Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

GOP baffled that ‘we don’t care if you die’ is not a winning slogan.

You know it’s bad when the Project 2025 people have to create training videos on “How To Be Normal”.

This isn’t Democrats spending madly. This is government catching up.

When you’re in more danger from the IDF than from Russian shelling, that’s really bad.

The cruelty is the point; the law be damned.

Let’s delete this post and never speak of this again.

When you’re a Republican, they let you do it.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Trump should be leading, not lying.

T R E 4 5 O N

Also, are you sure you want people to rate your comments?

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

“The defense has a certain level of trust in defendant that the government does not.”

The worst democrat is better than the best republican.

Incompetence, fear, or corruption? why not all three?

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

Give the craziest people you know everything they want and hope they don’t ask for more? Great plan.

People identifying as christian while ignoring christ and his teachings is a strange thing indeed.

Since we are repeating ourselves, let me just say fuck that.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

American history and black history cannot be separated.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

You’re just a puppy masquerading as an old coot.

“In the future, this lab will be a museum. do not touch it.”

You are here: Home / Open Threads / Come Down and Meet at the Burial Ground

Come Down and Meet at the Burial Ground

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This post is in: 

Trump’s widely-reported comments about soldiers being “suckers and losers” as well as his reluctance to visit military cemeteries must be making a mark, so LaCivita and his crew of bumblers dragged grandpa to Arlington for a photo op.  But, whoopsy doodle, it’s against the rules to have political photo ops at Arlington (because of course it is, otherwise the place would be full of assholes making some point or other literally on top of dead soldiers).  But rules don’t apply to Trump, as we all know, so fuckery ensued:

Officials at Arlington national cemetery have filed a report over the behavior of members of Donald Trump’s campaign staff who reportedly shoved and verbally abused an employee during a “crass” photo opportunity for the Republican presidential candidate.

The officials confirmed that a confrontation took place at the Virginia cemetery on Monday after the former president participated in a wreath-laying ceremony for 13 US servicemen and -women killed in a 2021 suicide bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan.

The person who confronted the Trumps and the family was probably a park ranger.  Here’s the Trump team’s take on that person:

Instead of an apology, the Trump campaign attempted to turn around the narrative of the Arlington incident, with senior officials separately branding the cemetery’s representative “a despicable individual” who was experiencing “a mental health episode”.

“There was no physical altercation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made,” the campaign’s communications director, Steven Cheung, said in a statement.

“The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony.”

So “person doing their job” equals “mental health crisis” for these assholes.  And I’m sure they’ll send over the footage of the incident with the draft of the next infrastructure bill.

Anyway, another day, another story of Trump & Co showing their asses.  I await the fact check on Arlington’s claim that it’s against the rules for political photo ops.  My prediction is that the fact checkers will say that Biden lays wreaths all the time, and he’s a politician, so five thousand Pinocchios covered in flaming shit to Arlington and the Harris Campaign.

Edit:  Oh, and JD is having a normal day:

Come Down and Meet at the Burial Ground 1

Reader Interactions

169Comments

  1. 1.

    Villago Delenda Est

    I cannot overstate my outrage at this desecration of hallowed ground by a draft-dodging coward who openly holds our honored dead in contempt as “suckers and losers”. Any veteran who supports this shitstain is a buddy fucker.

  2. 2.

    Baud

    we are prepared to release footage

    They is no footage and they are not prepared to release it.

  4. 4.

    Gin & Tonic

    Interestingly, asshole LaCivita tweeted about “hollowed” ground. Some news outlets reprinted that verbatim with a [sic]. One well-known to the jackals print outlet reprinted it as “hallowed” with no indication of LaCivita’s error or their correction of it.

  5. 5.

    Ceci n est pas mon nym

    Not one person in that entourage had enough normal human emotion to realize that big grins and thumbs up around a soldier’s grave was a bad look.

    Im reading that the Utah gov was one of the group, and he’s now getting some heat. Or at least raised eyebrows.

  7. 7.

    gene108

    I think his comments about the Presidential Medal of Freedom being better than the Congressional Medal of Honor are being noticed more and more, just like Frederick Douglass.

  8. 8.

    Steve LaBonne

    The fact that this will be a close election is a terrible indictment of our country. It’s shameful that so many continue to support this appalling creature and his personality cult pretending to be a political party.

  9. 9.

    dmsilev

    Posing for a smile and a thumbs-up gesture. In front of a soldier’s grave. In Arlington.

    It’s kind of impressive, in a sick way, that people still support him. I guess “he hates the people I hate” is strong.

  11. 11.

    Dave

    @Baud: There might well be footage but they need time to edit it before they even think of releasing it.

    Most likely though they’ll release it about the same time they release their ACA replacement plan.

    What utter scum these people are  the way they target average doing their jobs is not at all surprising but remains despicable.

    On the other hand this is a scandal that the media can actually understand so maybe it will receive some play in traditional sources as well as newer ones.

  12. 12.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @gene108: The national head of the VFW made his druthers very clear, but the MSM is going out of its way to underreport it.

  13. 13.

    dmsilev

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Interestingly, asshole LaCivita tweeted about “hollowed” ground. Some news outlets reprinted that verbatim with a [sic].

    It’s a cemetery. Lots of holes in the ground.

    Occupied by coffins and caskets, yes yes.

  16. 16.

    Belafon

    I can’t access my phone right now, but yes, there is an actual regulation that says that only park staff can take pictures.

  17. 17.

    laura

    @Villago Delenda Est: Any veteran who supports this shitstain is a buddy fucker.

    Anybody who knows a veteran and supports this shite-bag is a buddy fucker. Oh, and that disgrace of an ad below- he can’t bring himself to acknowledge they were soldiers in service to our Country- just “people.”

  19. 19.

    Old School

    Dean Baker had a thread about this.

    His two main points:

    First, any normal campaign would be apologizing to the staff of Arlington Cemetary as well as the family and friends of the veterans buried there for violating its rules.

    …

    The other more important point is that if the Harris campaign had ever done anything like this, EVERY SINGLE Republican politician and pundit would be screaming bloody murder. 

  20. 20.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    @Villago Delenda Est:

    The money quote:

    “These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation’s highest award for valor, but also crassly characterized the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty,” wrote VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt in a Friday statement.

    And yeah, do a search “vfw on trump’s remarks” and it’s pathetic what comes up.  Rolling Stone is like the 3rd article listed.

  21. 21.

    Jackie

    @Baud:

    There is no footage and they are not prepared to release it.

    There WAS footage; they burned the evidence that would have proved Arlington officials right.

  23. 23.

    Mart

    CBS 10 o’clock news in St. Louis played the Arlington Cemetery tape as a straight news story with a giant 12 foot diameter wreath placed on a monument to the 14 fallen soldiers due to the disastrous and chaotic Harris/Biden Afghan evacuation. For some reason they did not mention that team Trump broke the rules of decorum, that 64 soldiers died in Afghanistan while he was President, and that the surrender to the terrorists was negotiated by Pompeo/Trump and was dumped on Biden with no transition assistance. Wife and I about lost our minds

  25. 25.

    Belafon

    From Newsweek:

    Brad Berkwitt, host of The ‘Bad’ Brad Berkwitt Show and a Navy veteran who served for over two decades, took to social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to express his outrage. In a video message filled with explicit language, Berkwitt voiced his anger over Trump’s presence at the cemetery.

    They tried to transcribe his comments from the video that can be found in the article, and ended up with this:

    In his video message, Berkwitt elaborated on his frustration, stating, “As a veteran, who served for 20 years 28 days, during Desert Shield, Desert Storm, the Gulf War, In the Iraq War and retired honorably. I have upheld my oath every day since September 30, 2006, my retirement day. But on this day, a f****** treasonous traitor who tried to overthrow the government on January 6th, 2021. A convicted felon, an adjudicated rapist, liable for fraud, degenerate misogynistic pig, lying grifter who pushes bibles. They’re now pushing books about b******* and were allowed to go to Arlington National Cemetery on this special day. What the f***? And who in the f*** allowed this m*********** to do that s*** and defecate on our fallen soldiers that are buried there.”

    Berkwitt continued his impassioned critique, saying, “You f****** MAGA m************ veterans. They’re okay with this treasonous traitor. As I said, you all f****** service means nothing because the oath that I took and the f****** oath that you took you s****** on. But I wanna know who the f*** allowed this m*********** to go today and later this week for a f******* photo op. At the expense of our fallen brothers and sisters. You’re f****** right. I’m pissed off. This m************ has no f****** load. F*** every single m************ that walks this f****** planet that supports this rotten m************.”

    https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-retired-veteran-reacts-arlington-national-cemetery-treason-traitor-1944681

  26. 26.

    hells littlest angel

    I believe the solemn ceremony involved Trump standing at a soldier’s grave attempting to grin while making his signature “thumb up my ass” gesture.

  28. 28.

    Josie

    That grimace that resembles a smile and the thumbs up gesture is the only way he knows how to pose for a picture. He looks the same in every photo. They might as well use a cardboard cutout in his place. It would probably look more natural.

  30. 30.

    ronnno2018

    the disgraceful former president was invited to that area of the cemetery by some family members according to Steve Bennen, but he still broke the photography and promotion rules.

  31. 31.

    Tony Jay

      On the one hand, there’s no downside to making them fail to provide this footage. Just zoom right past the usual “The Trump campaign should release this footage to clarify the truth behind this encounter” and straight to “Lying weirdos are lying to you about how they disrespected our heroic dead and physically attacked the custodians who tried to remind them of how decent people behave”. Every platform, no mercy. 

    Anyone doubt they’re lying? Just say it. Paint those fuckers thick with the truth that’s they’re weird, disrespectful liars who won’t dare release any footage they haven’t deceitfully edited. Sure, the corporate media won’t want to talk about it, but while they’re busy tearing out their own eyes rather than talk honestly about this Trump fuck-up, they’ve got less bandwidth to attack the Harris/Walz campaign.  

  35. 35.

    Bill Arnold

    @dmsilev:
    A google searched turned up this: Hollowed Ground – Copper Mining and Community Building on Lake Superior, 1840s-1990s (Larry D. Lankton, 2010)
    It’s like the comment about a “Feal President”.

    President Trump Lays Wreath At Arlington National Cemetery…This Is How A Feal President Shows Honor and Respect 🫡🇺🇸🦅💪🏻

    Subscribe and share ➡️➡️ @TrumpSource pic.twitter.com/OYmFVVAkB3
    — Scott McKay ✪ (@ScottMcKay817) August 28, 2024

    Feal (adjective) is archaic, meaning “Faithful, loyal. “; unusual word choice when describing a narcissist for whom loyalty is unidirectional and transactional, and who is literally and clearly faithful and/or loyal only to himself.

  36. 36.

    Baud

    @rikyrah:

    The same thing happened with Obama. The media expected Hillary to be the nominee in 2008 and didn’t have time to create a narrative about Obama. They have even less time here.

  41. 41.

    Villago Delenda Est

    @TBone: Dr. Erik Loomis regularly posts on American labor history on Wonkette; all of his contributions are well worth one’s while.

  42. 42.

    Elizabelle

    @HumboldtBlue:  I don’t know how to use Threadreader, but would like to read Bruce Bartlett’s points.

    Could someone make them available to those of us not on Twitter?  It seems this was first in a series of tweets.  Thank you.

  44. 44.

    Craig

    @HumboldtBlue: that’s Republicans in a nutshell. They want to turn off the lights. They want to go back to the 19th century. Clip that and make a campaign ad. We’re not turning off the lights.

  45. 45.

    Bill Arnold

    @comrade scotts agenda of rage:
    This was the first google hit for me. (Note: links boost search results.)
    VFW Admonishes Former President for Medal of Honor Remarks – The following is a message from VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt (August 16, 2024)
    snippet:

    These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation’s highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty.
    When a candidate to serve as our military’s commander-in-chief so brazenly dismisses the valor and reverence symbolized by the Medal of Honor and those who have earned it, I must question whether they would discharge their responsibilities to our men and women in uniform with the seriousness and discernment necessary for such a powerful position. It is even more disappointing when these comments come from a man who already served in this noble office and should frankly already know better./blockquote>

  48. 48.

    Grampamomai

    @Baud: On the other hand, from photos, it looks like there were uniformed soldiers present to help with the placement of a wreath. Did that happen? If so, who approved it, and why do they still have a job?

  50. 50.

    HumboldtBlue

    @rikyrah:

    I’m getting the impression that the media is ticked off that they’ve not got enough time to “Hillary” Kamala Harris.

    We discussed that right here on this very blog (a full service blog) the day Harris became the nominee, and it’s been a part of the discussion since.

  51. 51.

    Elizabelle

    Steven Cheung saying that the cemetery employee had a mental health episode.

    Wonder if it would work to sue his ass over that one.  It is so cruel, and arguably false.  Maybe the union could do so?

    Cheung is the lowest of the low in Trump spokespeople.  I hope karma hits him hard.

  56. 56.

    Grampamomai

    On the other hand, it appears from photos that there were uniformed soldiers helping to place a wreath. Did that happen? If so, who approved it? Do they still have a job?

  58. 58.

    Papa Boyle

    @Baud: It would not surprise me at all to find out that the staff of the NYT collectively fantasizes about Trump edging them.

    We’re mere hours from them admitting it on the front page, by my considered expert analysis.

  62. 62.

    Elizabelle

    @HumboldtBlue:  It does.  And allows you to try out Threadreader at the bottom.  Very good.

    Love this line:  “It’s not that ordinary people read the Times; they don’t.”

    Again, the problem is the elites.  Captives to whatever the Putz Sulzberger crew yorks up.

  64. 64.

    catclub

    Was it last night or two nights ago this was noted here, and the assumption was the MSM would ignore/bury it ( pun intended).

    They didn’t.  Good.

  65. 65.

    Scout211

    CNN has a few more details.  Apparently, the families of the fallen troops approved the photo op.

    In a post on Truth Social, Trump appeared to suggest the incident stemmed from his campaign’s use of photography, sharing a statement from the family members of the fallen soldiers expressing their approval.

    “We had given our approval for President Trump’s official videographer and photographer to attend the event, ensuring these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured and so we can cherish these memories forever,” the families said.

    But according to a statement from Arlington National Cemetery obtained by CNN, federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries.

    The cemetery said it “reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants” which includes “photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign.”

    Trump’s post came after a report from NPR about a “verbal and physical altercation.” A source with knowledge of the incident told the outlet that a cemetery official attempted to prevent Trump’s team from photographing and filming in the area where recent US casualties are buried. In response, Trump campaign staff “verbally abused and pushed the official aside,” according to NPR.

    Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung disputed claims of a physical altercation, but said an unnamed individual decided to “physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony.”

    So the Trump minions decided that they had approval from the families that day and their approval Trumped* federal law and the dignity of all the other fallen military and their families.

    *SWIDT?

  66. 66.

    sukabi

    @HumboldtBlue: his lower plate was coming out, not fitted correctly… FIXODENT fail…

     

    he probably needs a new set because his jawbone is deteriorating… happens to older folks with dentures.

  67. 67.

    NutmegAgain

    @gene108: Wait till somebody tells him that lots of soldiers from the USCT (U.S. Colored Troops) from the Civil War are buried at Arlington. Thankfully, the orange slime streak was nowhere near their graves.  (And a little bit OT, but that’s a terrific double whammy towards R.E.Lee)

  69. 69.

    jackmac

    My late father, a WWII veteran who actually DID have part of his ear shot off during action in Europe, was an immigrant and so proud of his adopted country that he would stand at attention — even as a civilian — during parades and salute when American flags went by. Dead now for almost 60 years, I’m glad he didn’t have to witness the disrespect shown by Cadet Bone Spurs. I suspect he’d be livid.

  70. 70.

    NutmegAgain

    @Elizabelle: It takes a lot to get through to people who have read the NYT over a lifetime. They’re somehow thinking that it’s the same paper that published the Pentagon Papers. Of course, it’s not.

  71. 71.

    Elizabelle

    The Tea Party weirdos have had signs up in an adjacent county for a long time now : “Remember the 13 fallen heroes.”

    I never before knew what was on their tiny minds.

  73. 73.

    Old School

    @Baud:

    I can’t view TikTok on my phone. Does it show anything?

    It’s video of Trump visiting Arlington – the wreath, visiting graves, mingling with the families.

    The video has nothing to do with Arlington staff trying to stop photographers.

  77. 77.

    Elizabelle

    @NutmegAgain:  And wait til you tell them how Republicans have changed.  I guess it’s a party of moderate centrists with nothing but radical nut jobs somehow grabbing all the attention…. Although not always in the pages of the hallowed Times.

  80. 80.

    Baud

    @skerry:

    I’m sure all of those civility institutes washed up journalists join will be issuing a joint statement any minute now.

  81. 81.

    KatKapCC

    I HATE THEM BOTH SO MUCH

    Editing: by both I mean Trump and Vance, but throw Cheung in there too, although I admit I am impressed he is able to walk and talk while having his head buried deep in Trump’s colon.

  82. 82.

    HumboldtBlue

    DougJ is perfect again.

    Why, in light of our recent ruling, did Arlington National Cemetery employees attempt to apply cemetery rules to President Donald Trump? by John Roberts (joined by Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Barrett, and Kavanaugh)

  86. 86.

    hueyplong

    @Jackie: Cheung can’t release the footage just now because it’s under audit.  But he will, at some undisclosed point in the future.

    If only the park service had a surveillance camera that caught the incident and decided to release it.

    We’ve seen elections be affected by less (tank rides, internet servers, purple band-aids, PABs rioting in suits in a lobby).  I assume the Harris team will know how hard (or whether) to push this.

  89. 89.

    Scout211

    @KatKapCC: throw Cheung in there too, although I admit I am impressed he is able to walk and talk while having his head buried deep in Trump’s colon.

    As I said yesterday, you can tell Steven Cheung is lying if his lips are moving.

    Steven Cheung looks like one of Trump’s bodyguards but he advertises himself as a political consultant.  One who apparently does not care about federal law. Or human decency.

  92. 92.

    Another Scott

    @Belafon: I don’t think that’s the case, at least not for members of the public (who aren’t acting as members of the press).

    ArlingtonCemetary.mil/Vistor-Tips

    ArlingtonCemetary.mil/Photo-Use-Policy

    Media-Policy:

    Photography

    Photography is permitted within the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery. Photographers who are members of news organizations need to make arrangements for a media escort by contacting the ANC Public Affairs Office at 703-614-0024.

    We ask media and cemetery visitors to respect the solemnity of Arlington National Cemetery by refraining from taking pictures of or filming someone who is visibly mourning. Please ask for permission to film or photograph those visiting a gravesite.

    The main thing is, the place is a cemetery. Visitors need to be respectful to the graves and to the people who visit to mourn. Turning it into a campaign prop is crass and disrespectful, and totally normal for TCFFG and his minions. He deserves every bit of criticism he’s getting.

    (My grandpa is buried there.)

    Grr…,
    Scott.

  93. 93.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Ceci n est pas mon nym: ​
     

    Not one person in that entourage had enough normal human emotion to realize that big grins and thumbs up around a soldier’s grave was a bad look.

    Yeah, that’s the part that gets me too. Thumbs up at a grave – are you taking credit for this person’s death, or are you just celebrating it?

    The latter, I expect – ‘I’m glad she died because I can blame her death on Biden,’ that’s Dump in a nutshell here.

  96. 96.

    Chief Oshkosh

    @Villago Delenda Est: About 15 years ago, I attended funeral services for a wonderful person, an outstanding professional colleague, who was the widow of a fallen soldier whose remains were interred in Arlington. She was also laid to rest at Arlington, next to her husband’s remains.  I had never been to Arlington. Some of the words read at the service explained why we were there, in that place; much of the sentiment was about love for and devotion to one another and love for and devotion to country.

    It was a beautiful autumn afternoon, so after the service I walked across the cemetery (I think to get to the Metro stop). I tried to choose paths to avoid visitors who weren’t there for a stroll. It is a terribly beautiful and solemn place.

    It is profoundly disturbing that Trump and his entourage, the lowest examples of what our country has to “offer,” physically bullied their way in and held a political campaign photo-op in that place and over those graves.

  99. 99.

    MattF

    About that image where TFG is grinning and making a ‘thumbs-up’ gesture over a soldier’s grave… There’s a hand on the side of the woman on the far left that doesn’t appear to be attached to anything. So, the image has been altered. At best, someone was removed…

  100. 100.

    Old School

    @MattF: There a woman partially obscured by the other people in the photo.  You can’t see her head, but her body is there.

  101. 101.

    Gretchen

    @Old School: the woman in blue is crying in the video but then takes a smiling photo with thumbs up Trump and she and another woman are both making the white power hand sign.

  102. 102.

    Citizen Alan

    @Steve LaBonne:  What depresses me is that the absolute best case scenario is that Harris wins the White House, we hold the Senate, and we retake the House with huge numbers. And even then, we will still be grappling with the fact that 70 million of our fellow citizens are LITERAL FUCKING NAZIS!

  103. 103.

    Falling Diphthong

    @Baud:

    I expect there is footage, since they were filming for a campaign commercial.

    “Stop criticizing us or we release the footage that would exonerate us” is… maybe not as convincing as it sounded in Cheung’s head.

  104. 104.

    Another Scott

    @MattF: Enlarge the picture.  There’s a woman in a long blue dress , the owner of the disembodied hand, beside her that is almost totally hidden by the blond woman with the tattoo on her right forearm.

    [eta:] Late again…

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  105. 105.

    laura

    @Baud: Yes, the tiktok is a gott damn disgrace. Villago Delenda Est put paid to the matter, but after viewing, I hope he takes a second run at it and dials the outrage up to 11.

  107. 107.

    lowtechcyclist

    @Tony Jay: ​
     

    On the one hand, there’s no downside to making them fail to provide this footage.

    They apparently broke Federal law concerning Arlington Cemetery. The US Attorney with jurisdiction over the cemetery should subpoena that tape.

  109. 109.

    West of the Rockies

    Just picked up and placed our Harris/Walz yard sign and signed up to do 25 postcards.

    Feeling jazzed!  Thinking of re-watching DNC highlights.

  110. 110.

    Gretchen

    @skerry: yes the link works. He’s blaming the loss of the 13 on Harris’ incompetence. He’s also saying the families gave their permission so it’s fine. The questioner didn’t mention that families can’t give permission to violate federal law.

  111. 111.

    KatKapCC

    @Gretchen: “But Officer, it’s okay! I have a checking account at that bank and I gave my cousin permission to rob the whole place.”

  112. 112.

    Old School

    @Gretchen:

    she and another woman are both making the white power hand sign.

    They aren’t making the white power hand sign.  They have the pinkie and index finger raised which has been used in sign language as “I love you” or the University of Texas “Hook ’em Horns”.

  114. 114.

    Steve LaBonne

    @Gretchen: Golly, I wonder who negotiated the withdrawal agreement with the Taliban. Do you suppose the press might deign to divulge that information one of these days?

  124. 124.

    E

    Eight years ago I would’ve been going on about how this is finally the thing that will cause his followers to leave. Now it’s all just depressing.

  125. 125.

    Bill Arnold

    @Gretchen:

    He’s blaming the loss of the 13 on Harris’ incompetence.

    His running mate surrendered to the Taliban in trade for no attacks on US forces in the run-up to the 2020 election.[1] Ceasefires are not a bad thing, but this should not be memory-holed.
    As early as spring 2021 not-yet-Felonious D was bragging that he had tied the hands of the Biden administration re withdrawal from Afghanistan through that 2020 surrender agreement.
    [1] Joint Declaration between the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the United States of America for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan

  131. 131.

    Scout211

    @Falling Diphthong: The original NPR article quoted Cheung saying they had video evidence of their version of the altercation and if NPR didn’t believe their version they would release video evidence. Cheung did not release it. (surprise, surprise).

    My guess is that they really didn’t know or care what the rules or laws were.  And they all consider Trump a president so in their tiny minds they assumed Trump would be seen (in the campaign ads, at least) as presidential and no one would see it as a crass, manipulative, insulting and unpatriotic political move.

    These people are horrible.

  132. 132.

    cain

    Speaking of nuttiness. Gov Abbott is one fucked up asshole. He’s claimed that the border problem is solved. But apparently, problems still abound!

    “Abbott said migrants aren’t just crossing into the state from the river but are coming from other U.S. states such as Arizona and New Mexico.

    He said his state has begun putting razor wire on its borders with those states, to keep migrants and the cartel out of Texas.”

    That’s right, he’s now going to put barbed wire around the state of Texas. #nottheonion

    JFC. I thought it was a joke quote, but nope:

    https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/4851507-texas-border-problem-solved/

  136. 136.

    Scout211

    @Anoniminous: MagaHeads think it was great and a real blow to Biden, thus Harris.

    So sad.  She’ll lose so many MAGA votes.  Whatever will she do?

    /s

  142. 142.

    Jay

    @cain:

    as we well know, ReThug “promises” to the base are hollow.

    On the other hand, fencing off TexAss with concertina wire and the State imposing border controls would be doing TexAss politics a favor.

  145. 145.

    danielx

    @eemom:

    You and millions of others. Either he’ll be buried in an “undisclosed location” or his grave will have to be under twenty four hour guard, lest the bodily waste products accumulation grow unbearable.

  146. 146.

    Jay

    Indeed, the outrageous overinflation of the Walz story was nearly forgotten by Monday morning when the Times, which has bent over backwards to belittle the joy of Kamala Harris’ wildly successful Democratic National Convention in Chicago last week, published an op-ed from the editor of the conservative National Review, Rich Lowry, headlined simply: “Trump Can Win on Character.” Perhaps that’s true, as critics noted, if voters do what Lowry did in his piece and pretend that inconvenient facts like the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection or the fraud verdict had never happened. But while the column was ridiculed on social media, few people said they were giving up on the Times — because in this annus horribilis for the American media, many had already tuned out the NYT weeks or months ago.

    https://www.inquirer.com/columnists/attytood/media-elections-dnc-kamala-harris-military-20240827.html?utm_source=social&utm_campaign=gift_link&utm_medium=referral

    Will Buch rips the Media a new one.

  148. 148.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Scout211: So the Trump minions decided that they had approval from the families that day and their approval Trumped federal law and the dignity of all the other fallen military and their families.

    As though they think federal law applies to them. Trump and his coterie live according to Wilhoit’s Law. Federal law is not meant to constrain the powerful.

    Not even successful prosecution has deterred Trump from this path.

  150. 150.

    Scout211

    @Jay: You mean Ivana (Ivanka’s mother)?

    ETA: Autocorrect kept changing Ivana to Ivanka in my comment.  Autocorrect knows which one is more famous.  LOL

  151. 151.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    This entire thing is beyond sad.  As awful as every (R) president in my lifetime have been, none would have done this.  Any of it, the photos, the statements, none of it.

    The sad thing is, even my Embarassed (R) friends who’ve voted glibertarian since 2016, several of whom are West Point grads, will change their electoral minds even with something like this that insults their honor to the core.

  152. 152.

    sdhays

    @Another Scott: Turning into a campaign prop is disgusting enough, but that was a party. If someone had started playing music from Cats, Trump would have literally danced on their graves.

  155. 155.

    VeniceRiley

    “rent free” – KamalaHQ

    Their comments are excellent.

    In other thoughts, having been lucky enough to be born because my grandpa survived WW1 and my father survived WW2, I disagree with J Divans about who should go to hell, as well as how fast they should go.

  156. 156.

    TBone

    @cain: wtf

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_movement_under_United_States_law

    The court’s establishment of a strong constitutional right to freedom of movement has had far-reaching effects. For example, the Supreme Court overturned state prohibitions on welfare payments to individuals who had not resided within the jurisdiction for at least one year as an impermissible burden on the right to travel in Shapiro v. Thompson, 394 U.S. 618 (1969). The court also struck down one-year residency requirements for voting in state elections in Dunn v. Blumstein, 405 U.S. 330 (1972);

  158. 158.

    Michael Bersin

    SAAC-PAO 18 April 2022
    MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD
    SUBJECT: Media Policy for Army National Military Cemeteries

    [….] Filming or photographing will not be permitted if it conveys the impression that
    cemetery officials or any visitor or family member is endorsing any product, service or
    organization. Additionally, ANC will not authorize any filming for partisan, political or
    fundraising purposes, in accordance with the Hatch Act, 32 CFR 553, and AR 360-1. [….]

    It doesn’t matter who you are or who “invited” you. There is no privilege, reason, or permission possible to turn Arlington National Cemetery into a prop. Ever.

    My father and mother were interred at Arlington in 2019. Even as deeply grieving family we were acutely aware at the time of the place and its somber meaning for all.

    I just can’t…

  162. 162.

    BellaPea

    As I posted previously, this article about Arlington was on my news feed. The WP article had over 14,000 comments, all of the ones I read were universally condemning Dump and were appalled over this disrespect to the military.

    And my husband is a former marine. He is livid that JD Prance would tell a distinguished woman like Kamala, who is the current Vice President of this country, to go to hell.

    The R’s are just disgusting. I’m so fed up with all of it.

  163. 163.

    Another Scott

    @Michael Bersin: Thanks.

    💡 – D’Oh.  Of course the Hatch Act applies – it applies to every federal facility.  That’s a baseline prohibition and should be obvious to anyone who has held federal office who contemplated such a stunt.

    But also we have to remember that TCFFG used the White House as the site of one of his uuge political rallies.  Without consequences.  So why wouldn’t he think that he could use Arlington as a prop??!

    Thanks.

    Grr…,
    Scott.

  165. 165.

    wjca

    @eemom: Someday Dump will be in a grave that can be pissed upon.

    Rather see the body dumped in the ocean.  Like bin Laden, and for the same reason: to not give the cult a pilgrimage site.

  166. 166.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @Scout211: ​Steven Cheung looks like one of Trump’s bodyguards but he advertises himself as a political consultant.

    IMO what he looks like is an obscene cross between Oddjob and a brain-damaged blowhard. No doubt that makes his Secret Service codename Blowjob, in (dis)honor of the services he renders to Orangecandyass on a daily basis.

  167. 167.

    Paul in KY

    @Belafon: I’m glad Mr. Berkwit gave a candid response to that traitourous POS using Arlington!!! as a ‘photo op’ and his MAGA suckers.

    Puke!!!!

  169. 169.

    Paul in KY

    @pacem appellant: Sure hoping they hit some festivals next year. Always a great show. 1st saw them at Bonnaroo in 2011. One of the hottest ones ever. They played on What (main) Stage at about 3 pm. Mr. Meloy wore a brown suit. He stayed in that suit for the whole 1 hour set. Don’t know how he did it.

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