The Atlantic’s recent story exposing Donald Trump’s nauseating remarks about America’s war dead and POWs has been dominating the news cycle this week. That’s remarkable considering that there is also a presidential election in progress and a deadly pandemic is killing more than a 1,000 people a day.
The article reported Trump complaining about visiting a cemetery in France where Americans soldiers were laid to rest. “Why should I go to that cemetery?” Trump whined. “It’s filled with losers.” He later added that 1,800 plus marines who died at Belleau Wood were “suckers” for getting killed. The article also revealed that Trump was opposed to, and angered by, tributes to the late Sen. John McCain saying “What the f**k are we doing that for? Guy was a f**king loser.”
Trump is predictably denying the story and calling it – wait for it – “fake news.” He doesn’t have any documentary evidence to support his denials. He’s just insisting that the four sources cited by the Atlantic are either lying or made up. It’s an absurd and irresponsible accusation to be making about a journalistic enterprise that has for decades been respected and credible. What’s more, the story has been corroborated with unrelated sources by reporters from the Washington Post, the Associated Press, and NBC News. Of course, those are all media organizations that Trump has furiously, and without foundation, dismissed as fake.
Now, however, Trump is going to have a harder time pretending the liberal media is out to get him. Jennifer Griffin, the National Security Correspondent for Fox News, is the latest reporter to corroborate the Atlantic’s story. She did so in a series of tweets beginning here:
Two former sr Trump admin officials confirm .@JeffreyGoldberg reporting that President Trump disparaged veterans and did not want to drive to honor American war dead at Aisne-Marne Cemetery outside Paris.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) September 4, 2020
Griffin elaborated in this thread of successive tweets:
According to one former senior Trump administration official: “When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, ‘It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker’.”
This former official heard the President say about American veterans: “What’s in it for them? They don’t make any money.” Source: “It was a character flaw of the President. He could not understand why someone would die for their country, not worth it.”
I read the source a few quotes from The Atlantic article. This former Trump admin official said, “The President would say things like that. He doesn’t know why people join the military. He would muse, ‘Why do they do it’?”
Re: trip to mark 100th anniversary of WW I
Source: “The President was not in a good mood. Macron had said something that made him mad about American reliability and the need perhaps for a European army. He questioned why he had to go to two cemeteries. ‘Why do I have to do two’?”
President Trump’s staff explained he could cancel (his visit to the cemetery), but he was warned, ‘They (the press) are going to kill you for this’.” The President was mad as a hornet when they did.
When asked IF the President could have driven to the Aisne-Marne Cemetery, this former official said confidently:”The President drives a lot. The other world leaders drove to the cemeteries. He just didn’t want to go.”
Regarding Trump’s July 4th military parade, during a planning session at the White House after seeing the Bastille Day parade in 2017, the President said regarding the inclusion of “wounded guys” “that’s not a good look” “Americans don’t like that,” source confirms.
Regarding McCain, “The President just hated John McCain. He always asked, ‘Why do you see him as a hero?” Two sources confirmed the President did not want flags lowered but others in the White House ordered them at half mast. There was a stand off and then the President relented.
It will be interesting to see if Trump even addresses this reporting by Fox News. While he has criticized Fox on occasion, it’s usually to complain about a poll he didn’t like or a Democratic guest. He is otherwise marching in lock step with bootlickers like Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham. Griffin is supposed to be a representative of the alleged “hard news” side of the network. But that won’t likely insulate her from Trump’s wrath.
The bottom line is that Trump can no longer make the claim that it’s just a left-wing cabal of insurrectionists bent on destroying him and driving him from office. Whatever he thinks of Griffin or Fox News, it isn’t that they are collaborating with the revolutionary socialists Trump sees in his nightmares. And he can’t simply waive this off like he does with CNN. Well, you would think not. But then with Trump anything is possible. Especially now when he is desperately trying to stay in the White House and out of prison.
UPDATE: Trump did respond to the Fox News confirmation of the Atlantic’s article. Amidst a couple of dozen midnight tweets defending himself against the allegations, Trump tweeted that “Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting. Never even called us for comment. @FoxNews is gone!” That peevish hissy fit was to be expected from Trump. What’s odd is that he attached it to an article from the disreputable Breitbart News that said Griffin “did not confirm” the story. But he wants her fired anyway? Trump’s mind is gone.
How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.
Of course, what the Tyrant Worshipers don’t want to admit — but know all too well anyway — is that this is perfectly in character for Their Beloved God; most have HEARD him say something similar.
And it doesn’t mean a fricking thing now that Tyrant has made it a political issue using his usual methods: claiming it never happened and attacking the messenger with full nukes….
Hopefully the story about the bounties on the heads of our military won’t go away, either. Do not forget about the atrocity of separating children from their parents at the border and putting them in concentration camp like cages.
This will all be forgotten by Trump supporters in another day. They simply don’t care what their Dear Leader is accused of. If it is bad for him they will dismiss it as fake news. They are trained seals at this point and any effort to enlighten them will fail. Trump’s opposition, however, needs to keep this story going ad nauseum from now until election day to remove this cancer from our body politic.