If Trump's support among the military is slipping, it's probably because he is the embodiment of several of the character traits that service members hold most in contempt. https://twitter.com/AVindman/status/1300533875911921665

But first, I want to say that I normally prefer not to discuss this because the question "which candidate does the military support?" is not something I easily associate with free, democratic countries.

But neither is much else going on now, like the President using a poorly-trained and unaccountable police force like he has in Portland.

So here we are.

For one thing - forgive my language - Trump is a shitbird. A shitbird is a service member who chronically underperforms and shows no interest in or capacity for self-improvement. He has excuses for his failures, though they rarely work because his superiors call him out on them,

and unless he makes a huge effort to turn himself around - requiring work and humility - the shitbird eventually settles into a constant baseline of bitterness at everyone who expects better of him.

Nobody wants a shitbird as a peer or even a subordinate, and it's usually possible for the command to give them enough negative counselings to stop them getting promoted.

Second, Trump is a blue falcon. You can google the term if you want its etymology ;)

A blue falcon is one who screws over people on his own team, usually through incompetence, selfishness, or spite.

It's less obvious than his status as a shitbird, but that Trump is a blue falcon can be seen in the way he has often left his own loyal people out to dry. Letting them make public statements in his defense and then undercutting them with a tweet.

Having them vigorously defend him when they work in the White House and then insulting them after they leave, sometimes pretending not even to know them. Taking credit for everything that goes well but never accepting any blame.

Unlike a shitbird a blue falcon can sometimes keep his record clean enough to get promoted in the course of time, and when he does he is often the most hated and despised of any superior you've ever had.

Almost any other failing in a commissioned or enlisted leader - being a hardass, a ribbon-chaser, a boot - is held more forgivable than being a blue falcon.

There are similar bosses in the civilian world, and no one ever likes working for one. They're bad enough even as peers.

The military skews a little more conservative than the general population because it's mostly male and it self-sorts against pacifists and folks who think our wars are imperialist or fought for oil.

With his bluster, swagger, and nationalism you'd expect the military rank-and-file to identify with Trump, and indeed they did in 2016.

But I don't think the disaffection with him is entirely because of Russian bounties or poor national security leadership. I think that's part.

His record over more than three years in office bespeaks him of some of the worst qualities military members despise in anyone and especially in a leader. /fin

@threadreaderapp unroll that shit