People are rightly outraged this morning about Donald Trump’s explicit promises this weekend to abandon our NATO allies to a vile and irredeemable Russia. He said he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to any countries that don’t “pay your bills.” (Trump is still apparently very confused how NATO funding works.)
But, as is so often the case, while Trump is making wet throbbing kissy face with Russia, he’s also attacking the US military, specifically this time his primary opponent Nikki Haley’s husband Michael, who’s in the National Guard on a deployment in Africa.
This weekend, during one of Trump’s extended rally babbles in Haley’s home state of South Carolina, he told a “sir” story (which means it’s a lie) about something that happened with Haley at Mar-a-Lago:
“She comes over to see me at Mar-a-Lago. ‘Sir, I will never run against you.’ She brought her husband. Where’s her husband? Oh, he’s away. He’s away. What happened to her husband? What happened to her husband? Where is he? He’s gone. He knew. He knew.”
Whatever in the hell those words mean. Clearly it was an attack on Haley, and on her husband, but as usual it’s kind of hard to figure out what’s going on inside that broken head of his. But the implication seems to be that Michael Haley was trying to get away from his wife, and that’s why he deployed to Africa.
Haley responded on Twitter:
Indeed, Trump does constantly disrespect and shit on American troops. It’s been a running theme ever since he was campaigning in 2016, attacking Gold Star families and making fun of John McCain’s captivity.
Reminder: Trump’s former chief of staff John Kelly confirmed a lot of stories about Trump’s contempt for the troops back in the fall. This was around the same time Trump was calling for the execution of Mark Milley, the very recently retired chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. A long quote:
“What can I add that has not already been said?” Kelly said, when asked if he wanted to weigh in on his former boss in light of recent comments made by other former Trump officials. “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.’ A person that did not want to be seen in the presence of military amputees because ‘it doesn’t look good for me.’ 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.
“A person who is not truthful regarding his position on the protection of unborn life, on women, on minorities, on evangelical Christians, on Jews, on working men and women,” Kelly continued. “A person that has no idea what America stands for and has no idea what America is all about. A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason – in expectation that someone will take action. A person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution, and the rule of law.
“There is nothing more that can be said,” Kelly concluded. “God help us.”
There is so much more here if you need a refresher, including the story about the time Trump didn’t want to go to the Aisne-Marne American cemetery in Paris because first of all, he was scared of getting his hair wet, and because it was filled with “losers.” He thought the 1,800 Marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood were “suckers.” He’s a real piece of dogshit.
Haley added this weekend:
“Military families go through a lot,” she said. “And the fact that Donald Trump’s never even got near a military uniform, he’s never had that experience, never known what it’s like, goes to show why he continues to call them suckers and losers.” […]
“Why is there silence from the Republican Party?” she asked. “Like, where is everybody? … Where are the Republicans in defense of our men and women in uniform that sacrifice for us and protect our country?”
That Republican Party, the one that at least used to pay lip service to patriotism, is long gone.
Haley is also out with a scathing rapid ad this morning about Trump’s contempt for the troops, one that includes the screengrab of Trump above without his clown makeup on.
And below, Michael Haley’s response, which is succinct:
Just a cute meme with a valuable #AnimalFact.
In conclusion, Donald Trump hates the troops. Donald Trump would abandon our allies to his murderous dictator palls.
We’re sure this calls for another 72 hours of media coverage of how Joe Biden is old.
Evan Hurst on Twitter right here.
@evanjosephhurst on Threads!
I have profiles those other places but I think I forgot how to log on.
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