Fox”. OK, lets say Fox is equally as on the right as CNN is on the left. That is 1 network. One. 99% of all of the others have zero journalistic integrity any more and will outright lie, omit truths, change images, etc. But even Fox will do negative stories on Trump and has their fair share of lefties on air. They at least try to be fair and balanced.
Hell CNN just doctored a decades out photo of Biden and his young son at the time to airbrush out a Redskins logo to protect Biden. How is that for integrity?
So spare me. The majority of the media today are useless unless you are a democrat. They used to be the balance for the people to keep ALL of government in check but now they are just mouth pieces and places to push their own agendas.
I would love for 30 minutes for Biden to go through the same styles of questions the Trump admin goes through on the daily. Right now you have a line of media on their knees in front of Biden asking if they can service him with their softball questions. It is a joke. The media is a joke. And the media has become the enemy of the free world because they lie and manipulate and no longer tell just the facts.
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“One. 99% of all of the others have zero journalistic integrity any more and will outright lie, omit truths,”
Let’s say you find a lump on your testicle. You see 100 specialists: 99 say it’s cancer; 1 says it isn’t. Who do you listen to?
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If I have known the other 99 to lie consistently to suit their own agenda, like making money selling a useless cancer drug to patients with no cancer, I am going with the one I trust.
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Oh Patrick, you are so clueless. Just like the democrats and the media. You have know idea who we are and why we support Trump, and it shows.
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Greg, it took me a while. I get it now. This “Bill Woody” is you posting as a bizzaro alter-ego. You know, a good Poe is indistinguishable from the real thing.
LOL! You had me going for a bit! Good one.
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The name is Billy Woody. Get it right Joey.
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Good comeback Greg. Ha ha!
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That’s a shitty thing to suggest, even as a joke.
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LOL!
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The echo chamber is loud in here.
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Greg, thanks for this compilation of his affronts to the military. May I share it with my local chapter of Veterans For Peace please, via gmail? And maybe also with our national office, for possible further distribution through their print and non-print communications and newsletters? Many thanks! Larry Orr, Madison, WI
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Are you going to post it with the affronts to the military of the democrat party? Are you going to list all of the “draft dodgers” from the democrats who had some reason to not go into the military? Are you also going to add to that list the countless things Trump has done for the military? Oh wait, probably not because you are about false narratives. You are about starting a huge fire based on zero evidence even though there are now 8, eight, count them 8 eye witnesses, including one who hates Trump, who claim he never said any of those things.
Be sure to bring this to your echo chamber.
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Larry, yes, of course you can. And thanks for being involved in Vets for Peace.
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Many thanks, Greg! Keep the great writing coming! In solidarity: onwards! Peace! Larry
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