To Loved Ones Still Supporting Mr. Trump
Generals Not Supporting Mr. Trump
Republicans Not Supporting Mr. Trump
Legal Convictions and Judgments
Miscellaneous Quotes on Fitness
Philosophy of Military Service
7/4/24: A Second Look
(2-minute read; by Tom Ersin)
As has been recounted often, the question of support for or opposition to Donald Trump has split families and separated friends. I can’t criticize MAGA supporters as a monolithic group because many people I care about are in that group. It pains me deeply to accept that individuals I know to be good people can’t see the depravity.
Still, I make one last pitch to dispassionate reason, logic, critical thought.
__________
In the election of 2024, any discussion of normal policy differences is interesting but unimportant to the choice of next U.S. president. It’s all inconsequential to the real issue: Which candidate supports the Constitution, the law, and the peaceful transfer of power? And which candidate does not?
You might have waived away the question of moral fitness thinking it fabricated, based upon lies and propaganda. But when thousands of members of a candidate’s own party — including numerous Trump appointees who worked as highest-level leaders in his White House, Cabinet, and military — now consider him unqualified and a danger to the country, you should take a second look. Per his chief of staff Gen. John Kelly: “He has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.” Per his Secretary of Defense Gen. James Mattis: “He’s dangerous. He’s unfit.” This never has occurred before in our history.
Donald Trump promised to hire “the best people” and often did. An unprecedented number of those people now have deemed him unfit for office based on proximity to his moral policy failings and willful flouting of U.S. law. Sixty-plus courts, including “his” Supreme Court, and countless recounts determined President Trump lost in 2020. All his applicable Cabinet departments adjudicated the election fair and secure from significant fraud. He has ignored them and still falsely claims victory.
If Mr. Trump attains power again, conservative constitutional experts and Republican national security professionals fear our democracy will be damaged for decades if not permanently. What kind of country do we want for our children? With this election, policy differences are moot. Allegiance to the Constitution — or not — is paramount.
Statement Against Interest
Through watching Law and Order and other courtroom dramas, we occasionally are presented with the legal concept of “statement against interest.” If a person concedes the truth of a point knowing it severely harms his or her cause — interest — that person and statement carry greatly enhanced credibility. Those individuals told the truth knowing it would hurt them. Today, thousands of Republicans, including innumerable former Trump Republicans, are willing to hurt their party (and for many, their political ambitions) by telling the truth for the country: that Donald Trump is morally unfit to be president. Again, never before in America has a large segment of a nominee’s own party been against his election.
Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.)
Liz Cheney, daughter and ideological brethren of former Vice President Dick Cheney, arguably is one of the most conservative members of the Republican Party to have served in Congress during the Trump administration. Her career was on a fast track. She held the third-highest House GOP leadership post. This positioned her to know the facts in the wake of the 2020 election and January 6 insurrection, which produced five deaths, 140-plus police injured, nearly $3 million in damages, and 900-plus rioters sentenced. She had everything to lose — and did — by telling the truth about the former president’s false election-denial conspiracy and attempts to overturn his loss through violence.
Ms. Cheney’s disagreements with Mr. Trump were not about basic government policy. She agreed with most all his policies and voted for him in 2016 and 2020. Her disagreement is with his persistent refusal to honor the Constitution and peaceful transfer of power. Before November, current supporters of the former president owe it to themselves to peruse at least the first few chapters of her 2023 book, Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning.
Liz’s is the ultimate statement against interest.■
_______________
GENERALS NOT SUPPORTING MR. TRUMP
— Barry McCaffrey — Army, four-star general, ret.
— Colin Powell — Army, four-star general, ret.; fmr. (George H. W. Bush) chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
— David Petraeus — Army, four-star general, ret.; fmr. (Obama) director, CIA
— Douglas Lute — Army, lt. general, ret.
— H.R. McMaster — Army, lt. general, ret.
— James Clapper — Air Force, lt. general, ret.; fmr. (Obama) director, national intelligence
— James Mattis — Marine Corp, four-star general, ret.
— James Stavridis — Navy, four-star admiral, ret.
— John Allen — Marine Corp, four-star general, ret.
— John Kelly — Marine Corp, four-star general, ret.
— Joseph Dunford — Marine Corp, four-star general, ret.; fmr. (Trump) chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
— Mark Milley — Army, four-star general, ret.; fmr. (Trump) chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
— Martin Dempsey — Army, four-star general, ret.; fmr. (Obama) chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
— Michael Hayden — Air Force, four-star general, ret.; fmr. (George W. Bush) director, National Security Agency; fmr. (George W. Bush) director, CIA
— Michael Mullen — Navy, four-star admiral, ret.; fmr. (George W. Bush) chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
— Paul Selva — Air Force, four-star general, ret.; fmr. (Trump) vice chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff
— Peter Chiarelli — Army, four-star general, ret.
— Stanley McChrystal — Army, four-star general, ret.
— William McRaven — Navy, four-star admiral, ret.
REPUBLICANS NOT SUPPORTING MR. TRUMP
His White House
— Alyssa Farah Griffin — director, strategic communications; asst. to president
— Anthony Scaramucci — director, communications
— Cassidy Hutchinson — asst. to chief of staff Mark Meadows
— Chris Christie — presidential transition vice chair; fmr. governor, N.J.
— H.R. McMaster — national security adviser
— Jenna Ellis — attorney to president
— John Bolton — national security adviser
— John Kelly — chief of staff; secretary, homeland security
— Marc Short — chief of staff to Vice President Mike Pence
— Mark Pottinger — dep. national security adviser
— Mick Mulvaney — acting chief of staff; director, Office of Management and Budget
— Mike Pence — vice president
— Olivia Troye — adviser to Vice President Mike Pence (homeland security and counterterrorism, COVID-19 task force lead)
— Sarah Matthews — dep. press secretary
— Stephanie Grisham — director, communications; press secretary
— Ty Cobb — special counsel to president
His Cabinet
— Alex Azar — secretary, Health and Human Services
— Betsy DeVos — secretary, education
— Dan Coats — director, national intelligence
— Elaine Chao — secretary, transportation
— Elizabeth Neumann — asst. secretary, homeland security (counterterrorism and threat prevention)
— Gina Haspel — director, CIA
— James Mattis — secretary, defense
— Josh Venable — chief of staff, education
— Mark Esper — secretary, defense; fmr. secretary, Army
— Miles Taylor — chief of staff, homeland security
— Rex Tillerson — secretary, state
— Ronald Gidwitz — ambassador to Belgium
His Congress
— Adam Kinzinger — rep., Il. (voted to convict)
— Anthony Gonzalez — rep., Ohio (voted to convict)
— Barbara Comstock — rep., Va.
— Ben Sasse — senator, Neb. (voted to convict)
— Bill Cassidy — senator, La. (voted to convict)
— Bob Corker — senator, Tenn.
— Carlos Curbelo — rep., Fla.
— Dan Newhouse — rep., Wash. (voted to convict)
— David Valadao — rep., Calif. (voted to convict)
— Fred Upton — rep., Mich. (voted to convict)
— Jaime Herrera Beutler — rep., Wash. (voted to convict)
— Jeff Flake — senator, Ariz.
— Jerry Moran — senator, Kan.
— John Katko — rep., N.Y. (voted to convict)
— John McCain — senator, Ariz. (and 100 fmr. staff members)
— Lisa Murkowski — senator, Alaska (voted to convict)
— Liz Cheney — rep., Wyo. (voted to convict)
— Mark Sanford — rep., S.C.; fmr. governor, S.C.
— Mitt Romney — senator, Utah (and 30 fmr. staff members) (voted to convict)
— Pat Toomey — senator, Pa. (voted to convict)
— Paul Ryan — U.S. House speaker
— Peter Meijer — rep., Mich. (voted to convict)
— Richard Burr — senator, N.C. (voted to convict)
— Susan Collins — senator, Maine (voted to convict)
— Todd Young — senator, Ind.
— Tom Rice — rep., S.C. (voted to convict)
— Will Hurd — rep., Texas
Current and Former Officeholders
— Andy Zwick — executive director, Foundation for Constitutional Government
— Bill Weld — fmr. governor, Mass.
— Christine Todd Whitman — fmr. governor, N.J.
— Dick Cheney — fmr. (George W. Bush) vice president
— Evan McMullin — fmr. presidential candidate; fmr. CIA operations officer
— Geoff Duncan — fmr. lt. governor, Ga.
— George H. W. Bush — fmr. president
— George W. Bush — fmr. president (and 230 fmr. staff members)
— Harriet Miers — fmr. (George W. Bush) White House counsel
— Jeb Bush — fmr. governor, Fla.
— Joe Scarborough — fmr. rep., Fla.
— Joe Walsh — fmr. rep., Il.
— John Boehner — fmr. U.S. House speaker
— John Danforth — fmr. (George W. Bush) ambassador to U.N.
— John Kasich — fmr. governor, Ohio
— John Lehman — fmr. (Reagan) secretary, Navy
— Larry Hogan — governor, Md.
— Marc Racicot — fmr. governor, Mont.
— Michael Luttig — fmr. judge, U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
— Michael Steele — fmr. RNC chair; fmr. lt. governor, Md.
— Richard Painter — fmr. (George W. Bush) White House chief ethics lawyer
— Richard Spencer — fmr. (Trump) secretary, Navy
— Sarah Longwell — publisher, The Bulwark; founder, Republican Voters Against Trump
— Tom Coleman — fmr. rep., Mo.
— William Cohen — fmr. (Clinton) secretary, defense
— William Milliken — fmr. governor, Mich.
Conservative Media
— Al Cardenas — political consultant, commentator
— Ana Navarro — political consultant, commentator
— Bill Kristol — political consultant, commentator
— Charlie Sykes — political commentator
— Dan Senor — author, political consultant, commentator
— David Brooks — author, political commentator
— David Frum — author, political commentator, (George W. Bush) speechwriter
— Elise Jordan — political consultant, commentator
— George T. Conway — political commentator, top Washington, D.C., attorney
— George Will — author, political commentator
— Jennifer Rubin — political commentator
— Linda Chavez — author, political commentator
— Max Boot — military historian, political commentator
— Michael Steel — political consultant, commentator
— Mike Murphy — political consultant, commentator
— Mona Charen — author, political commentator
— Nicolle Wallace — political consultant, commentator
— Rick Wilson — political consultant, commentator
— Sophia A. Nelson — political consultant, commentator
— Steve Schmidt — political consultant, commentator
— Stuart Stevens — author, political consultant, commentator
— Susan Del Percio — political consultant, commentator
— Thomas Friedman — author, political commentator
— Tim Miller — political consultant, commentator
Organizations
43 Alumni for America
Super PAC created by administration and campaign officials of 43rd U.S. President George W. Bush (R-Texas) to mobilize Republican voters against Donald Trump.
The Bulwark
Anti-Trump conservative news and opinion website launched in 2018 by Sarah Longwell, with support from Bill Kristol and Charlie Sykes.
The Lincoln Project
Political action committee founded in December 2019 by conservatives and former GOP members who oppose Donald Trump and Trumpism.
Republican Accountability (formerly Republican Voters Against Trump)
Launched in May 2020 to produce a $10 million advertising campaign focused on 100 testimonials by Republicans, conservatives, moderates, right-leaning independents, and former Trump voters explaining why they would not be voting for Donald Trump. By August 2020, 500 testimonials had been collected. As of 2024, there are thousands of recorded testimonials.
Republicans for the Rule of Law
Launched in 2019 by the conservative, anti-Donald Trump political group Defending Democracy Together, founded by Bill Kristol, Mona Charen, Linda Chavez, Sarah Longwell, and Andy Zwick.
LEGAL CONVICTIONS AND JUDGMENTS
5/30/24 — Election Interference and Cover-Up Through Falsification of Business Records
34 felony convictions, 10 violations of gag order against Mr. Trump
2/16/24 — Civil Fraud: Massive Overvaluing, Undervaluing of Assets to Acquire Loans and Better Loan Terms, Lower Taxes
$355 million judgment (plus $95 million interest) against Mr. Trump
1/26/24 — Defamation of E. Jean Carroll
$88.3 million judgment against Mr. Trump
5/9/23 — Sexual Assault and Defamation of E. Jean Carroll: Judge Clarifies It Was “Rape”
$5 million judgment against Mr. Trump
12/6/22 — Trump Organization Criminal Tax Fraud
$1.61 million judgment against Trump Org.; CFO pleads guilty to 15 felonies, sentenced to 5 months prison, $2 million in penalties; then in April 2024, CFO sentenced to 5 more months in prison for lying to protect Mr. Trump
11/7/19 — Trump Foundation Fraud: Funds Used for Personal, Campaign Use, Never for Charity
$2 million judgment against Mr. Trump; Trump (“charitable”) Foundation forced to shut down permanently
3/31/17 — Trump University Fraud: Found to Be Simply “Infomercials Constantly Pressuring People to Spend More”
$25 million settlement against Mr. Trump; Trump University forced to shut down permanently
Legal Indictments Pending
8/14/23 — Georgia Indictment on 10 Felony Charges
Plotting to illegally overturn 2020 election loss; pressuring election officials to “find” votes
8/1/23 — Federal Indictment on 4 Felony Charges
Election interference related to Jan. 6 violent attempt to stop congressional counting of ballots and overturn election loss
6/8/23 — Federal Indictment on 40 Felony Charges
Stealing, mishandling extremely sensitive classified documents; cover-up including attempts to hide, destroy evidence
Impeachments
12/18/19 — Abuse of Power and Obstruction of Congress
Tried to extort Ukraine by withholding military aid previously authorized by Congress to fend off Russian invasion, in exchange for phony dirt on his primary presidential opponent, Joe Biden; then attempted cover-up
1/13/21 — Incitement of Insurrection
Conspired to overturn his 2020 election loss by spreading fraudulent election lie, plotted to replace legitimate Biden electors with fraudulent Trump electors in several states, pressured election officials to overturn their state’s vote count to favor him, and incited supporters to storm the Capitol to stop electoral ballot counting; then attempted cover-up
Mueller Investigation
“Contrary to popular belief, special counsel Robert Mueller did not determine there was no collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election cycle. The Mueller report specifically did not draw a conclusion on collusion, instead saying only that the campaign’s activities fell short of legally indictable conspiracy. Later, the Republican-led Senate Intelligence Committee’s ranking member and associates determined that the Trump campaign’s dealings, communications, and cooperation with the Russians [to cheat in the election] were the very definition of collusion. Though for some ungodly reason, that collusion was not illegal.
“The obstruction of justice, however, was illegal. … Special counsel Robert Mueller laid out 10 areas of obstruction of justice [in which Trump blocked or impeded the investigation], five of which were widely considered by legal experts across the political spectrum to be indictable and convictable. You don’t have to read the entire Mueller report tome to get the story. The 10-15 pages of the Introductions and Executive Summaries explain everything you need to know. … They’re on my website: GraniteWord.com.”
(Ersin, Tom; Trumpism: Why Traditional Republicans Should Withdraw Support [2017-2021: A Primer]; 2022.)
MISCELLANEOUS QUOTES ON FITNESS
“Trump is unfit to be president. If his first four years were bad, a second four will be worse.”
(Bolton, John, R-Md., former [Trump] national security adviser; The Room Where It Happened: A White House Memoir; 2020.)
“I came as an immigrant to this country. I believe in this country. I believe in the peaceful transfer of power. I believe in democracy. And so, [resigning from the Trump administration the day after Jan. 6] was a decision that I made on my own. … [Jan. 6 was] shocking. And it was something … that I could not put aside.”
(Chao, Elaine, R-Ky., former [Trump] secretary of transportation, spouse of Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell; House Jan. 6 select committee testimony; 10/13/2022.)
“I’m going to make sure that in no way do I enable Donald Trump to ever be president of the United States again. And that’s more important than my own personal ambition.”
(Christie, Chris, R-N.J., [Trump] presidential transition vice chair, former governor; press event; Windham, N.H.; 1/10/2024.)
“Never ever, ever allow someone like President Trump to serve again … [to] be president of the United States.”
(Corker, Bob, R-Tenn., former U.S. senator; as cited in Whetstone, Tyler; “Former Sen. Corker: ‘Never Ever, Ever Allow Someone Like President Trump to Serve Again’”; Knox News; 1/14/2021.)
“Enough is enough. … The nightmare has to end. … It’s time for us to purge Donald Trump from our system. … Republicans … I have an ask. … It is your time to do the right thing. Don’t give Donald Trump four more years to continue to destroy this country.”
(Duncan, Geoff, R-Ga., former lt. governor; press briefing; Atlanta, Georgia; 6/26/2024.)
“Complete absence of integrity is a rhetorical superpower, by definition only available to the corrupt. Donald Trump wields this mendacious power with scorched-earth depravity and impunity bestowed by power-hungry GOP politicians, MAGA disciples, and voter apathy.”
(Ersin, Tom; “To Loved Ones Still Supporting Mr. Trump”; GraniteWord.com; 7/4/2024.)
“No other presidential candidate in history has had so many detractors from his inner circle. I think he’s unfit for office. … He puts himself before country. His actions are all about him and not about the country.”
(Esper, Mark, R-Pa., former [Trump] secretary of defense; CNN; 11/16/2022.)
“[President Trump is a] person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. [He is a] person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.”
(Kelly, John, former [Trump] White House chief of staff, former [Trump] secretary of homeland security, retired four-star Marine Corp general; as cited in Tapper, Jake; “Exclusive: John Kelly Goes on the Record to Confirm Several Disturbing Stories About Trump”; CNN.com; 10/3/2023.)
“He’s dangerous. He’s unfit. … [P]resident [Trump] has no moral compass.”
(Mattis, James, former [Trump] secretary of defense, retired four-star Marine Corp general; as cited in Woodward, Bob; Rage; 2020.)
“I cannot in good conscience endorse Donald Trump in this campaign.”
(Pence, Mike, R-Ind., former [Trump] U.S. vice president; Fox News; 3/15/2024.)
“If you put yourself above the Constitution, as [President Trump] has done, I think that makes you unfit for office.”
(Ryan, Paul, R-Wis., former U.S. House speaker; Fox News with Neil Cavuto; 6/11/2024.)
“I think it’s obvious that the president’s conduct [on Jan. 6] wasn’t merely reckless and destructive. It was a flagrant dereliction of his duty to uphold and defend the Constitution.”
(Sasse, Ben, R-Neb., former U.S. senator; NPR’s Morning Edition; 1/8/2021.)
“Those who witnessed the president’s unfitness for office up close have a moral obligation to share their assessment with the electorate.”
(Taylor, Miles, R-Ind., former chief of staff to [Trump] Department of Homeland Security; as cited in Colvin, Jill; “It’s ‘Now or Never’ for Ex-Trump Aides Weighing Speaking Out”; The Washington Post; 9/26/2020.)
“[President Trump’s] betrayal of the Constitution and his oath of office [on Jan. 6] required [impeachment] conviction.”
(Toomey, Pat, R-Pa., former U.S. senator; as cited in Shabad, Rebecca & Seitz-Wald, Alex; “Senate Acquits Trump for the Incitement of Capitol Riot in 57-43 Vote”; NBCNews.com; 2/13/2021.)
“[Trumpism is] actively destroying the fundamentals of our democracy.”
(Troye, Olivia, R-Nev., adviser to [Trump] Vice President Mike Pence [homeland security and counterterrorism, COVID-19 task force lead]; MSNBC; 5/10/2021.)
“The Republican Party has allowed Trump to mortgage its soul, devolving into nothing more than a morally bankrupt conduit to propagate the president’s politics of division and destruction.”
(Venable, Josh, R-Mich., former chief of staff to [Trump] Department of Education; “Opinion: As a Republican, I’m Tired of Trump’s Division, Discord, Vitriol, and Hate”; The Detroit News; 10/29/2020.)
“I can’t think of someone worse equipped to bring people together … than the former president. I don’t think conservatives would be well served by electing someone whose core competency seems to be owning someone on Twitter.”
(Young, Todd, R-Ind., U.S. senator; as cited in Howey, Brian; “Howey: Indiana’s Sen. Todd Young Bolts From Trump”; South Bend Tribune; 5/22/2023.)
PHILOSOPHY OF MILITARY SERVICE
“He’s not a war hero. … He’s a war hero ’cause he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, OK?”
(Trump, Donald, R-N.Y., 2016 presidential primary candidate, real estate mogul, reality show personality; Iowa Family Leadership Summit; Stephens Auditorium, Ames, Iowa; 7/18/2015.)
“Behind closed doors … this lack of understanding … [about] why the American public respects former prisoners of war and those shot down in combat … went on to cause Trump to repeatedly call [Sen. John] McCain a ‘loser’ and to refer to former President George H. W. Bush, who was also shot down as a Navy pilot in World War II, as a ‘loser.’”
(Tapper, Jake; “Exclusive: John Kelly Goes on the Record to Confirm Several Disturbing Stories About Trump”; CNN.com; 10/3/2023.)
“I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”
(referring to American soldiers killed in combat)
(Trump, Donald, R-N.Y., U.S. president; conversation with Secretary of Homeland Security Gen. John Kelly; Arlington National Cemetery, Section 60, where military members killed in Afghanistan and Iraq are interred including Kelly’s son 1st Lt. Robert Kelly; Memorial Day, 5/29/2017; as cited in Goldberg, Jeffrey, editor-in-chief; “Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’”; The Atlantic; 9/3/2020; confirmed by former [Trump] White House chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, CNN.com, 10/3/2023.)
“Look, I don’t want any wounded guys in [my military] parade. … I don’t want them. It doesn’t look good for me.”
(Trump, Donald, R-N.Y., U.S. president; conversation with new chief of staff Gen. John Kelly; sometime after Bastille Day parade, Paris, France; 7/14/2017; as cited in Glasser, Susan & Baker, Peter; The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021; 2022; confirmed by former [Trump] White House chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, CNN.com, 10/3/2023.)
“Those are the heroes. In our society, there’s only one group of people who are more heroic than they are — and they are buried over in Arlington.”
(Kelly, John, new [Trump] White House chief of staff, former [Trump] secretary of homeland security, retired four-star Marine Corp general; response to President Trump; sometime after Bastille Day parade, Paris, France; 7/14/2017; as cited in Glasser, Susan & Baker, Peter; The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021; 2022; confirmed by former [Trump] White House chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, CNN.com, 10/3/2023.)
“That guy is smart. Why did he join the military?”
(referring to Gen. Joseph Dunford, first Trump Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman)
(Trump, Donald, R-N.Y., U.S. president; approx. 2018; as cited in Glasser, Susan & Baker, Peter; The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021; 2022.)
“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers … [and] suckers.”
(referring to his scheduled visit with other world leaders to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in Paris, France, where 1,800 U.S. Marines who died at the Battle of Belleau Wood in WWI are interred)
(Trump, Donald, R-N.Y., U.S. president; conversation with senior staff members; 11/11/2018; as cited in Goldberg, Jeffrey, editor-in-chief; “Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’”; The Atlantic; 9/3/2020; confirmed by former [Trump] White House chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, CNN.com, 10/3/2023.)
“Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.”
(referring to severely wounded Army Captain Luis Avila whom Gen. Mark Milley had invited to his ceremony to sing “God Bless America”)
(Trump, Donald, R-N.Y., U.S. president; conversation with new Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley; Armed Forces Welcome Ceremony for new Chairman Milley, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, Arlington, Va.; 9/30/2019; as cited in Goldberg, Jeffrey, editor-in-chief; “The Patriot: How General Mark Milley Protected the Constitution From Donald Trump”; The Atlantic; 9/21/23; confirmed by former [Trump] White House chief of staff Gen. John Kelly, CNN.com, 10/3/2023.)
“Donny [Trump Jr.] was going to join the Army … and Donald and Ivana told him if he did, they’d disown him in a second.”
(Trump, Robert, Donald’s brother; as cited in Trump, Mary; Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man; 2020.)
“‘You f***ing generals, why can’t you be like the German generals?’ [said President Trump.] ‘Which generals?’ [chief of staff Gen. John] Kelly asked. ‘The German generals in World War II,’ Trump responded. [Kelly said,] ‘You do know that they tried to kill Hitler three times and almost pulled it off?’ … But, of course, Trump did not know that. ‘No, no, no, they were totally loyal to him,’ the president replied. In his version of history, the generals of the Third Reich had been completely subservient to Hitler; this was the model he wanted for his military.”
(Glasser, Susan & Baker, Peter; “Inside the War Between Trump and His Generals: How Mark Milley and Others in the Pentagon Handled the National-Security Threat Posed by Their Own Commander-in-Chief”; The New Yorker; 8/8/2022.)
“We have a woke military that can’t fight or win.”
(Trump, Donald, R-Fla., 2024 presidential primary candidate, former U.S. president; New Hampshire Republican Party annual meeting; Salem, N.H.; 1/28/23; as cited in Benen, Steve; “Trump Slams U.S. Military, Says Armed Forces ‘Can’t Fight or Win’”; MSNBC.com; 1/30/2023.)
“What can I add that has not already been said? [President Trump is a] person that thinks those who defend their country in uniform, or are shot down or seriously wounded in combat, or spend years being tortured as POWs are all ‘suckers’ because ‘there is nothing in it for them.’ [He is a] person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ [He is a] person who demonstrated open contempt for a Gold Star family — for all Gold Star families — on TV during the 2016 campaign, and rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France. … There is nothing more that can be said. God help us.”
(Kelly, John, former [Trump] White House chief of staff, former [Trump] secretary of homeland security, retired four-star Marine Corp general; as cited in Tapper, Jake; “Exclusive: John Kelly Goes on the Record to Confirm Several Disturbing Stories About Trump”; CNN.com; 10/3/2023.)
“When the [Atlantic] article [about his contemptuous statements regarding military service] was published, Trump dismissed it as a fabrication. He said the magazine ‘made it up,’ and he speculated that its putative sources ‘don’t exist.’ But that defense soon collapsed, as other news organizations — The Associated Press, The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, and even Fox News — reported that they, too, had spoken with sources whose accounts matched the article. They described their sources, variously, as ‘former senior Trump administration officials,’ ‘a senior Defense Department official with firsthand knowledge of events,’ and ‘a senior U.S. Marine Corps officer who was told about Trump’s comments.’ In theory, all these sources could be wrong. But Trump’s defense — that The Atlantic had concocted the quotes — was bogus.”
(Saletan, William; “Trump’s Contempt for the Military Is Overwhelming and Obvious”; Slate; 9/9/2020.)
__________
Complete absence of integrity is a rhetorical superpower, by definition only available to the corrupt. Former president and current candidate Donald Trump wields this mendacious power with scorched-earth depravity and impunity bestowed by power-hungry GOP politicians, MAGA disciples, and voter apathy.
Pity the fool that misses the real issue — democracy.
Then pity the rest of us if there are too many fools.■
[Tom Ersin has been a full-time professional writer and editor since 2010 and holds degrees in communications and counseling. He’s a long-time political observer and has written a half-dozen nonfiction books on 21st century U.S. politics.] Click here to purchase books. Please leave a rating.
