He called them suckers and losers. He refused to visit their fellow fallen, in Europe. But today, with an election coming up, Donald Trump pretends to care about all those who died in service to America.
— VoteVets (@votevets) August 26, 2024
And there you go. Donald Trump is using footage and photos his campaign took at Arlington National Cemetary for political purposes — against the rules and laws that govern this hallowed ground. Arlington officials tried to stop him from politicizing the cemetery, and Trump staff… pic.twitter.com/onpXLO19BG
— VoteVets (@votevets) August 28, 2024
I’m getting a suspicion — maybe it’s wishcasting — that the disgraceful Arlington photo-grab may not actually redound to the GOP’s credit. Maybe there is a bridge too far? Or, at least, maybe TFG’s antics have finally passed their sell-by date?…
"That is sacred ground and the idea that any candidate of any party would, intentionally or unintentionally, use that sacred ground as a prop for a political campaign is beyond condemnation." @mikebarnicle on a picture of Trump posing with thumbs up at Arlington National Cemetery pic.twitter.com/saQPyPAKN5
— Morning Joe (@Morning_Joe) August 28, 2024
Charles P. Pierce, at Esquire: How The Hell Was Trump Allowed To Use Arlington National Cemetery As A Campaign Prop?:
… [T]he sun was out and shining as this third-generation draft dodger pretended to care about the soldiers who were suckers and losers enough to get killed during the United States’ withdrawal from its Afghanistan adventure. How in the hell this was allowed to happen is beyond me. Arlington is the country’s “most hallowed ground.” (Just ask the tour guides.) Arlington is profaned by his presence on just an average day. But to allow itself to be used for the purpose propping up one of the Republican Party’s most noxious half-truths—as promulgated by its most noxious elements personified by its most noxious candidate—is an insult to the over 400 Medal of Honor awardees buried there…
It will be argued that the former president* was invited to the Monday ceremony by some family members of the slain soldiers, and that’s good as far as it goes, which isn’t very far because, as sure as Mar-a-Lago‘s in hock, they will get nothing in return from this appearance. The man is a black hole of entitlement and of an emotional greed that runs as deeply in him as his lust for money. If the families found a kind of peace in his presence on Monday, I respect that and I hope it brings them solace. But as a citizen of the United States, and therefore someone with a stake in places like Arlington, I choose to look upon his presence there as obscene.
Answer, of course: He wasn’t. But the rules don’t apply to the GOP, not while they can get away with breaking them.
— Wu Tang is for the Children (@WUTangKids) August 28, 2024
So the video is bad, huh? https://t.co/DsijnAWfle
— zeddy (@Zeddary) August 28, 2024
They're always reactive, they never try to get ahead of something. So…why are they putting in the effort?
— zeddy (@Zeddary) August 28, 2024
file that alongside "J6 was a group tour of the Capitol Building that went a little awry".
— Steve Townsend (@SteveTownsend0) August 28, 2024
Absolutely vile stuff, but it's par for the course with Trump and his team. He's the guy who stood in that same Section 60 and told a father of a fallen Marine, "I don't get it. What was in it for them?" https://t.co/wTeLqgSeeV
— Jim Messina (@Messina2012) August 27, 2024
2/ cementery staff trying to enforce this meant to keep American military dead from becoming props in political ads. When do we get to see the report? Which Trump staffers desecrated the space by attacking a staffer trying to maintain the dignity of the cemetery and uphold the…
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) August 28, 2024
I mean this pretty much confirms the NPR story. Pretty clear officials tried to stop campaign people from recording or taking pictures. Trump people are painting this as Arlington officials "acting disgracefully". https://t.co/uxWMLP9S2e
— Fleet (now on BlueSky) (@fleetadmiralj) August 28, 2024
Learned more about the story of this photo and now I'm mad.
This was taken today at Arlington National Cemetery. The grave belongs to Sgt Nicole Leeann Gee, USMC. She was among the 13 US service members killed in a suicide bombing during the Afghan withdrawal 3 yrs ago. 1/ pic.twitter.com/ZBRye5qa3A
— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) August 26, 2024
Donald Trump is directly responsible for her death.
When negotiating the Afghanistan withdrawal, he deliberately cut out the Afghan government in Kabul we had been supporting for 20 years.
Instead, he negotiated exclusively with the Taliban. The enemy. 2/
Without any input from Kabul or our other partners in the theater, he released 5,000 Taliban, al Qaida, and affiliated fighters, criminals, and terrorists from prison because the Taliban told him to, swelling their combat force in the months before the withdrawal. 3/
When the Pentagon told Trump they would need a bare minimum security force of 4,000 troops to ensure a safe, orderly withdrawal from the country, Trump overrode his military advisors and slashed the number of remaining deployed troops to just 2,500. Sgt Gee among them. 4/
Trump did all of this in the waning months of his time in office, much of it after losing the election, to sabotage the situation and leave a boobytrap for Joe Biden to inherent. Three years ago today, that trap went off, costing 13 service members their lives. 5/
The people standing there with Trump are Sgt. Gee’s family. Publicly celebrating the man responsible for killing their daughter, sister, cousin… this is how personality cults poison people’s minds and warp their souls.
This disgusting display should shock the conscience. 6/6
A handy breakdown of all the ways Trump deliberately, maliciously sabotaged the Afghanistan withdrawal and murdered Sgt. Gee. pic.twitter.com/r8KDE36NBD
— Patrick S. Tomlinson (@stealthygeek) August 26, 2024
"We violated protocol because we felt allowing a political photo op for a draft dodger was more important than respecting the other fallen soldiers interred at Arlington National Cemetery" https://t.co/aqKZfPfPPF
— Ragnarok Lobster 🐺 (@eclecticbrotha) August 28, 2024
Caputo remains a hack. The way he wrote this it seems like some official organization issued a statement.
No.
It was a statement from the families of two soldiers. Who because of their own personal ideologies violated the rules & laws of one of our nations most sacred sites https://t.co/5vuLe4t0Xn
— Dana Houle (@DanaHoule) August 28, 2024
TBone
Has official Gold Star Families responded? Inquiring minds …
Ken B
This a scandal so simple and so disgusting that even the elite minds of the political press can grasp it.
Gretchen
Some report that the staff member they assaulted was female. Imagine a woman telling Corey Lewandowski not to do something.
Baud
“I can’t believe Benghazi mom 2.0 isn’t working.” /Trump
lollipopguild
Everything, place and or person exists so that trumpenshit can use it for a photo op. Nothing will change with him until enough people vote him out of public life.
SatanicPanic
That thumbs up is just fucking crazy. Weird and creepy.
TBone
@TBone: never mind! Ugh!
There was a whole RNC thing:
https://www.politifact.com/article/2024/jul/18/families-of-13-fallen-us-service-members-emotional/
HumboldtBlue
If I’m the family of any of the other veterans buried, not just in the immediate vicinity, but the section and the whole damn cemetery, I’m fucking suing. They broke a federal law and used my daughter/son/father/etc in their campaign… etc.
And speaking of more GOP bullshit:
Gin & Tonic
It won’t stick. Nothing ever sticks. There is no bridge too far.
dmsilev
@Ken B: I feel that the elite media will rise to your implicit challenge and figure out how to downplay or ignore it.
OK, in fairness it is getting a lot of exposure as a straight news story right now. Let’s see what happens once the pundits and “analysts” start to opine.
chris green
They’ll put out that footage at the same time they release the flight plans for trump’s imaginary helicopter ride w/ Willy Brown and when trump has that promised press conference where he gives his opinion on the florida abortion referendum.
TBone
@HumboldtBlue: I would forward that subpoena to Gym Jordan.
MagdaInBlack
@Gin & Tonic: I’m thinking the same.
Old School
I give my approval to anyone who wants to kick Marc Caputo while wearing steel-toed shoes.
Scout211
This was a good opinion piece in The Nation.
A very satisfying read. A few snippets:
. . .
KatKapCC
Because as Jeff Tiedrich likes to say, Donny is a Very Special Boy who is allowed to do whatever he wants, whenever he wants, to whomever he wants.
Comrade Scrutinizer
Were some of the women in that photo flashing white power signs?
japa21
@Comrade Scrutinizer: No
Attapooch
@SatanicPanic: I’ll see you and raise.
https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/president-trump-smiles-gives-thumbs-up-in-photo-with-baby-orphaned-in-el-paso-massacre
bbleh
@Gin & Tonic: You’re right, because most of the incentives for the MSM are for it NOT to stick.
He brazenly violated the rules, but that’s just what he does. He disrespected veterans who gave their lives in service, but he’s done this before. His behavior was weird and inappropriate, but that’s just who he is. He and his staff are lying, but that’s just politics. And they’re doubling and tripling down on their lies because they expect their followers to back them, and they will.
None of this is NEWS, you see. It would be … well, BORING, not to mention OBVIOUSLY un-Savvy, even to bother to mention it!
Also, just letting it slide avoids a lot of hate-mail from the crazies, and what editor wants to deal with that, amirite? Plus then some of them cancel their subscriptions, and the business people start yelling. And maybe even the publisher sticks his nose in the office and mentions some remarks at a recent dinner party that he would PREFER hadn’t been made, and, well …
White & Gold Purgatorian
Ok smart jackals, what is the meaning of the hand sign three of those female family members are making in that photo. Looks like pinky and index fingers up, others clenched. Two of the women are kind of low key with it, but the one next to Trump clearly wants to be seen holding her hand up. Are they from Texas? I remember the UT folks used to do something like that but it doesn’t seem appropriate in a cemetery. Not that any of this was.
steve g
One of Trump’s favorite ploys these days is to act as if he is some sort of government official, or really I guess still the president, and that he is doing something official. He is in fact a private citizen right now, who is running for an office.
banditqueen
Yes–he was warned but he went ahead and did what he wanted anyway–consequeces schmonsequences he says, “whatever, I do what I want”. At best the follow up reporting will be piecemeal.
bbleh
@White & Gold Purgatorian: Hell THEY may not know. Or it may be Texas Longhorns, or some weird Qanon or White Power thing.
They are children. They are misbehaving and LOVING it. And their God-King has given them permission to do it. The end.
Steve LaBonne
I’ve been waiting since the 2016 primaries for something, anything, to stick to Teflon Don. I’m not particularly optimistic that this will be it.
KatKapCC
@Gin & Tonic: He could have dropped trou and taken a dump on the grave and the NYT would explain it as an atypical commentary on the horrors of war or something.
JoyceH
I hope the press is submitting the FOIA requests to get copies of the report cemetery people filed, and particularly demanding the name(s) of Trump campaign officials involved in the physical altercation. Since Lewindowski was there, overwhelming presumption that he was involved in any violence.
HumboldtBlue
@Scout211:
This is why folks are firm in their convictions none of this will stick.
matt
You know, all of this ‘Harris slept her way to the top’ stuff has me asking questions about female Republican politicians and staff. People make theories based on their own experiences.
KatKapCC
@White & Gold Purgatorian: TBH it looks like she meant to do the “I love you” sign but accidentally did devil horns.
Wombat Probability Cloud
@Comrade Scrutinizer: Certainly appears so. Classy, eh?
matt
Just what, 2 weeks after they tried to Swift Boat Walz.
lamh47
Of course it tracks that it was a female employee that the chump co assaulted
matt
@chris green: it will show Cheung manhandling some woman in uniform who works for the cemetary. Cannot be released to the public.
LadySuzy
I wish this latest disgraceful photo-up would convince General Kelley to go in front of the cameras and repeat, on national tv, all the stories about Trump not respecting the military. Oh… the devastating ads that the Harris campaign could do with this footage…
Come on General Kelley… do it for your country, do it for your beloved son.
Jackie
@Attapooch: I was also reminded of that horrible display after the El Paso massacre. The two photos are eerily similar.
The Audacity of Krope
@Attapooch: One pose for all occasions.
JoyceH
@matt: A distinct possibility. Decades ago there was a far right congresswoman and friend of militias named Helen Chenowith who was famously dense. Some anonymous wag said that “Helen is proof that it really is possible to f*** your brains out.”
SW
How far is too far? So far, the answer has been disappointing
White & Gold Purgatorian
@bbleh: Well, I don’t like to criticize a Gold Star family, and they are free to make their own decisions about how to behave at their relative’s grave, but this photo sure reinforces the idea that Trump and his supporters are pretty damned weird.
Thank you Tim Walz, “weird” is perfect for these folks.
JoyceH
@lamh47: oh the employee was female? Odds on the staffer being Lewindowsky just increased substantially.
matt
@JoyceH: There’s also the story of the Republican sex party that got Madison Cawthorn thrown out of Congress with great force. What exactly goes on?
Ishiyama
Can’t we arrest Trump for heresy and sacrilege? Justice Alito probably believes those should be punishable by law.
The Audacity of Krope
That tracks. Very stable geniuses elude the law.
KatKapCC
@SW: If it’s a Democrat, it’s one inch. If it’s a Republican, it’s a light year.
hueyplong
@Ishiyama: And, of course, heresy is punishable by death.
SatanicPanic
@Attapooch: what the fuck man. Seriously what the fuck.
what in the fuck
fuck
Steve LaBonne
@White & Gold Purgatorian: They are not free to make their own decisions about what happens, against Arlington policy and Federal law, next to the graves of OTHER families’ loved ones.
SatanicPanic
@chris green: the footage is being audited right now
hueyplong
Team Trump at least initially acts like it wants a protracted war on this. Sometimes both armies kind of stumble into each other and pretty soon it’s Gettysburg.
Baud
At least now we know what the first question will be about in Kamala’s CNN interview.
oldgold
They never stick because before they can adhere, he is on the next one.
For instance, after the disastrous press conference where he claimed to have had a crash helicopter landing with Willie Brown, then when called on it, threatened to sue the NYT saying he had documentary proof, he then got into the Medal of Honor controversy and the Willie Brown story went down the rabbit hole.
It happens over and over.
Jackie
The photo taken wasn’t even of the grave of one of the Abby Gate fallen.
I hope the family follows up and presses charges.
Harrison Wesley
So now Gold Star Families are just another Trump grift, like gold sneakers? Gold toilets? What’s next?
Steve LaBonne
@Harrison Wesley: Donald Trump is the world champion user. Everyone and everything exists solely to line his pockets and boost his ego.
Sally
I haven’t read the comments yet, but as I understand it, what they did is illegal. A crime. So CHARGE HIM!!!. (screaming into the void)
The Audacity of Krope
Upon which the situation gets twisted so now Harris is using dead soldiers as props. “Is answering the question posed to you as bad as Trump’s initial act?”
The question will be posed somewhat more artfully.
danielx
Campaign managers probably realize that Team Trump stepped in shit with this one but the Toddler in Chief will never admit it, so they have to make bricks with straw and aforementioned shit.
And yes, he is losing his shit.
The Thin Black Duke
Maybe I’m wrong, but I think it was also a fucking selfish thing that the family did, which, I suppose is what is the essence of Trumpism: IGMFY. Who cares what other families think about the cemetery and what it stands for being dishonored for a dumb and contemptible reality TV scripted moment? Nobody else matters. Donald Trump wouldn’t exist without these people.
raven
@Gin & Tonic: Roger that shit.
Steve LaBonne
@The Thin Black Duke: You’re not wrong.
Bill Arnold
@HumboldtBlue:
Re the Thumbs Up photo(s!), the person on the left is standing on the grave of Master Sgt. Andrew Christian Marckesano, who “served six full tours in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne and the Ranger regiment and a half dozen more combat tours overseas. He rose to become a decorated Green Beret and a Silver Star recipient.” He killed himself in 2020, during Trump’s administration.
Via Ghouls Just Want To Have Fun At Arlington National Cemetery – The Trump campaign’s latest low is six feet under. (Wonkette, Marcie Jones, Aug 28, 2024), which has a high-res photo.
Belafon
Here’s the ad: https://twitter.com/glamelegance/status/1828841897257001337
Trivia Man
@chris green: before or after he releases tax returns?
raven
If it gets intense he’ll just throw some flunky under the bus. It don’t mean nuthin.
lamh47
Ugh…I’m beyond disgusted and sad and angry for the female employee. I can’t blame her for being afraid of violence.
https://x.com/maggieNYT/status/1828951632299590123
Lyrebird
@lamh47:
Ah, I was figuring it was a person of color, and that is still possible, but yes this tracks… a person in a category the MAGA crew feel entitled to trample on anytime anywhere. Foul.
The Audacity of Krope
Is this one of those ancient thoughts experiments?
raven
@lamh47: That’s bullshit, and individual doesn’t need to “press charges” for a federal offense.
HumboldtBlue
@Bill Arnold:
Yeah, I read that piece on Marckesano, been spreading it on social media, the fucking ghouls.
Geoduck
Re: the hand-signs a couple of the group are making. It appears to be a tribute to the deceased Marine in question, Sgt. Nicole Leeann Gee. Her memorial picture has her displaying it. What it meant to her, I don’t know.
stinger
@White & Gold Purgatorian:
Not when they are breaking the law or the Cemetery’s regulations. And they can’t give “approval” for anyone else to break the law, either.
lamh47
@Lyrebird: TBH, I also have a feeling it might be a woman of color. but regardless, I just want someone to advocate for her cause like you said, imagine just doing ur job and being harrassed enough to actually file a report!
banditqueen
@lamh47: And it’s never just the person directly involved who’s targeted--they go after the whole family.
The Pale Scot
They sure as hell don’t look like Ozzie fans.
This needs to be pointed out. Maybe the deceased was a Heavy Metal fan, but it would be irresponsible not to speculate
sdhays
@Belafon: How is that compelling? It ends with him posing and smiling. Drips with insincerity, and if you aren’t already in the bubble, you don’t even know what the fuck he’s talking about.
Also – he’s still running against Joe Biden. The Joe Biden who took the massive political hit to pull the plug on the multi decade disaster particularly set up by his predecessor’s self-serving deal with the Taliban.
Gretchen
@JoyceH: Josh Marshall is asking when we get to see the report so I assume that TPM filed a FOIA.
Falling Diphthong
The legs might come from that photo with the shit-eating grins and big thumbs up. (This afternoon, WaPo and NYT both had the story up, but without that shit-eating photo.)
If I stood on Trump’s grave in that pose, no one would say I was solemnly showing my respect for him.
I believe that if the media tide turns against Trump, it will be a sudden tsunami. Eventually you can’t hold up “Trump focuses on policy” when the competition is going with “dotard rambles.”
Falling Diphthong
Saw a very simple and elegant theory today: Trump doesn’t expect to win at the ballot box, and doesn’t think he has to, because he believes the fix is in for him. He’s just more willing to share that unfiltered thought than his staff would like.
sdhays
@The Pale Scot: These people are celebrating the death of the deceased. That dead body they’re stomping on is their ticket to meet Shitler, and they are on cloud nine. Who the deceased was or would have wanted clearly could not be further from their minds.
Wretched people.
Jeffro
It’s amazing that it took a 3- or 4-circle Venn diagram ‘confluence’ to finally get the press to sit up and pay att…oh, who am I kidding, if we hadn’t raised a stink, the snooze media would have kept right on ignoring every fucking disgusting thing this cretin and his goons do.
But just to recap:
So – it took 4 of these elements to come together, just to produce something that lasts beyond 1 news cycle. I’ll take it, it’s a start, but jeebus, get your shit together media types
eclare
@Gretchen:
Thanks for the info!
eclare
@sdhays:
1000%. Wretched.
sdhays
@matt: It makes me wonder how many times JD had to boink Mushroom Don to get the VP position.
Every accusation….
lamh47
@Jeffro: the fact that it was enough to file an actual police report!
Dafuq! Like I said mostly, I’m really angry for the female ANC staffer who was the one assaulted.
And ya got that “couch-fuq’n” bastard gaslighting her and talking about her “mental issues”…da fuq’er.
Princess
@Bill Arnold: I realize this is the least of it but the family (ies?) are mostly dressed like such slobs. Shorts and a backwards baseball cap? And the kids. That is also disrespectful, to me.
Gretchen
@Geoduck: She didn’t appear to have any connection to Texas so it seems unlikely that it was a Texas Longhorns sign.
White & Gold Purgatorian
@Geoduck:
Thank you for that explanation.
@stinger:
I don’t disagree. My comment was really directed at the behavior of the family as depicted in the photo. That is, big smiles and weird hand gestures. The photo op itself was absolutely wrong. I am inclined to lay the blame for that on the Trump campaign since it was almost certainly a campaign photographer and the candidate is prominently displayed. But the family knew and condoned, no doubt.
Jeffro
I’ve been thinking lately that we should have just stuck to shaming and belittling his followers, only even more loudly and publicly.
Drive his support down to the Fox-supported 40%. Why not? Very little else has worked. These people should have been paying a bigger price all along.
Jeffro
@oldgold:
So true. The only way to fight it is to widen everyone’s lens, point out that they just keep piling on corruption after corruption, so that we can no longer pick any one thing…because there’s the next thing.
And note: “So…what does that say about them?”
(see also: Putin’s ‘firehose of falsehood’)
sdhays
@eclare: I expect awfulness from Trump and his minions, but I’m genuinely shocked by the depravity on display by people that supposedly loved the deceased. Like, they don’t even have the sense that being in a cemetery making a point about how sad you supposedly are about your relative’s death might not be the place for big smiles.
The term “soulless” was invented to describe these people. Utterly depraved, even by Republican standards (because the deceased is a relative).
Jay
@White & Gold Purgatorian:
The families are big MAGA supporters, were at the RNC and have publically spouted MAGA BS. about the Afghan withdrawl and Biden.
Apparently they contacted the 34 Felonies Rapist Pedo guy’s campaign about the chance for a photo op.
Sick Fucks and weird.
Jeffro
@danielx: I know there’s an outside chance…but given stuff like this, there’s at least a chance that he’ll slip and go too far and outright call for violence against X person or institution.
And get charged for that, too.
Remember, we have NFLTG Dark Brandon – with full immunity! – here.
Lyrebird
Absolutely. Took courage and conviction even to do her job that day… and if she hadn’t, the ad woulda come out first before anyone else knew of the profound and crass disrespect…
Sounds like ONE person in the situation actually took honor and law and respect for the fallen seriously.
sdhays
@White & Gold Purgatorian: They gathered around the grave like it was a big old party photo! It’s the grave being there that takes it beyond the normal level of Trump-loving assholery.
White & Gold Purgatorian
@Gretchen: As noted by
@KatKapCC: at comment #30, the woman next to Trump might have been trying for “I love you” in ASL but messed up and did “devil’s horns.” That prompted me to look up similar ASL signs and the woman on the left might be saying “bullshit.” Notice her palm is facing inward which distinguishes that from the devil’s horns or “rock on” symbol.
The confusion of signs among the family probably means it is just their way of connecting to the fallen soldier, as someone commented above, rather than an attempt at a coherent message. The resemblance to ASL or any other symbol is a coincidence. I still think it is slightly weird, as is the photo.
sdhays
@sdhays: I’m repeating myself, but I think it’s a useful point. The family here is the American equivalent of the Russian mothers thrilled that their sons have been killed in Ukraine so that they can buy a new iPhone with the meager government compensation.
Horrifying, soulless excuses for humans.
White & Gold Purgatorian
Amen.
BretH
@The Thin Black Duke:
This is the Truth.
Baud
@Jeffro:
Just don’t call them deplorable.
White & Gold Purgatorian
@sdhays: They are also kind of standing on a couple of other graves to get in the picture. I’m squeamish, but always try to avoid walking on graves at the cemetery. And the names of several other soldiers are clearly visible which seems disrespectful in and of itself. There are good reasons to prohibit this kind of imagery in sacred places. Trump doesn’t care for any of that, but many regular people will be bothered by it, if the story is widely reported.
wjca
But despicable is probably closer anyway.
TBone
Pink Kamala Harris campaign signs spark neighbor spat! 😆
Guess who won?
https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2024/08/28/pink-kamala-harris-yard-signs-get-complaints/74973758007/
hueyplong
I’d guess the “declined to press charges” was about assault and not the violation of park rules. I’d also guess the vagueness in the report on that point is intentional.
The Audacity of Krope
@White & Gold Purgatorian: I do wonder whether/when the family knew what they were doing with Trump was illegal.
I can see family celebrating family and wanting a photo memorial with their 🤮 favorite President and being, otherwise, oblivious. I mean…
Or were they looking for their day of impunity? Or try to help Trump seize one?
Jay
@The Audacity of Krope:
They wanted to be infamous for more than one day so their side MAGA frauding would be sustained.
The Audacity of Krope
Obligatory.
The Audacity of Krope
@Jay: The Wingnutosphere really is the grift that keeps on grifting.
Bupalos
@Gin & Tonic: That depends on us.
You insisting that we’re powerless is part of their power
And stuff has stuck. We’re even odds to win this election because stuff has stuck. Because some people took risks and made some of it stick.
sdhays
@The Audacity of Krope: You don’t put on a shiteating grin for a family memorial photo. You don’t even need to look sad. Just…solemn. Respectful.
I typically don’t get in too much for going after non-politicians, but these people…
Bupalos
Honestly I think you just run that photo with the caption “I approve this message” and even outside the hullaballoo, it’s a win for team D.
What kind of fuckstick gives a thumbs-up over the grave of someone they’re supposedly trying to honor?
Jackie
@Bupalos: I assume that’s a rhetorical question?
The Audacity of Krope
@sdhays: Well, right, but it’s the family I worry about. I can honestly see being happy to visit with the President and throwing up hand signs for an old joke with your lost loved ones. People deal with grief differently and celebration is valid. I see smiles on their faces too, if not so awkward.
But if they didn’t know what they were being led into, Trump really just brought them infamy they’ll have a hard time living down. Or, maybe, empowered the weird aspirations of one of them.
comrade scotts agenda of rage
Felonious D thinks it won’t stick. This kind of thing is totally in keeping with his standing in the middle of 5th Ave and shoot someone and not face any consequences.
It’s Daffy Duck walking away from the genie saying “Consequences, shomonsequences, as long as I’m rich”.
Too bad we don’t have a genie that can zap him and turn him into a 6″ tall smidgen of himself.
Sure, our Failed Corporate Political Media Corpse won’t do much with this but that doesn’t mean we don’t run $10m of campaign ads highlighting it.
wjca
That was absolutely the sound in my head as I typed it. :-)
...now I try to be amused
Charlotte Clymer wrote about her time in the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment, the guardians of Arlington National Cemetery. This bit really got my attention:
(Emphasis mine.)
espierce
@LadySuzy:
So you’re recommending that General Kelly politicize the death of his son so we can win a round?
Really? GTFOH
Jay
@The Audacity of Krope:
They are all MAGAggots. They attended the RNC and blamed Biden for Afghanistan, lied about it, ( all of it) lied about the Biden Admin’s outreach to them, lied about funeral costs, ( and suckered fellow MAGAggots out of money in a GoFund Me) and knob slobbered the 34 Felonies Rapist Pedo Guy as the GOAT.
Of course they are smiling and tossing gang signs. Their Sister’s death and their lies have brought them that precious 15 minutes of National MAGAggot’s infamy.
wjca
I didn’t read it that way at all. I thought she was recommending that, in memorium but without mentioning his son, he step up and discuss what he witnessed. Nothing more. No reason to bring his son into his reporting.
Ruckus
@bbleh:
He disrespected ALL veterans. As he always does. As he’s done his entire fucking life. Just so you know, I’m a veteran from during the Vietnam war, one who hates war with a passion and I volunteered. I am a very few years younger than him, you don’t even need all the fingers from one hand to count those years. shitforbrains is the worst of the worst in so many ways that he can’t even count that high. He is far, far, far worse than just useless fuck. He works at being a fucking asshole. And it’s the only thing he’s good at.
evodevo
@The Audacity of Krope: Remember: that woman shot while breaking into the House Chamber on Jan6 was a military vet AND a rabid MAGAt…not unusual for ex-military and their families
Paul in KY
@…now I try to be amused: A childhood friend of mine was a member of the Old Guard and walked the walk guarding the tomb. He later went thru OCS and was a decorated major at an embassy when he was tragically killed in a mountain climbing accident.
RIP, KM. He was a very driven person.