Pentagon tells White House to stop politicizing military after USS John McCain incident

Asking Donny to do the correct thing is an exercise in futility.

The acting chief of staff and the acting secretary of defense? Why are their so many officials in acting positions this late into Donny's term?

to have the Navy ship named for the late U.S. Sen John McCain 

This is a serious error. The ship was named for Sen McCain's grandfather and father. The AP should be so notified and requested to send out a correction.

Trump: doing whatever he can to further divide the US.

With help from far-right, ultra-nationalist organizations and authoritarian regimes (secular and religious) around the globe.

Sorry I did not see this at the end!

The warship , commissioned in 1994, was originally named for the senator's father and grandfather, both Navy admirals named John Sidney McCain. Last year, the Navy rededicated the ship to honor the senator as well.

This is a serious error. The ship was named for Sen McCain's grandfather and father. The AP should be so notified and requested to send out a correction.

The warship , commissioned in 1994, was originally named for the senator's father and grandfather, both Navy admirals named John Sidney McCain. Last year, the Navy rededicated the ship to honor the senator as well.

The ship was named for Sen McCain's grandfather and father.

And the late senator:

Is the ship named for the senator?

It is now, but he is not the only John McCain that the ship’s name honors.

The McCain was commissioned in 1994, and it was originally named for the senator’s grandfather, Adm. John S. McCain Sr., who commanded a carrier task force in World War II, and father, Adm. John S. McCain Jr., a submarine commander in the war who later rose to head what was then known as United States Pacific Command.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/30/us/uss-mccain-navy-ship.html

When we move a Navy ship named after an American hero to appease a cowardly draft dodger, we've hit rock bottom in the USA.

B-b-b-b-b-b-b-ut I thought they didn't do it?

CrazyJoe: "When we move a Navy ship named after an American hero to appease a cowardly draft dodger, we've hit rock bottom in the USA."

You'd think so, but clearly you guys have some ways to go yet since you still allow it.

stop politicizing military 

Good idea but ;

Last year, the Navy rededicated the ship to honor the senator as well.

That's not "politicizing" the Navy to name their stuff after a person that was a major politician just a few months ago ?

“I was not a big fan of John McCain in any shape or form,” Trump said. 

Trump is in a big fight with a dead guy, and the dead guy is winning.

https://nzenews.com/2019/05/30/uss-john-mccain-trump-says-official-who-directed-obscuring-warship-was-well-meaning/

you can see that ship walking down the street, my goodness people will criticize Trump for blowing his nose.. This si why people will reelect him, the media is so out of touch with reality.

If this is is the “top story” and the most important “news” we have- the world is in a pretty good place. Thanks Trump!

This is all BS. I highly doubt some "23 or 24 year" old in the military has the power to tell anyone in the Navy hierarchy, "advance team" or whatever, to move a ship.

Either way I am quite sure that there are more pressing matters that the country should be dealing with!

There is nothing wrong with being diplomatic. Hiding a ship's name is something that probably was discussed in an arrangement meeting and was then shoved into our faces by a politicized press that wants to shock and outrage the public.

This guy Trump. Over two and a half years into this, and sometimes I'm still surprised at how ridiculous he is. Either he initiated it, or his people thought they needed to do it to protect his fragile ego. 

Don't you still sometimes think I still can't believe this is the President.

The US military in Japan needs to stop appearing in absurd headlines.

Don't you still sometimes think I still can't believe this is the President.

That's what I used to think about Bush Jr. This is next level...

It's high time some of you accepted reality. A misguided staffer at the White House made some requests/demands to the Pentagon regarding the USS McCain of which NONE were carried out by the Navy. That's all. The ship wasn't moved an inch, her name wasn't hidden, and her crew weren't intentionally prevented from attending the event aboard USS Wasp. Sans your miopic obsession with Trump this is a non-story.

Then it would only be fair to hide the USS John Paul Jones when British dignitaries are visiting.

This is a typical case of sontaku, a custom widely practiced in Japanese politics and bureaucracy. In sontaku, no one is held responsible for the case  It only shows there're a horde of brown noses around the boss. Probably, an English dictionary needs to add this as a new entry of a loan from Japanese.

Except the president is responsible for all the actions of all the WH staff. Had it not been for this opinions on McCain it wouldn't have happened.

And adding to that it was the Pentagon who made the demand to stop politicizing the military. Not us here commenting.

I guess the Pentagon is the enemy of the people now ?

CrazyJoeToday  07:08 am JST

When we move a Navy ship named after an American hero to appease a cowardly draft dodger, we've hit rock bottom in the USA.

We’ve been at rock bottom for a while now. Not sure you properly assessed the magnitude of this problem.

This is the Trump Administration. When you hit rock bottom, firm bedrock, the response is “Here’s a shovel”.

I don't know which is worse: the incident itself or the fact that zero trust can be expected from this administration.

The Dems need to investigate this one, too, and find the truth buried in the rat's nest of lies that gives cover to Trump's heart of darkness.

Do not put names of people to the navy ships. We, in Japan, put names of mountains and rivers. That will be safe. Evaluation of people changes by time.

A petty act to appease a petty, petty disgrace of a person.

 Evaluation of people changes by time.

I agree, although I don't think it's likely any future US president will be evaluated as worse than Trump. So it's a competition for second from the bottom.

this is a non-story.

It would be a non-story if Draft-Dodger-in-Chief hadn't called a decorated war hero "not a war hero."

Do not put names of people to the navy ships. We, in Japan, put names of mountains and rivers. That will be safe. Evaluation of people changes by time.

I think the legacy of the warship itself supersedes the person or geographic/meteorological feature it was named after. The USS Alabama, Missouri, or IJN Akagi, Yamato, etc will be remembered for their legacy more than their name.

can somebody look into moving it?' That's not an unreasonable thing to ask," Mulvaney said.

"Not unreasonable", says the acting WH Chief of Staff. Anyone here with navy experience able to comment on this? I have no idea what goes into rearranging the positioning of navy vessels.

The fact that some 23- or 24-year-old person on the advance team went to that site and said 'Oh my goodness, there's the John McCain, we all know how the president feels about the former senator, maybe that's not the best backdrop, can somebody look into moving it?' That's not an unreasonable thing to ask," Mulvaney said.

How does a 23-24 yr old advance person have the juice to give such a directive Mr. Mulvaney? We want the name of the person. Get A.G. Barr on the case. He loves solving unlawful directives. While they are at it, stop using our military as backdrop for this bum Trump.

The "Pentagon" doesn't tell the President what to do, it is the other way around. I'm sure the aide at the White House was just trying to avoid the press taking pictures of Trump with McCain's name in the background, which if the anti-Trump fack news could have arranged it would have been on their front pages.

Trump: doing whatever he can to further divide the US. With help from far-right, ultra-nationalist organizations and authoritarian regimes (secular and religious) around the globe.

Yeah, the progressives aren't doing anything divisive at all. No racist, misandrist or other exclusionary rhetoric coming from them at all.

Like so much around DT, a huge fuss about nothing.

It's high time some of you accepted reality. A misguided staffer at the White House made some requests/demands to the Pentagon regarding the USS McCain of which NONE were carried out by the Navy. That's all. The ship wasn't moved an inch, her name wasn't hidden, and her crew weren't intentionally prevented from attending the event aboard USS Wasp. Sans your miopic obsession with Trump this is a non-story.

Funny how "misguided White House staffers" always seem to act in a way that are 100% in line with protecting Trump's fragile ego. You'd almost think Trump was their boss telling them to do inane petty crap on his behalf or something. But nah, a guy who lives in a gold plated house and names everything he owns after himself would never do something like that.

wow lots of McCain fans here... how many of you voted for him when he ran for President? I guess Trump is not the only one who thinks McCain was not all that.

It is a ship anyone can see walking down a public street, its a non story except for people digging for reason to criticize Trump.

Can't wait when he gets reelected.

@dangob how many of you voted for him when he ran for President?

What does that have to do with Trump leading an administration staffed with family members, sycophants and other immature toadies spending time and energy protecting Trump's fragile and childish ego and trying to interfere with military issues they have no business interfering with?

I didn't vote for McCain nor did I support him politically.

Is your point that it's OK those of us who didn't vote for Trump (i.e. the majority of Americans) to attack Trump? Your approval isn't needed: we're free to do so.

its a non story except for people digging for reason to criticize Trump.

Funny how little digging is actually required to find reasons to criticize Trump. Maybe if he'd stop doing embarrassingly petty and vain things publicly it would require digging, but at the moment all this stuff is just out there for everybody to see. No digging required.

When we move a Navy ship named after an American hero to appease a cowardly draft dodger, we've hit rock bottom in the USA.

McCain was a hero of the military industrial complex.

wow lots of McCain fans here... how many of you voted for him when he ran for President?

Not many here, lol.

How can a president of USA behave in this petty manner? No wonder why the late senator John McCain did not want Trump at funeral service.

With Trump's small–minded nature, I hope that the Pentagon never name Trump for their future ship.

@serrano McCain was a hero of the military industrial complex.

I agree.

As is Trump, who's making the military industrial complex even more profitable than it's probably ever been while he's staffing his admin and Department of Defense (Shanahan 'on loan' from Boeing, for example) with their supporters.

Has anyone seen Trump's current financial info to see how much he and his family have invested in America's war industries, and which of those industries are getting fat govt contracts?

What's funny is I watched his speech live on AFN.  I noticed that he did somewhat of a roll call of all the ships and commands that were in Yoko and in the audience.  I immediately recognized that he omitted the McCain since they have been pier side since they got towed back from their collision around Singapore.  That being sad, you may not like it, but it is his prerogative to say what he wants.  Probably not a good morale booster for the crew of the JSM, but then, I've been to places back when we had Presidents that were "liked" and we had to not be readily identifiable as USN personnel when we made port visits due to anti-American sentiment.

Those who are clutching their pearls and catching the vapors because of his views on McCain probably didn't want him to win against Obama, and probably had some not nice things to say about him then. What changed?

As far as claiming that Trump avoided Vietnam, yes he did, but so did Clinton, "W" and other talking pundits and government leaders back then so what's the point.  There were some "not so famous" folks back then who managed to either go to school or get married and avoided the draft and didn't get sent.

Trump's staff are wisely trying to create a Truman Show style unreality around him to protect his infant mind from any kind of negativity or suggestion that everything isn't 'tremendous'. In this happy-clappy zone ships need to be moved to avoid the letters on them shattering Trump's delusions.

Not many here, lol

Then you voted for Obama

"stop politicizing the military"

What! The military is and always has been, political. This applies to all nations.

I still can't believe this is the President.

Well, he is and the great American public voted him in!

Doesn't say much for the great American public, does it? The same people who voted in the Bushmeister - TWICE and who still allow him, Cheney and Rice to walk around free!

Can't wait when he gets reelected.

Silver-Spoon-in-Chief is doing his best to make America petty again. You'll get all that you wish for...and less.

That's not "politicizing" the Navy to name their stuff after a person that was a major politician just a few months ago ?

no they included John McCain as well for his service for his country and his years of sacrifice as a tortured POW. 3 generations of his family have done more than enough service and sacrifice to have the privilege of having a Navy boat named after them.

The goal would be to ensure there is less ambiguity about how the military should support VIP events and how service members should respond to such political requests

My first thought is that the military should not act on political PR requests. However, that is naive.

Officers are representatives of the government and are creatures of and subject to political influence. Still, senior officers should shield their junior officers as much as possible from inappropriate political influence and take the heat if necessary even if it is career suicide.

The actions of the military in this instance just appears to be confused and embarrassing. The political acts? Are commonly confused and embarrassing, if not deadly.

What is clear, is there is a lack of leadership starting with Trump. And, that lack of leadership has flowed down the chain of command. A tarp, then a tug was put in front of the name. Then, someone grew a brain and stopped the idiocy.

The officers and sailors on that ship should not have been compromised in this way, and a leader somewhere in the chain failed those men and women in a large way.

Lets see, the President as Commander-in-Chief" can send service men and women into harms way, but he can't even move a ship out of view?

This nonsendr story hilarious. Even if some low level employee took it upon themselves to try to do it, the bottom line is Trump didn't give the order and the navy ignored it. Amusing is somehow the Pentagon giving orders? Trumps the guy in charge, he gives the orders and looks like the navy understands who the commander in chief is.

Interesting to watch the local Trumpette PR machine attempt to be patriotic while throwing the Pentagon and the USA's armed forces under the bus for their anointed lamb....

How stupid the US are - they hide the name of a ship as though it’s an embarrassment. If they gave it that name, they should put up with it, and put up with it with pride.