Trump 24: Fiddling, er, Tweeting While Rome Burns

[Cartmann99]

Saw this, and thought of my friends here in the politics section:

 

[GreyhoundFan]

Pretty much: "Trump makes himself, John Kelly and everyone around them look rotten yet again"

Spoiler

President Trump had to have the last word. He always does. On Thursday evening, after two days of controversy surrounding his call to the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson and the remarkable appearance by Gold Star father and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, felt compelled to tweet: “The Fake News is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson(D), who was SECRETLY on a very personal call, and gave a total lie on content!” Just about everything in the tweet was false, so let’s start from the top.

Trump, after being nagged by the media as to why he hadn’t promptly sent condolences to four military families who lost sons in Niger, claimed that other presidents didn’t call Gold Star families (untrue) and dragged Kelly into it, saying Barack Obama never called Kelly. (True but incomplete, since Kelly sat at Michelle Obama’s table at an event the former president hosted in honor of Gold Star families.)

Only after that scene did Trump finally decide to call Johnson’s widow, Myeshia Johnson, who was in a car with Johnson’s mother and family friend Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.). She put the phone on speaker. According to Wilson, Johnson’s widow, Johnson’s mother and even Kelly (who said he had given Trump the line), Trump told Johnson her husband knew what he was getting into when he signed up. (Trump came across as callous delivering the line, whereas in Kelly’s telling it was moving and reverential.)

Wilson went public to berate the president and castigate him for making Johnson’s wife cry. When cornered, Trump does what he always does: Lie. He denied saying “this is what he signed up for” to Johnson. He also claimed he had proof he didn’t say it. That was apparently untrue also.

For another day, controversy swirled and the White House was obviously getting nervous that the president was starting to look inhuman, more so than usual. So the White House did what it now finds useful, sending out the only White House staffer who has a shred of credibility, Kelly. Kelly spoke nobly, recalling with tremendous emotion his own experience learning of his son’s death, and solemnly related the process for notifying families.

However, for reasons that are not entirely clear, Kelly then went after Wilson with a vengeance. He didn’t say she lied; to the contrary, he said Trump had delivered the line Kelly had recommended. Rather, he skewered Wilson for politicizing the call (he was stunned, he repeated) and then falsely accused her of bragging at a ceremony dedicating an FBI building to two slain officers that she had gotten the money for the building. That accusation was apparently untrue as well, not to mention irrelevant. The Miami Herald reported:

Kelly criticized Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson for claiming “she got the money” for the new building during the 2015 ceremony while he and others in the audience were focused on the heroism of agents Benjamin Grogan and Jerry Dove, killed during a 1986 shootout with bank robbers south of Miami.

Thursday night, Wilson said Kelly got the story flat-out wrong. In fact, she said Washington approved the money before she was even in Congress. The legislation she sponsored named the building after Grogan and Dove, a law enacted just days before the ceremony.

Kelly then went into a weird soliloquy:

It stuns me that a member of Congress would have listened in on that conversation, absolutely stuns me. And I thought at least that was sacred. You know, when I was a kid growing up, a lot of things were sacred in our country. Women were sacred, looked upon with great honor. That’s obviously not the case anymore, as we see from recent cases. Life, the dignity of life was sacred. That’s gone. Religion, that seems to be gone as well. Gold Star families, I think that left in the convention over the summer.

Women were “sacred”? (I’m unaware that women were once immune from sexual harassment in the workplace, unless, of course, Kelly is recalling when women generally weren’t allowed to work outside the house.) Some observers thought Kelly was slyly jabbing at Trump for attacking the Khans, another Gold Star family, or for Trump’s own history of alleged sexual harassment and abuse. It frankly sounded to me as though he was criticizing the Khans for weighing in on Hillary Clinton’s behalf. The spiel sounded like a campaign riff directed at members of the nostalgic Trump base, who imagine some mythical time in our past when women were on a pedestal and religion was a more dominant factor in public life.

And that is what brought us to Trump’s tweet Thursday night.

If you’ve decided after revisiting all of this that everyone, with the exception of the heroic Sgt. Johnson, his widow and his mother, looks shabby, you’re not alone. Trump apparently was trying to be nice but made the widow cry in his original call. Rather than apologize and move on, he spent two days lying, dragging others into the mess and ultimately distracting attention away from the slain serviceman and three others killed in Niger.

Kelly allowed himself to be used as a prop, simultaneously drawing on sympathy for his loss of a son and opportunistically spitting political venom at Wilson. (The Post reported, “The appearance was an attempt to tamp down a self-created and ballooning controversy over Trump’s contacts with the families of fallen soldiers.”) He didn’t express remorse for any upset suffered by Johnson’s wife or other family members because of the awkward call.

As for Wilson, she was telling the truth about the call, but acting more than a little too gleeful in ratting out the president when attention should have been on the Gold Star families.

Sometimes you just want the whole lot of them to go away.

We’ve grown sadly accustomed to watching Trump behave badly, punching “down” at those who call him out. The focus must always be on him, the perpetual victim.

Kelly’s conduct was a sad revelation, however, and a reminder that while he looks upon himself as serving the country (and he is), he is also enabling a dishonest, morally detestable politician. As The Post reported: “There was evident irony in Kelly’s making that particular point in defense of Trump, whose presidential campaign last year was marked by name-calling, harsh rhetoric about Muslims, Mexicans and other minorities, and allegations of sexual misconduct by more than a dozen women.” I would call it hypocrisy, not irony. He’s after all standing next to and by someone who truly treats nothing — people, the truth, democracy — as “sacred.” He’s using his reservoir of honor and credibility to shield a president who is lacking both.

Moreover, Kelly’s presence brings us back to the unprecedented number of military-men-turned-civilian-counselors in this administration. Stocking an administration with generals diminishes the military (by forcing revered figures to play politics) and undermines the concept of civilian control, especially in an administration in which the ex-military and military advisers are taking “adult day care” shifts to mind an unfit president, as Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) memorably said.

Our men and women placing themselves in harm’s way and their families deserve better than the Trump crowd. The country deserves honest civilian leaders. Unfortunately, like all Americans, our fighting men and women are stuck with Trump — and his reckless saber-rattling — for the time being.

 

[GrumpyGran]

In my horror at hearing Kelly 'Trumpafy' the whole incident I completely missed the part of his soliloquy where he lost his mind and nattered on about things that Dumpy did during the campaign. But we're not going to say that's who we're talking about! Seriously, you either just slammed a Gold Star family or you were calling out your boss for doing what he has done again, while you were defending him. Kelly has lost it, the gator has him in his claws and has done the barrel roll, drowning him in the swamp.

Earlier on HLN, they were showing a video of another wife receiving a call from Dumpy regarding her deceased husband. Same mission, I guess, but I don't know. The whole 8 to 10 minutes of it was taped. He says A LOT, he rambles, most of it acceptable but it was odd. He told the widow that her husband was the "Boss". Okay. She talked a lot and it was just odd. 

[Rachel333]

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/10/20/presidential-executive-order-amending-executive-order-13223

Executive order allowing the federal government to call into service any retired members of the military.

People are saying this means we're about to go to war. I hope that's not true, but this is very concerning.

[VelociRapture]

8 minutes ago, Rachel333 said:

https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/10/20/presidential-executive-order-amending-executive-order-13223

Executive order allowing the federal government to call into service any retired members of the military.

People are saying this means we're about to go to war. I hope that's not true, but this is very concerning.

Wait... what?! Is this just retired Officers? Or enlisted too? From any era or just recently?

[Rachel333]

2 minutes ago, VelociRapture said:

Wait... what?! Is this just retired Officers? Or enlisted too? From any era or just recently?

I don't know. Here's the reddit thread where I saw this. The top comment is:

Quote

This EO allows the federal government to recall into service any:

retired member of the Regular Army, Regular Navy, Regular Air Force, or RegularMarine Corps.

It essentially means we're about to go to war and Trump wants to make sure no military members who have left lately, or who may leave when their term is up during the war, can walk away. Unlike Bush, who was forcing extensions of service on soldiers who were already serving, Trump is granting himself the ability to recall anyone who's ever served in the past.

Big war coming.

Edit: The original EO was under Bush in 2001 and essentially put the military in high-speed following 9/11. Also, the text of section 688 of Title 10, which is cited above, is here.

 

I am just so sick of the anxiety I feel every single day about what's happening in the White House. Any time I hear that there's news I feel this sense of dread about what it could be.

And I'm relatively unaffected by this stuff (though Republicans have been trying to take away my healthcare, which has been stressful on a personal level). I'm sure it must be worse for people who are more personally involved.

[VelociRapture]

27 minutes ago, Rachel333 said:

I don't know. Here's the reddit thread where I saw this. The top comment is:

 

I am just so sick of the anxiety I feel every single day about what's happening in the White House. Any time I hear that there's news I feel this sense of dread about what it could be.

And I'm relatively unaffected by this stuff (though Republicans have been trying to take away my healthcare, which has been stressful on a personal level). I'm sure it must be worse for people who are more personally involved.

Ugh... I know a few recent Vets. I believe all were enlisted and most of them didn’t vote for Trump. And my dad was a Marine during Vietnam (though I’m sure he’d be thrilled to relive his glory days for all of two seconds before getting himself killed - he’s old and has a bum hip. It’s bound to happen. Hopefully the dumbass isn’t subject to the EO because I’d like my kids to know him, even if he did vote for Trump.)

This Administration fucking blows so hard. I need to start trolling them all via Twitter or something. It won’t do any good, but it’ll make me happy and feel slightly better about the fact that everyone and everything I love seems to be under attack.  

ETA: I saw an update. Apparently a shortage of pilots in the Air Force is the main reason for the EO:

 

[apple1]

This is not new. (This particular document is from 2016).

https://www.thebalance.com/u-s-military-rules-for-being-recalled-to-active-duty-3357010

"All enlistments in the United States military incur a minimum eight-year service obligation. Any time which is not spent on active duty, or in the active (drilling) Reserves or National Guard must be spent in the inactive reserves, known as IRR, or Individual Ready Reserves...

Rules for Retirees: Retirees (those who spend at least 20 years in the military and draw retired pay) can be recalled to active duty for life. However, the policy established in DOD Directive 1352.1 - Management and Mobilization of Regular and Reserve Retired Military Members, makes recall to active duty unlikely for those who have been retired for more than five years, and those over age 60."

 

ETA: I imagine it is quite possible for an older policy that has seen little use in the past to get invoked in a way that it did not in the past. But - just placing a bit of context here. 

[Rachel333]

I mean, this is a new EO, but yeah, from what I understand this just makes it a bit easier to recall retired military members, it's not an entirely new policy. The question is why they're making this change now.

[onekidanddone]

He can't declare war, only Congress can do that. I don't think he cares, and we are heading for The Korean Conflict  War II.

Time go go pop some Lorazepam 

[Rachel333]

The "calm before the storm" comments he made a few weeks ago are very concerning to me.

The thing about Trump is that while I'm very worried about him impulsively starting a war at any time, I also know sometimes he says shit just to say shit, so some of the things he says, like the "calm before the storm" comment, might actually be less concerning than if a serious president were to say them. That's not really a good thing, just part of living with such an unstable leader, I guess.

[Rachel333]

As for the EO, it looks like it will address a pilot shortage in the Air Force.

[GrumpyGran]

16 minutes ago, onekidanddone said:

He can't declare war, only Congress can do that. I don't think he cares, and we are heading for The Korean Conflict  War II.

Time go go pop some Lorazepam 

Already hitting the red wine. You are correct, congress must approve his authority to start a specific war and I think he'd hit a wall there, but then he could also go with the sudden crisis move, firing missiles in response to a perceived threat. The problem is he agitates the child in North Korea who has no such constraints

Hubs upset he can't go back in but then he's 73 and hasn't flown in 40 years so probably better he passes. 

[47of74]

19 minutes ago, GrumpyGran said:

Hubs upset he can't go back in but then he's 73 and hasn't flown in 40 years so probably better he passes. 

1 hour ago, VelociRapture said:

Ugh... I know a few recent Vets. I believe all were enlisted and most of them didn’t vote for Trump. And my dad was a Marine during Vietnam (though I’m sure he’d be thrilled to relive his glory days for all of two seconds before getting himself killed - he’s old and has a bum hip. It’s bound to happen. Hopefully the dumbass isn’t subject to the EO because I’d like my kids to know him, even if he did vote for Trump.)

This Administration fucking blows so hard. I need to start trolling them all via Twitter or something. It won’t do any good, but it’ll make me happy and feel slightly better about the fact that everyone and everything I love seems to be under attack.

I don't think my dad who served in Vietnam would be too enthused if he had to go back in and would probably pass if asked.  With his hip being in the shape it is right now he couldn't pass the physical anyways.  On the other hand my uncle who was also there would probably like to relive some of his glory days but wouldn't last too long before he keeled over.  Both of them are around 70 years old now. 

And yes, Fuckface Von Shitgibbon makes me so mad sometimes that I forget to use fornicate and go for the gold. 

[onekidanddone]

I do believe it is time for me to put my "la la la can't hear you" ear muffs back on and float on over to the Duggar thread, or quiver full of books or hell if there was a quiver full of watching paint dry I'd be there.

I love reading here in the politics threads...but how can something I enjoy so much be something I need to not do?

Yea, right. How many times have I told myself nope, don't go there...aaaand here I am back again.

I love you guys.  You make a  horrid world a  little bit easier better to take.

[JMarie]

3 hours ago, VelociRapture said:

ETA: I saw an update. Apparently a shortage of pilots in the Air Force is the main reason for the EO:

There are four able-bodied adult Trump children.  They've all flown numerous times over their lifetimes -- that probably qualifies them, in the Trump mindset.  Make them enlist!

[GreyhoundFan]

1 hour ago, onekidanddone said:

I do believe it is time for me to put my "la la la can't hear you" ear muffs back on and float on over to the Duggar thread, or quiver full of books or hell if there was a quiver full of watching paint dry I'd be there.

I love reading here in the politics threads...but how can something I enjoy so much be something I need to not do?

Dear @onekidanddone -- I thought about you. There is a talk on Monday about news burnout and managing the sheer volume of sources. It's being held at the Reston library at 7PM and being run by the George Mason University School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Yes, their acronym is SCAR. Just like the scars we all have from the TT's administration.

 

1 hour ago, JMarie said:

There are four able-bodied adult Trump children.  They've all flown numerous times over their lifetimes -- that probably qualifies them, in the Trump mindset.  Make them enlist!

Can you imagine any of them actually serving in the military? I can't see any one of them making it through one day of boot camp. I think I would pay money to see junior at Parris Island.

[Howl]

I'll just leave this here for y'all: 

[Cartmann99]

2 hours ago, GreyhoundFan said:

There is a talk on Monday about news burnout and managing the sheer volume of sources. It's being held at the Reston library at 7PM and being run by the George Mason University School of Conflict Analysis and Resolution. Yes, their acronym is SCAR. Just like the scars we all have from the TT's administration.

I wish I didn't live so far away, this sounds like an interesting talk!

I'm having to take more frequent breaks from the Trump horror show in order to maintain my sanity, but I'm hanging in here. I'm having weeks where my perception of time is totally whacked. I swear sometimes that Trump's early week bullshit, and late week bullshit, couldn't have possibly happened within the same seven day period. 

[OtterRuletheWorld]

I'll just leave this here for y'all: 

What is this?

[laPapessaGiovanna]

38 minutes ago, OtterRuletheWorld said:

11 hours ago, Howl said:

I'll just leave this here for y'all: 

What is this?

A pic of when early in the presidency (he still was he golden sil) he flew in Syria (iirc) to play the general/great diplomat/veep/anything he actually wasn't. It was ridiculous and sad. Sorry I meant SAD!

 

Every time I read about Trump I think about Disney's Robin Hood. He's the phoniest king er president the US has ever seen.

Please please can someone skilled with words and music rewrite it for SCROTUS? Pretty please with impeachment on top.

[GrumpyGran]

10 hours ago, Cartmann99 said:

I'm having weeks where my perception of time is totally whacked. I swear sometimes that Trump's early week bullshit, and late week bullshit, couldn't have possibly happened within the same seven day period. 

OMG, this is happening to me too! Sometimes I think about something I did last week and I could swear it happened a month ago. It's like time is slowing down. I think it's because so much shit happens with this over-grown toddler in the course of a day, that it's hard to believe so much destruction and chaos can happen in such a short amount of time. He is literally a wrecking ball.

43 minutes ago, OtterRuletheWorld said:

What is this?

A pretty ineffective flak vest, I'd say!

[Ali]

@Palimpsest Would you be willing to rewrite  "The Phony King of England" for SCROTUS? Please? Pretty please with an impeachment and an orange jumpsuit on top? 

[Zola]

11 hours ago, Howl said:

I'll just leave this here for y'all: 

Just all kinds of awkward and wrong. Why is Kushner standing so stiff and straight? And in a suit jacket? I can't see his right hand, but I'm assuming he's holding a gold-tipped mahogany walking stick in it. Now that I consider, it looks like he has a rather sizable stick of some sort not in his hand, but lodged firmly between his butt cheeks. That would explain the ramrod posture. At least he relaxed enough to forego the tie.  

[OtterRuletheWorld]

A pic of when early in the presidency (he still was he golden sil) he flew in Syria (iirc) to play the general/great diplomat/veep/anything he actually wasn't. It was ridiculous and sad. Sorry I meant SAD!
 
Every time I read about Trump I think about Disney's Robin Hood. He's the phoniest king er president the US has ever seen.
Please please can someone skilled with words and music rewrite it for SCROTUS? Pretty please with impeachment on top.

A pretty ineffective flak vest, I'd say!

I should have been more clear. That's what I get for posting as I am waking up. I was wondering about the context of why this was posted.

He was in Iraq, not Syria. Meeting with a full bird in this photo.