It's wrong to kick someone when they're down. In Donald Trump's case, however, I'm willing to make an exception.
This past Veteran's Day marked the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1. Honoring the Armistice centennial, leaders from 60 countries met in Paris. Trump sulked throughout the weekend. Clearly, maturity is not his strong suit. (Speaking of suits, I wish he'd replace that ill-fitting and worn out black one, not to mention that red tie, which is so humongous it could double as a tablecloth.)
Trump brags that he's the best POTUS ever for the military even though he once infamously said, “I know way more about ISIS than the generals.” He loves the military so much (not) he dispatched thousands of troops to the border in a bogus mid-term political stunt that backfired. Now the soldiers will be away from home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, doing essentially nothing at an estimated taxpayer cost of $200,000,000. The troops could have been an enormous help during our horrific fires but Trump hates California. (Actually, it's mutual.)
Back when Trump was of draft age, he finagled 5 deferments, including one for a bone spur, though he still can't remember which foot. You'll recall during the 2016 campaign Trump proudly displayed a doctor's letter testifying to his “Amazingly great health.” It turned out, however, Trump had dictated it. Dollars to donuts, the bone spur letter to the draft board was equally fraudulent.
Apparently, the “painful” bone spur made marching impossible (yeah, right) and thus Don the Con avoided Vietnam. Hundreds of thousands of Americans were killed or wounded there. My friend and Santa Monica native, Stewart Resmer, fought in Vietnam so, to him, and all who served and are currently serving, I tip my cap. As for Trump, on the Howard Stern Radio Show, he callously reflected that his “Personal Vietnam was avoiding sexually transmitted diseases.” (#Disgraceful.)
Almost as repugnant, on 9/11, only hours after the World Trade Center buildings collapsed, Trump bragged that now that WTC was gone, his was the tallest building in lower Manhattan.” (Can you say “narcissistic sociopath?)
Back to Paris, there were two solemn events that Trump completely ignored. On Saturday he was to lay a wreath and observe a moment of silence at the Aisne-Marne American cemetery. The White House cited rain as the reason Trump couldn't go and yet Bush and Obama both placed wreaths there in the rain. (Lately, Trump is blaming the Secret Service as it always has to be someone else.)
Nicholas Soames, Winston Churchill's grandson, tweeted: “They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic, inadequate Trump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen. #hesnotfittorepresenthisgreatcountry.”
The next day Trump didn't join the arm in arm peace march of the other 60 leaders as they walked solemnly down the Champs-Élysées. Perhaps a bone spur flareup? Maybe they should have let him ride in a golf cart. The lone highlight for Trump in Paris was an enthusiastic thumbs up from diabolical Vladimir Putin, his seeming ally and puppet-master.
On Monday in the U.S., Trump inexplicably skipped the Veteran's Day ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. Probably in his bathrobe (there's a nauseating image) he was too busy watching Fox and mean-tweeting the mid-terms were fraudulent. Sounding like he's watched too much Scooby-Doo he suggests actually said, after voting, people go to their car, change their hat and shirt and are able to vote a second time.
In 2006, when Democrats won the Senate and 30 seats in Congress, George W. Bush said, “We got thumped.” In 2010,when the Tea Party turned Congress from blue to red, Obama admitted “we got shellacked.” In 2018, with an estimated 34 seats flipped to the Democrats, Trump blames disguises. Good grief.
In the new Congress, the GOP caucus is 90% white male whereas the Democrats are 36%. Withdrawing into a lonely “cocoon of bitterness” inside the White House, Trump's seeing red about the Blue Wave.
Politics aside, it was a brutal Veterans Day in California, given the shooting in Thousand Oaks that claimed 13 lives and fires that have killed 60 so far. Only Trump would politicize forest fires as he tweeted, “Forest management is so poor. Remedy now or no more Fed payments!” He's just vile.
Outraged, the Association of Fire Fighters said Trump's tweets were, "Irresponsible, reckless and insulting." The California Professional Firefighters' president, Brian Rice, called Trump's remarks, “Ill-informed, ill-timed and demeaning to those suffering as well as the men and women on the front lines.” Amen.
Back to Trump's disdain for rain and what it does to his hair. After the Parkland high school mass shooting, Trump boasted, “I would have run in there even if I didn't have a gun!” Apparently, that is, if it wasn't raining.
Jack is at: facebook.com/jackneworth, twitter.com/jackneworth and jackdailypress@aol.com
