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It’s a shame that Donald Trump, during his presidency, surrounded himself with people he considered “dumb.” In 2020, for example, the Republican described former White House National Security Advisor John Bolton as “one of the dumbest people I’ve met in government and sadly, I’ve met plenty.”
The former president apparently had similar assessments of U.S. military leaders — some of whom he personally appointed to key leadership posts.
At his latest campaign stop in Iowa, for example, Trump marveled at the fact that some U.S. military officials believed it was cost-effective to leave old equipment in Afghanistan, rather than trying to relocate it. He expressed his incredulity to voters this way:
“I don’t want to tell you what I had to go through with these people. Some of the dumbest people I’ve ever met in my life.”
Members of his audience in Iowa apparently found this worthy of applause.
Trump didn’t go into a lot of detail as to who “these people” referred to, though he specifically referenced retired Gen. Mark Milley, whom the Republican appointed to serve as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Rhetoric like this stands out in large part because it’s so unusual: In American politics, there tends to be an expectation that elected leaders and candidates will treat the military with respect. It’s difficult to think of a national figure from recent history who would feel comfortable publicly deriding his or her own country’s military leaders as “some of the dumbest people I’ve ever met in my life.”
But it’s also notable with regard to Trump because of the Republican’s lengthy record.
While in office, for example, the then-president reportedly lashed out at generals as “a bunch of dopes and babies,” while publicly going on the offensive against his own former Defense secretary, retired Gen. James Mattis — whom he accused of acting like a “Democrat” for questioning the White House’s less-defensible national security moves.
He also reportedly disparaged wounded veterans, referred to soldiers missing in action as “losers,” blamed military leaders for failed missions he approved, and even downplayed the importance of troops with traumatic brain injuries, which prompted a request for an apology from the Veterans of Foreign Wars — an appeal he ignored.
It’s probably worth re-emphasizing that Trump, who pointed to “bone spurs” to dodge the draft, isn’t required to respect military service. If he wants to disparage those who wear the uniform or denigrate their sacrifices, I find it bizarre, but that’s his business. It’s a free country — so free that he can take cheap shots at “these people” if he wants to. In the United States, even presidents, former presidents, and presidential candidates can insult servicemembers and veterans.
But the next time the Republican hugs a flag or presents himself as “pro-military,” keep these details in mind.
This post updates our related earlier coverage.