Suckers and losers.

That& #39;s what Trump supposedly called veterans. Called America& #39;s war dead.

Outrageous! Ooooh, that guy! Furious! Insulting! How dare he?!?!

Right?

I mean, that& #39;s it, right? We& #39;re outraged. Suckers and losers. Goddamn.

1/
He denies it, of course. Trump said yesterday that he never called John McCain a loser.

But, he did. More than once.

He called those Americans who couldn& #39;t get out of the draft and instead went to Vietnam suckers.

2/
He used those words, or some variation of the same, hundreds, thousands, of times over the years. This isn& #39;t hyperbole or fake news or taken out of context. These words are there for all to see, written in Trump& #39;s own hand, recorded and spoken in his own voice.

3/
Hell, even Fox News confirmed the report.

And you know it& #39;s true. You know it is. You do.

I mean, it& #39;s TRUMP. He radiates contempt and throws out demeaning insults like a Russian nuclear reactor leaks neutrons.

This is literally who he is. You know it& #39;s true.

4/
Trump stood at the Arlington grave of Robert Kelly, an enlisted Marine killed during his 3rd tour of duty in Afghanistan, and said to his father, then Trump& #39;s Chief of Staff John Kelly, "I don& #39;t get it. What was in it for them?"

He doesn& #39;t get it.

And he never will.

5/
What was in it for them?

Maybe you can imagine saying that to the father of a fallen Marine.

I can& #39;t.

But then again, if you have to ask why we serve, you& #39;re not equipped to understand the answer -- even if I was so inclined to give you one.

6/
When confronted with that irrefutable evidence, Trump denies it, just as he denied the Grab & #39;Em By The Pussy tape -- even though it was irrefutably him saying those words.

Like someone with Lewy-Body dementia, Trump doesn& #39;t exist in the same reality as the rest of us.

7/
When his supporters are confronted with that same irrefutable evidence, they deny it. They call it a fake. Taken out of context. They dismiss it, yeah, he said it but he doesn& #39;t really mean it.

Locker room talk.

As if that somehow makes it okay.

8/
According to the Daily Beast, A senior Administration official said: “The president means no disrespect to our troops; it’s just that the way he speaks, he can sound like an asshole sometimes. That’s how he is. It’s his style.”

9/
That& #39;s just his style.

He& #39;s an asshole. That& #39;s his style.

An asshole.

Well, he is certainly that.

10/
Suckers and losers. My inbox is full of messages today, asking how outraged I must be.

How outraged?

Not much.

11/
Trump& #39;s contempt for me and those like me isn& #39;t exactly something he& #39;s kept hidden. Or a surprise. I would expect little else from him.

It& #39;s not even close to the worst thing he& #39;s called people like me.

And honestly?

Honestly?

12/
To be bluntly honest: When it comes to being a veteran, particularly of the wars I served in, well, folks, I& #39;ve been called a sucker and loser by a hell of a lot more liberals than conservatives.

13/
Oh, don& #39;t get me wrong, I& #39;ve run into plenty of conservatives who look down their noses at those of us who served. What& #39;s the matter, loser, couldn& #39;t get a real job? I don& #39;t get it, what& #39;s in it for you?

Sure.

14/
But one hell of a lot of folks on the other side of the political spectrum aren& #39;t shy about their contempt either.

Suckers. Chumps. Dupes. Killers. Warmongers...

15/
...too stupid to get a real job, instead they throw away their lives fighting for corporate America, for Wall Street, for the rich, for oil, for money.

Right?

I& #39;ve been called all of that, right here on this platform. I know you& #39;ve seen it.

16/
Is it more egregious coming from Trump? For some, probaby. I mean, he& #39;s the president. But, for me?

Not really. Like I said, I *expect* it from him. Because Trump has never shown anything but contempt for those around him, especially the military.

17/
Conservatives love the IDEA of the military, force, power, violence, not the actual soldier.

Liberals pity the soldier, and hate the war.

When you& #39;re on the receiving end, I& #39;m not sure there& #39;s much difference.

18/
Underneath shallow veneer of Yellow Ribbon Magnets and the rote patriotism of "Thankwewferyerservich," a lot of Americans do indeed think we are nothing but a bunch of suckers and losers. Chumps, too dumb to get a real job and too stupid not to die for Wall Street.

19/
I spent more than 20 years in uniform. I worked my way up from junior enlisted to commissioned officer. I served in peace and in war. I served on the front lines and in the cushy rear, at home and abroad, on land, at sea, and in the air.

20/
I was decorated, more than some, less than others, but I& #39;m no hero and I never claimed to be. I did my job, I did it well, I set the example as was expected of me. I did things I can& #39;t tell you about, and things I won& #39;t.

21/
I know that I can look my son in the eye and be proud of my actions. Likewise those who served under my command have no cause to be ashamed of their service -- and that ain& #39;t for nothing because war is a damned shitty business and make no mistake about it.

22/
I trained others to take my place, and they have done so with skill and courage, and I& #39;m proud of them and what we accomplished together even if the wars were foolish and unjust.

23/
The truth of the matter is that I don& #39;t much care what you think about it.

Call me a sucker and loser? Meh. I& #39;ve been called worse by better people.

I didn& #39;t did do it for you.

And I for goddamned sure didn& #39;t do it for Trump.

24/
Why? Why did I do it?

If I have to explain it to you, if you have to ask, you& #39;re not equipped to understand the answer.

25/25
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