Ex-chief of staff John Kelly confirms stories about Trump hating on veterans, POWs

[Kamaji]

Ex-chief of staff John Kelly confirms stories about Trump hating on veterans, POWs: ‘What was in it for them?’

By Ryan King
Published Oct. 2, 2023

John Kelly delivered a scathing rebuke of his onetime boss, former President Donald Trump, and corroborated several damning accounts alleging jarring disregard toward service members.

The former White House chief of staff confirmed to CNN a 2020 Atlantic story claiming Trump was bewildered by service members who died in war, during a 2017 Memorial Day stop at Arlington National Cemetery.

“I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” Trump purportedly told Kelly at the time.

In another 2017 incident, Trump allegedly insisted that no wounded veterans get the spotlight in a large military parade he was attempting to have planned.

“Those are the heroes,” Kelly replied, according to his book, “The Divider: Trump in the White House.”

“In our society, there’s only one group of people who are more heroic than they are – and they are buried over in Arlington.”

“I don’t want them,” Trump allegedly shot back. “It doesn’t look good for me.”

That episode mirrored a similar account in the recent profile from The Atlantic recounting Trump’s anger at having a wounded Army Captain sing for the chairman.

Kelly also confirmed a 2018 anecdote alleging Trump was sour about visiting the graves of soldiers at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France.

“Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers,” Trump allegedly said.

*  *  *

Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/10/02/john-kelly-corroborates-stories-about-trump-hating-on-veterans-pows/

[mystery-ak]

Fmr. WH Chief of Staff breathes new life into old Trump scandal and it blows up the news cycle
October 3, 2023 | Chris Donaldson

Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly served up the latest line of attack against 2024 GOP frontrunner Donald J. Trump to CNN on a silver platter by giving new life to old scandals casting doubt upon the former president’s patriotism.

In a statement to the Trump-hating cable network, the retired U.S. Marine Corps general dredged up Trump’s 2015 remarks about now-deceased Senator John McCain (R-Ariz.) and said that the former president had referred to military members as “suckers” and “losers” in private.

https://twitter.com/jaketapper/status/1708950853975949487

“What can I add that has not already been said?” Kelly told CNN.  “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.”

more
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/10/03/fmr-wh-chief-of-staff-breathes-new-life-into-old-trump-scandal-and-it-blows-up-the-news-cycle-1401019/

[Wingnut]

Kelly.  One of Trumps "Best People" hires.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

That's a poorly-written article.  It's difficult to tell what stuff Kelly is relating from personal, first-hand knowledge, and what is through hearsay.

[LMAO]

That's a poorly-written article.  It's difficult to tell what stuff Kelly is relating from personal, first-hand knowledge, and what is through hearsay.

Well, Trump did say that he respects people who are not captured in wartime. So, is the rest of the claim here that is being made true? There’s no way to know either way unless there’s some transcript or a recording of Trump saying that.

But Trump does make things easy for his detractors. If there’s any doubt, they just simply point at what he said publicly about people captured in wartime. So his detractors could be using his public statement as a building block to pile on.

But, we all have a public  face, and we have a private face. I’m sure we’re gonna be treated to pictures of Trump shaking hands with veterans as evidence that Trump doesn’t really feel this way about them. But those are for public consumption.

Having said, all the above, I fully am aware of all the media is towards Trump. And anybody can say they “heard so and so say XYZ.”  Hell, someone could say “LMAO said once that he believe that Hitler did the right thing” without providing any proof?

[cato potatoe]

Have there ever been so many disgruntled high ranking cabinet and executive office personalities?  I tend to believe people like John Kelly and Bill Barr when they tell us what Trump was like.  The media love to invent controversies, but these people have gone on record.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

I absolutely believe Kelly if he says he heard something first hand.

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

Has Trump denied saying this?

[the OlLine Rebel]

If any of it is true - I'm going to say there is some logic to it.  But, in many cases impugning their sacrifices (which is what it indeed is, especially those who died and - again with the logic - less so those wounded) is callous.

None of it would surprise me.  Even if Trump himself had served, his "winner" view of everything is a joke.  "I'm a big winner in life, so anyone who loses it is a ...loser."

[mystery-ak]

It's funny..this happened several years ago and it has been resurrected today..it's all over the internet today...

...and Yes I believe Trump denied this...

[Maj. Bill Martin]

If any of it is true - I'm going to say there is some logic to it.  But, in many cases impugning their sacrifices (which is what it indeed is, especially those who died and - again with the logic - less so those wounded) is callous.

None of it would surprise me.  Even if Trump himself had served, his "winner" view of everything is a joke.  "I'm a big winner in life, so anyone who loses it is a ...loser."

I agree.  The things he said that have been confirmed are enough to mark him as a low life.

[GtHawk]

Did Trump hate on members of the military in private? How would we know except from the stories of disgruntled underlings, what I have seen is Trump showing respect for the military, especially for those wounded and KIA, especially their families unlike our current POSPOTUS. There are many things about Trump that I find issue with but the way he dealt with and the respect he showed our rank and file military, at least in public, is not one of them.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

Did Trump hate on members of the military in private? How would we know except from the stories of disgruntled underlings, what I have seen is Trump showing respect for the military, especially for those wounded and KIA, especially their families unlike our current POSPOTUS. There are many things about Trump that I find issue with but the way he dealt with and the respect he showed our rank and file military, at least in public, is not one of them.

What he said publicly about POW's was despicable.

[GtHawk]

What he said publicly about POW's was despicable.

You will not get an argument from me, or any cover for that crap just because he was sliming McCain. That is the exception to my 'in public' comment. Trump is Trump and that crap with McCain was a look at the man under the persona. There were plenty of things he could have gone after McCain for but that was the lowest and most despicable, as if being shot down or and captured as a pilot or captured as an infantryman was cowardly or dishonorable. You are right I should have put an 'other than his POW statement' to be accurate when stating his public respect for our soldiers.

I guess the reason statements like this from Kelly are plausible is because we have so many examples of the petty and vindictive Trump to measure them against

[Maj. Bill Martin]

You will not get an argument from me, or any cover for that crap just because he was sliming McCain. That is the exception to my 'in public' comment. Trump is Trump and that crap with McCain was a look at the man under the persona. There were plenty of things he could have gone after McCain for but that was the lowest and most despicable, as if being shot down or and captured as a pilot or captured as an infantryman was cowardly or dishonorable. You are right I should have put an 'other than his POW statement' to be accurate when stating his public respect for our soldiers.

I guess the reason statements like this from Kelly are plausible is because we have so many examples of the petty and vindictive Trump to measure them against

 

Yeah, the "he was just getting McCain" excuse is...inexcusable.  His comment was not limited to McCain, but to anyone who was a POW.

But it's a great insight into how Trump thinks.  If insulting and denigrating completely innocent people (like all the other POW's....) gets him what he wants, he doesn't care.  Because it's all about him, not about others.

[mystery-ak]

Trump fires back hard at Gen. John Kelly over rehashing of old smears
October 5, 2023 | Terresa Monroe-Hamilton

Former President Trump savaged former White House Chief-of-Staff John Kelly after he repeated the previously denied vicious smear that Trump called U.S. service members “suckers.”

Kelly claimed that Trump made the statement in 2018 during a trip to France. He resurrected the assertion this week while speaking with CNN host Jake Tapper.

The Atlantic accused Trump in a 2020 article of not wanting to visit the graves of fallen American soldiers, claiming he stated, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.”

The leftist media outlet said Trump allegedly referred to the 1,800 Marines who died at the Battle of Belleau Wood in World War I as “suckers,” echoing Kelly’s accusation.

much more
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2023/10/05/trump-fires-back-hard-at-gen-john-kelly-over-rehashing-of-old-smears-1401651/

[Sighlass]

One would hope a president would uphold the moral of his troops... Trump needs to reverse the tide of this.... true or not, his past has shown nothing but contempt for those that risk their lives for our country. There is a reason the military hated Kerry... Trump doesn't need more of the same.

[Maj. Bill Martin]

The press generally does do a terrible job when it comes to attributing specific quotes to specific accusations/events.  Sloppy journalism, or sometimes deliberate ambiguity to support a particular narrative.