The White House has found itself in damage control mode after admitting it ordered the US Navy to cover the name ‘USS McCain’ so that Donald Trump wouldn’t see it while he was speaking in Japan on Memorial Day.
Current Events
The US Navy has now confirmed reports that the White House military office ordered the USS McCain to be covered while Trump was in Japan last week. The military refused and instead agreed that the warship would be kept “out of sight.” Apparently, Trump aides were so fearful of what he might say or do, they didn’t want to risk watching their unpredictable boss condemn the late prisoner of war and lawmaker, Sen. John McCain, on a day meant to memorialize military veterans.
“A request was made to the US Navy to minimize the visibility of USS John S. McCain, however, all ships remained in their normal configuration during the President’s visit,” Rear Adm. Charlie Brown, Chief of Navy Information, said in a statement.
Donald Trump has engaged in a long-standing feud with John McCain, who passed away from cancer in 2018 at the age of 81.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, Trump made fun of McCain’s years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, saying “He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured.” He was also livid with McCain for leaving his sick bed while battling cancer to travel to the US Senate and vote NO against Trump’s plan to dismantle Obamacare. Additionally, the thin-skinned Donald is apparently still angry at McCain for having the last laugh in death after leaving implicit instructions that Trump NOT be allowed to attend his funeral.
When US military officials refused to comply with the request to hide the USS McCain, aides did the next best thing and ordered all soldiers aboard the ship (who were wearing USS McCain caps and gear) to be given the day off and kept out of site. For those USS McCain soldiers who opted to hang around and hear Trump’s speech, they were given “Make Aircrew Great Again” patches to cover the name ‘McCain’ anywhere on their uniform, — patches that were emblazoned with Trump’s profile.
“It’s impossible to go through the grief process when my father, who’s been dead 10 months, is constantly in the news cycle because the president is so obsessed with the fact that he’s never going to be a great man like he was.” – Meghan McCain
To attempt to cover the name of the USS McCain and dismiss its military personnel on Memorial Day was not only a playground bully tactic beneath an adult — let alone a president — but it was a slap in the face to the men and women who serve valiantly on the USS McCain and to fallen soldiers everywhere.
Not surprisingly, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney considered the entire ordeal a big nothing.
During an appearance Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press, Mulvaney predictably raced to defend the controversial decision and Donald Trump’s perceived inability to control himself whenever he sees or hears the name ‘McCain.’
“The fact some 23- or 24-year-old person 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, that’s not the best backdrop, can somebody look into moving it?’ That’s not an unreasonable thing to ask,” Mulvaney argued.
“It would be silly if anyone was fired over this,” he added.
Mulvaney’s weak defense comes at a time when the Pentagon has been attempting to convince the White House to stop politicizing the military.
Dishonor. Not to the late senator, nor to his father and grandfather of the same name, who rendered the same distinguished service in war and peace. Their deeds and reputations are far beyond such mean contrivances. But dishonor indeed to the civilians and officers who hold the lives of young Americans in their hands and went along with this. That the president might wish such behavior is not surprising—he is mean, petty, and vindictive, and even if he did not order this (and he quickly tweeted a denial that he had), he signaled that he wished it. It is what is known in strongman governments as “working toward the Leader.” It is the effect of a personality that contaminates and corrodes every valuable thing he touches. – The Atlantic
For his role in the USS McCain debate, Donald Trump played dumb to even knowing about the order.
“Somebody did it because they thought I didn’t like him, OK? And they were well-meaning, I will say.”
Proving again, that there is no level too low for that poor excuse of a human-being to go.
Trump is a nasty piece of work. Ignorant, corrupt and petty to his core. Filled with jealousy, envy and resentment towards Real men…the likes of which he knows he can never be. Like John McCain, Barack Obama, Joe Biden….even G.W. and Jeb Bush.
Trump admires dictators and thuggish tyrants because he wishes he had their ruthless confidence. President bone-spurs couldn’t serve his country during the Vietnam War because his *widdle* feet were supposedly messed up.
But he’s “da man” now!?!…lol. You cannot make this stuff up…smh..