Trump Has An Instinctual Disrespect— If Not Loathing— For People Who Enlist In The Military

Trump Has Always Confused Service And Self-Serving

“Semper Fidelis” by Nancy Ohanian

Trump's repulsive and consistent disrespect for enlisted service members and veterans is part of his more overall disregard for the working-class and for institutions that represent collective values over personal gain. His ugly little event at his elite country club in Bedminster on Thursday was just another hideous example of his one-dimensional transactional worldview, where value is measured by wealth, power and appearance, rather than sacrifice, duty or communal responsibility. His denigration of the military reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of and contempt for the principles of service and sacrifice, which, ironically, are often central to the identities of the base of his MAGA supporters.

Conservative Republican William Kristol was aghast at the way Trump instinctually sneered at veterans again. He was effusively introduced by Israeli whore Miriam Adelson. “Trump,” wrote Kristol, “returned the favor by effusively praising Adelson, as one does when introduced by a megadonor. Indeed, Trump noted that he had awarded Adelson the Medal of Freedom at the White House in 2018. That’s an award that has been given since 1963 by presidents to honor a wide variety of individuals who have contributed to the ‘interests of the United States,’ or ‘world peace’ or other cultural or ‘significant public or private endeavors.’” In this case, Trump, unable to distinguish between his personal interests and the country’s interests, was working to please her billionaire husband, worldwide criminal gambling figure Sheldon Adelson.

“Trump characterized it as ‘the highest award you can get as a civilian,’ by which I guess he meant it’s the highest award given by a president to a civilian,” explained Kristol. “Fine. But Trump then went on to say that ‘it’s the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor’ (the Medal of Honor is sometimes mistakenly called the Congressional Medal of Honor). More than 600 individuals have received the Medal of Freedom. Many have been worthy recipients. I was proud to attend the White House ceremony in July 2002 when my father [far right polemicist] was honored, as one of an impressive group of recipients ranging from Hank Aaron [baseball player] to Placido Domingo [Spanish opera singer] to Fred Rogers [kiddie TV’s “Mister Rogers”]. It was a memorable day, and a moving one. ‘Each of these men and women has enriched the life of America and the world,’ President Bush said at that ceremony. And so they had. But I’m confident that none of them— none— thought their award was in any way equivalent to the Medal of Honor.”

<b>

The Medal of Honor is the highest military honor the United States can bestow. It is awarded to a member of the military who has distinguished “himself conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”

… But Trump didn’t stop with the untenable claim that the Medal of Freedom was the equivalent of the Medal of Honor.

No, he continued, the Medal of Freedom is “actually much better” than the Medal of Honor, he said.

Why?

“Because everyone [who] gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, they’re soldiers. They’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead. She gets it, and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman, and they’re rated equal, but she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”

What can one say?

One can say— again— that Trump is a vulgar, thoughtless, and awful man.

One can also point out this isn’t the first time Trump has denigrated military service. In 2015, he attacked John McCain for having been a prisoner of war. Later, while serving as president, Trump called America’s war dead “suckers” and “losers.” Now he denigrates Medal of Honor recipients because some are deceased or injured.

While Trump— and the weirdo he picked as his running mate— work to denigrate the 24 years of service Tim Walz put into the military, the former commander-in-chief’s comments about the Medal of Honor recipients— essentially reducing their sacrifices to their physical condition— are indicative of a worldview that prizes personal success over collective heroism. This disdain for those who enlist is consistent with his broader patterns of behavior: from dodging the draft during Vietnam to refusing to visit military cemeteries. This attitude, also highlights the hypocrisy in the right-wing's supposed “pro-military” stance, as Trump, their cult leader, repeatedly disrespects the very people they claim to champion.

As anyone who isn’t reading DWT for the first time today already knows, Trump's elitism isn't just a character flaw— it's a reflection of his fundamental disconnect from the values that ordinary Americans— the ones who built this country and continue to make it great— hold dear, including, of course, those who have served in the military. Many of the men and women who enlist do so out of a sense of duty, often sacrificing their own safety and well-being for the greater good. But in Trump's eyes, this sense of service is alien, almost incomprehensible. His comments comparing the Medal of Freedom to the Medal of Honor reveal a deep-seated disdain for those who don't measure success by wealth or celebrity, but by the quiet dignity of service and sacrifice. From dodging the draft to insulting John McCain’s service and Tim Walz’s service and Gold Star families’ sacrifices, Trump has consistently shown that he views military service as beneath him— something for “suckers” and “losers.” This elitist contempt isn't just offensive; it's dangerous. It undermines the respect and honor that veterans and active-duty service members deserve, sending a message that their sacrifices are meaningless in the face of wealth and privilege. In doing so, Trump has long betrayed the very people who put their lives on the line for this country, exposing the hollowness of his bullshit version of warped “patriotism.”

Never forget, Trump doesn't stand for the working-class values he claims to champion. He’s a man who values wealth and has no concept of honor, and values personal gain over sacrifice and appearance over integrity. For those who believe in the dignity of service, His words Thursday weren’t just offensive; they were a direct assault on the very ideals that make our military, and our nation, strong.

UPDATE From The Veterans of Foreign Wars

In a press release, the VFW noted that “Trump spoke at an event where he made some flippant remarks about the Medal of Honor and the heroes who have received it… 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. While the Presidential Medal of Freedom maybe our nation’s highest civilian award, the Medal of Honor is more sacred as it represents the gallantry and intrepidity of courageous and selfless service members, often at the cost of grievous wounds and even their lives.”

They reminded Señor T that it’s because of America's Medal of Honor recipients that anti-American schmucks like Miriam Adelson, in her case an agent of a foreign power who should be deported back to her homeland, have the freedom to live to their fullest potential.