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© (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2019.Defying critics, Trump salutes military in pomp-filled July 4 celebration
By Jeff Mason WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
78 Comments
Chip Star
Donny's celebrating himself. Let's not ever forget that he only cares about himself. Repugnant.
bass4funk
Hmmmm.....from the looks of the thousands of people I would beg to differ.
PTownsend
Prior to his election Trump showed zero national pride. He 'prided' himself on stiffing governments at all level by being able to afford (thanks to his huge inheritance) hiring armies of high-priced accountants, lawyers and other fixers (how's Michael Cohen doing?) to ensure he paid the minimum - maybe less - in taxes.
How many in trump's family have served the US in any capacity in which they gave more back to the country than they took?
Trump's motto, the same one used by his daddy, the same used by his children, is 'Take as much as you can from the country, give as little as you can get away with, even if it's illegal.'
Great salute to Trump's ego and the military industrial complex. Has anyone seen Trump's latest tax info to see what his share of taxes for this might have been?
lincolnman
Demented Donnie welcomes you to the alt right, Russian inspired, fairy tale world of the Trumpers 4th of July. It's not for all Americans, even though it is the celebration of the founding of our nation. No, it's just for "the believers" - those who can't make one sentence without the word "Lib" in it. Those who think Hillary Clinton is sitting in upstate NY and plotting a takeover of the US with Obama in 2020. Who think Putin is really a "nice guy".
Welcome to Donnie's national holiday celebration - a lewd, loonie Las Vegas lounge act just like his rallies.
What a disgrace and embarrassment...
bass4funk
What? Oh..lol
PTownsend
Of course there are millions of Americans who enjoy military displays. Many of them equate being American with militarism.
Many of them are shareholders in one or more of the big war industries. The big war industry nabobs must be laughing in the faces of American taxpayers. They know the average American pays a greater share in taxes, but thanks to Trump and the GOP the nabobs pay less. Their salaries - and industries - are subsidized by the general public.
I'll bet few of those enjoying this have had to follow behind a tank and breathe its exhaust.
Given all the needs the US population have - healthcare, declining infrastructure, etc. etc. etc. - only Trump's hardest core followers can think this was a good use of tax dollars.
bass4funk
And the majority don’t.
Seems like the people didn’t mind.
Yaaawn...uh-huh.....
Democrats could never make a reasonable argument when it comes to wasting money.
https://www.dailywire.com/news/42153/here-are-8-wasteful-things-democrats-have-voted-ashe-schow
Simon Foston
bass4funkToday 08:40 am JST
But you don't speak for the majority of Americans. Just a strident, obnoxious bunch of right-wing nuts like yourself.
Texas A&M Aggie
Today, we celebrate Britain's greatest export: Americans.
hachikoreloaded
Is the dump goose stepping in this pic? Probably took lessons from his russian puppet master. I would think this would send a chill up the spine of the first "so-called" lady considering Slovenia's history.
How long until we find out this pic of the crowd is photo shopped?
Serrano
It was glorious.
Trump, a Republican who admired flashy displays of national pride and military strength in France...
So it's OK for France to have these patriotic displays, but not the U.S.? Jeez...
Norman Goodman
Bickering aside I don't see any tanks.
The 4th of July is meant to celebrate our freedom independence. Anyone who turns it into a lavish display of pomp and power is pure unamerican scum in my eyes. A barbeque, an American flag or two, and some fireworks....maybe even a speech and prayer...that's the 4th of July. If I were the president, all you would get is a short televised speech then I would ask you to excuse me as I join my family and close friends at the picnic table.
Simon Foston
SerranoToday 09:14 am JST
I always thought your sort didn't want the US to be anything like European countries. Especially not... what do you like to call them, "cheese eating surrender monkeys" or something like that.
PTownsend
It could well be real. Trump backers are probably still a minority, most likely made up of that 35% US fundamentalist group (found in most cultures?). Many seem to be rabid in their support for the wannabe-authoritarian who's representing their demographic and his faction of the .01%. 35% of the US population is still a lot of people.
Think about the size of Trump's rallies (subsidized by US taxpayers), and then recall how large the beer hall rallies got in the country Trump's father was/wasn't born in.
Serrano
I always thought your sort didn't want the US to be anything like European countries. Especially not... what do you like to call them, "cheese eating surrender monkeys" or something like that.
Following that logic, we can't ever eat cheese or drink wine or put Dijion mustard on our sandwiches. Jeez...
Trump backers are probably still a minority
Biden, Harris, Bernie and even Warren are all still leading Trump in the polls! Trump might as well concede now, eh?
lincolnman
Donnie looked extremely robotic today during his speech - he stayed glued to the teleprompter, leaning left, then leaning right. I'm assuming the dementia is getting worse...
It rained on his "I love me" parade today - both literally and figuratively...
stormcrow
"Tanks in the streets now? Shall we review the Dictator Checklist? You're a narcissist who likes to put his name on buildings...you appoint family members to key govt positions..your rallies are scary...you threaten to lock up political opponents..your friends are other dictators ."
Bill Maher
Serrano
A U.S. flag was burned in front of the White House.
Disgraceful.
@zichi - Anyone was welcome to attend.
Serrano
"Tanks in the streets now? Shall we review the Dictator Checklist? You're a narcissist who likes to put his name on buildings...you appoint family members to key govt positions..your rallies are scary...you threaten to lock up political opponents..your friends are other dictators ."
Bill Maher
Pfffffffffft!
stormcrow
@Serrano
Every point Maher laid out is true. Trump's a narcissist Check, Trump loves to put his name on things Check , Trump appoints family members to key government positions Check , Trump's rallies are scary Check Trump threatens to lock up political opponents Check , Trump's friends are other dictators (Oh, yeah!) Check!
They're all true, Serrano, and you know it. If you disagree, which one is false?
You can't do it, can you?
lincolnman
Donnie has certainly worked a lot of con-jobs and scams over his career - his joint scam with Putin to get elected was probably his best one.
But this whole fairly tale about him supporting the military ranks right up there in the Top 3. This is a guy who dodged the draft 5 times! He's a coward. He never talked about supporting the military or wanting to help Vets before starting his campaign in 2015. He didn't give one red cent about them - they didn't stay in Trump Resorts or buy Trump ties.
And then he goes and insults and denigrates John McCain's service to his country, engages in name-calling with a Gold Star family - a family who's son gave the ultimate sacrifice, and fires and disrespects one of our nation's greatest Generals - Jim Mattis.
Trump engages in false patriotism merely for political gain. He cares nothing about our military heroes - they're just another object for him to use to bamboozle his supporters.
Trump actually despises the military - because it has something his sick ego desperately craves but will never get - the respect and admiration of the nation.
bass4funk
That’s OK, because most Democrats and Trump haters will want to go anyway, so no big deal about that.
And they also got a permit that they couldn’t fly it, darn it.
Ok and the point is?
Again that was fake news that the Liberals spun again I don’t know which of them started that but that was definitely not true because you had some people even in the military that voiced their opposition to this and they were some that voice their support for it but no one was commanded to say anything.
nostromo
Why is it that the biggest draft dodgers always want the biggest military parades??
This is just a warm up for election day 2020 when Donny has the tanks on the streets to ensure things go the way he wants
Kaerimashita
I thought military showing off was very much the norm in the US. Don't they fly jets over lots of sporting and other social events? And frequently have smaller scale versions of this in towns and cities?
The military are revered in US culture and so DT is not really that out of whack with public opinion here. MAGA and all that. If you spend almost a trillion dollars a year on "defence" why not show it off?
NCIS Reruns
Woe be it that my beloved country has been usurped by a lowbrow, manipulative demagogue.
Norman Goodman
No American fighting in Vietnam was serving his country. They were serving the Military Industrial Complex. Lets be completely clear about that. Dodging Vietnam by any means was about the most patriotic thing a person could do at that time, but Muhammad Ali did it better for sure. I doubt patriotism was a factor in Captain Bone Spurs' decision making though.
That is what happens when one is acting and trying to act completely out of character. His favorite book "My New World Order" surely told him what to do in theory but just reading a book won't have you doing it right in practice.
Norman Goodman
McCain never served his country either. He was just a goon in a civilian-murdering jet in a foreign land he had no business being in. Mr. Bomb Bomb Iran deserved all shade cast his direction.
None of the above needs an ounce of extra support. They all have FAR too much already....unpatriotically so.
But yes, Trump is a faker and there is not a patriotic bone spur in his body. He loves money and power and himself and that's about it. He should be locked in his office all 4th of July so that Americans can contemplate what actual patriotism is and isn't. Its love of country....not military prowess and not your favorite political party. Its not power and its not money. Its not the flag directly. Its certainly not the government. Its your country with its culture, values, principles, morals, ideals and the striving to keep and further the good ones and drive out the bad ones. I would sooner cite literature, wide green lawns, non-military technical advancements, charity, immigrants and huge national parks as points of pride than anything Donnie and his ilk would spew forth.
Seth M
yikes. that's very ... uncharacteristic
Clayton K. Char
A fitting tribute to our uniformed military, Border Patrol and ICE which has been long overdue. Contrary to the MSM, patriotism is on the upswing. We are proud to be Americans and take pride in our country.
Chip Star
Hmmm . . . Of course you disagree, it's your knee-jerk reaction towards those you consider liberal. You constantly disagree with your own posts when a liberal quotes you. It's so funny I alsmost wet myself laughing when it happens.
Anyway, the size of the crowd has zero to do with whom Donny is honoring. This means your comment is irrelevant, which is no surprise.
bass4funk
Some may say that, others may not. He’s not the first to dodge the draft. As the President he’s serving his country and from the looks of it, he’s going to serve 4 more years, so that argument just got deflated.
The Democrats in the Previous administration did nothing in the 8 years at least Trump tried and is doing.
Uh-huh....
https://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/298065-too-little-too-late-for-veterans-under-obama
Oh, stop! Trump absolutely didn’t have the need to respect anyone that tried to take him down and to personally attack him which McCain was trying to do, the man had every right to defend himself and to fight back, the same for anyone that attacked him, because he’s President he needs to shut up and take it? I don’t think so. I thought it was highly appropriate that he called McCain out for what he said and what he tried to do to him. Respect goes both ways and if he feels he’s not getting respect he doesn’t have to reciprocate.
And the Democrats hate Patriotism , they do the same thing and it was evident as you saw the debate last week, they will say anything and I mean anything to score political points.
The Democrats didn’t care for the military at all that’s why for the last eight years the morale was so low and one of the lowest since we had a military.
If that were even remotely true then the president would have never done what he did today, because as with the last administration the president didn’t care at all didn’t care to visit them while they were overseas, he didn’t do anything except going on an apology tour.
PTownsend
I have no idea what you might mean by 'patriotism', but if it's that reactionary-fundamentalist's definition equating patriotism with military might, you're probably correct there are SOME Democrats who dislike, even hate what you seem to be calling patriotism.
Some Democrats, and some Republicans, define patriotism as showing respect for the principles of the republic, something Trump and his backers are trying to undo. Using that definition, I'd say Trump and many of his followers are extremely UNpatriotic.
PTownsend
@bass4 Keep trying.
Futile. I've worked with individuals with concretized synapses and those with OCD and know it's a waste of time to try to convince them. All that can be done is show counterpoints to their lies and distortions.
Jimizo
I prefer the types who put their money where their mouths are. It’s easy to sing a song or salute a piece of cloth or watch jets fly over your head.
One case is Mayor Pete. A very intelligent man who could do pretty much anything with that brain power, signed up and served in Afghanistan. Contrast that with draft-dodging Trump organizing military parades.
Your demonstrably false, partisan generalization about democrats hating patriotism is insulting.
Anonymous
@Kaerimashita
Yes, right. The VFW or American Legion flag-bearing honor guard in my home town and countless towns across the USA are indeed showing off to the enthusiastic applause of crowds.
Texas A&M Aggie
It's easy to decipher why the anti-American democrat socialists abhor patriotism.
The difference between those whom democrat socialists despise is striking. They detest any person who values freedom, individualism, and self-reliance; individuals who are motivated and compete to succeed for themselves.
The democrat socialists, on the other hand, are a group of unhappy, selfish children who will do whatever means necessary to get their way. They value being a member of a compliant pack that will ensure outcomes they are unable to achieve personally. They are void of any worth or purpose. They are reduced to parrot talking points their moral superiors within the Media Industrial Complex tell them, and like-minded democrat socialists nod in bovine agreement.
bass4funk
That is indeed a PART of it.
And that’s ok, but the problem is, liberals always try to demonize the military as bad and hostile.
That’s exactly what the President did. Seems more of patriot to me.
Uhhhh...Ok, nice
Serrano
Very much a Trump Day.
Also very much an American Day.
Woe be it that my beloved country has been usurped by a lowbrow, manipulative demagogue.
LOL... Yes, woe be it that we have like the best economy ever, ISIS has control of not one city in Syria or Iraq, we are talking with the North Koreans, with inter-Korean relations at their best since the Korean War, the Iranians are finding it difficult to fund Hezbollah, Trump decided not to kill 150 or so Iranians because they shot down an unmanned plane...
Simon Foston
I don't find many things as tiresome as the inane generalisations made by obsessive bores bloated with self-righteousness.
Jimizo
Irrelevant.
He is living proof of a liberal who served his country more than the vast majority of chest-thumping ‘patriots’ here.
Your generalisations are pure trolling.
lincolnman
This is quite true - if you add these 6 words "if he were running in Russia"....
rlperez@hotmail.com.au
Trump is rallying the American people, appealing to the people and he knows that the military and war is what the Americans crave, which just proves my point that the psyche of the American people is war. For the past 75 years the US has been at war with the globe and with the support of the people. Until the average American change their psyche, change their lust for military aggression, the US will be at war. It appears that nothing unifies the people more that war and Trump has woken up to this. As President Carter once said; America is one of the most waring nations in history.
yakyak
We have a Great President. That much is crystal clear.
We also have an entire political cabal that lives for the destruction of our Nation.
Let this 4th of July stand as beacon of strength and determination to see the
Communist/Socialist/Marxist/Progressive wing of the Democrat Party be driven into the seas
bordering our Nation.
otherworldly
Spoke to friends across the country and they reported on parades and displays of American pride everywhere. Talked to people in DC who attended the celebration and they said that it was the biggest and most crowded ever.
Attilathehungry
Looks like everyone had a great time. A good speech, non-partisan at that, by the President. Nothing wrong with a little pomp and ceremony to celebrate the birth of your nation, I say good for you.
bass4funk
Yes, we love the smell of Napalm! Lol! Seriously, you believe that garbage? Come on now...
“War” No! Socialism....yeah
Of course.
More like if people decide not to destabilize other nations, harm our allies or threaten us, we don’t need a war.
Carter will also go down as one of the worst Presidents in history as well.
bass4funk
I disagree, lot of junk to take out.
Norman Goodman
Not only the 4th of July but we have people waving the flag at Christmas and Thanksgiving too. And there are several other holidays where flag waving is meant to be appropriate...too many. America has become a giant zombified flag and war cult. It makes me ill. These people who think its all wholesome innocent fun make me ill. There is a time and place to display your patriotism, and while it is certainly the 4th of July, overdoing it is a sign of illness, especially when you are doing it for all the wrong reasons.
What a disgusting back of vomit we have for a president. Thumping his chest over a lie which even if true, is disgusting to brag about on a day we are supposed to be celebrating freedom and independence and effing war glories.
Jimizo
Another thing to add is many have noticed the poor results of their wars after WW2 in particular.
Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Iraq were hardly successes.
The US military sounds like the socialism the right complain about - throwing money at something which doesn’t produce good results.
Texas A&M Aggie
Heh, the U.S. Park Service issued a permit for the Baby Trump balloon to the Brits, but with the restriction: NO HELIUM, only air. So it never got airborne.
A classic slap in the face to the anti-American back benchers who crossed the pond only to be denied their moment to disrupt the celebration of us separating from them 243 years ago today.
kazetsukai
This is Independence Day, the 4th of July. US won its independence. It won by fightiing a war. People died to make it and keep us independent. And they were organized as military units to do so. To recognize the fact that it took and still takes physical power in the military to keep us independent and free from other nations taking over was and is important. This event recognized that fact and Trump in his own way representing all of us as on Memorial day (which is solemn) with a gala celebration and appreciation of those that created the USA, our country. And we are when compared to most other nations, still the best.
Think... why are all those migrants from all over the world wanting to come to the USA, even if illegally?
In that spirit, we have a lot to be proud of and celebrate about, regardless of politics or personalities. Politics and personalities exist every where. But there is still only one USA.
That is what I would like our 4th of July to be remembered as and to celebrate about.
(The only sad part about this event as seen on television is that when Trump gave historical anecdotes, very few appeared to know US history or even recognize some of the famous quotations he included in his speech, recognizing the "values" which made our USA great.)
Simon Foston
otherworldlyToday 01:50 pm JST
It didn't occur to you that they probably weren't the most impartial people you could have asked?
cleo
Yeah, him with his bone spurs and tiny hands and fighting his own personal Vietnam against STDs.
Who could possibly be a better representative?
You funny.
Or sad, not sure which.
otherworldly
America the beautiful! Happy Independence Day! Great Britain has never been the same!
8T
Happy Fourth of July America!
Be proud of your past and be proud of your future, but most importantly never abandon the fighting spirit that has granted you freedom from tyranny.
otherworldly
It actually did occur to me, as it was a very bi partisan celebration. The left and the right were celebrating America’s Independence Day. Of course there were no far left socialists there if that’s what you mean.
Norman Goodman
Clearly some people think patriotism is the ability to insult, dominate and troll others, or at least that is what they want us to believe.
rlperez@hotmail.com.au
8T: " the fighting spirit that has granted you freedom from tyranny."
And made you the tyrant of the globe. A warmongering nation that has known no peace for over 100 years and will never know peace until its warmongering mentality changes.
Jimizo
We can argue all day about the ‘best’. It’s a good place to live and in my limited experience, one of the best to live as a foreigner. I must admit to being a Europhile, but I’d be happy to go back to the US to work one day.
I find those who bash the country often have no experience of it.
Chip Star
A classic Donny move to trample on the free speech rights of those that disagree with him. Pow! Pow!
Attilathehungry
At least the Americans were able to do a clean Brexit in 1783, unlike the current sad crop in the UK...
Chip Star
Uhhh . . . you're calling a war a "clean" break. You're also bagging off on the British for not being able to leave Britain. Odd.
Chip Star
But the US doing this perfectly okay?
And the US is the great decider of this, correct?
Jimizo
Yes, it was a poor comparison. It lacks accuracy, knowledge or wit.
It has no redeeming features whatsoever.
Chip Star
This is a false duality. It's more plausible that Donny did what he did today to feed his ego than that he did it to honor the military.
Let's see how accurate this is:
Obama didn't once apologize to any foreign leader for American actions. Not one single time.
https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/obama-quotes/
Donny claimed, for example, that he came up with the "genius idea" of giving veterans private health care so they don't have to wait for Veterans Affairs appointments, only to find out that others had thought of it but failed to get it done.
President Barack Obama signed the law getting it done in 2014.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/news.yahoo.com/amphtml/ap-fact-check-trump-often-041305744.html
In April 2009, Trump’s predecessor in the Oval Office, President Barack Obama, made his own trip to Iraqto visit U.S. military personnel. It was his first visit as commander in chief, though he had also visited Iraq in July 2008 as a U.S. senator while campaigning for president.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/beta.washingtonpost.com/world/2018/12/27/stark-contrast-between-trumps-trip-iraq-obamas-visit/%3foutputType=amp