Not only does Donald Trump know little to nothing about the US military or military service, but he has now proven that he has zero understanding of the severity of military war crimes.
Politics
While the world was focused on the riveting impeachment inquiry testimony from former Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch or the mysterious trip to the hospital ‘The Donald’ made over the weekend for what he called “phase one” of his yearly physical (hmm…), most of us missed the news that Trump ignored the advice of his military advisers and pardoned 3 servicemen for horrific military war crimes. Not only does his rogue “I’m In Charge” act erode military discipline and further taint America’s image abroad, but it also clearly indicates just how little the current commander in chief knows about the US armed forces and the wars they’ve been fighting.
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Trump pardoned Army 1st Lt. Clint Lorance, who had served only 6 years of a 19-year sentence for shooting a group of civilians in Afghanistan. He also pardoned Army Maj. Mathew Golsteyn, who was awaiting trial for allegedly murdering an unarmed Afghan civilian. Finally, he pardoned Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who stabbed an ISIS fighter while he was undergoing surgery for a battle wound, shot 2 civilians from a sniper’s nest in Iraq (and posed for an “unofficial photo” with their corpses), then threatened to kill his subordinates if they ratted on him.
Why Donald Trump chose to ignore his own military advisers and excuse the extreme military war crimes is anyone’s guess. In fact, why Donald Trump does almost anything is anyone’s guess. However, it should not go unnoticed that this is the first time in US history that a president has excused and pardoned a service member for a war crime.
Granted, the US military has long forgiven the act of “collateral damage” or the accidental death of civilians. However, never has the US officially defended the deliberate murder of a foreign citizen — until now.
When asked last month to provide clarity on why he would even consider reviewing such extreme military war crimes cases, Trump tweeted: “We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill!”
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The case of Major Mathew Golsteyn is now under review at the White House. Mathew is a highly decorated Green Beret who is being tried for killing a Taliban bombmaker. We train our boys to be killing machines, then prosecute them when they kill! @PeteHegseth
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2019
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Is there no end to the Trump madness?!?!?
If all his military people told him not to do it and he did it anyway that tells you everything you need to know.