As Franklin Foer observed in a Slate piece about Trump’s ‘un-American’ acceptance piece, the man the Republican Party has put forward to lead the United States did not refer to the “nation’s history, its values, or even its armed forces.”
Throughout his hour and fifteen minute long dystopian screed, Donald Trump could not bring himself to thank the men and women of the armed forces of the United States. Perhaps, I missed a briefed mumbled grunt, during more than an hour of shouting, but the transcripts of the speech show a remarkable disregard for the sacrifices and service of anyone in the United States military.
Donald Trump did not bother to mention the armed services. Not once did he note the service of our soldiers, marines, or coast guard. For Trump, the army, air force, navy, and marines might as well not exist. He did throw in one reference to sailors, when it suited him to try to use them to bolster his claims of national humiliation, never mind that the sailors who briefly veered into Iranian waters were soon released. Otherwise, United States sailors and their officers might as well not exist.
These omissions were no accident in the longest acceptance speech since at least 1956 according to the National Journal. The men and women of the United States military do not fit into Trump’s worldview, because it is, at root, all about him. Trump’s narcissism is so boundless that the US military really does not matter. This is the same Trump who could not make good on most of his claims of charitable donations to veterans’ groups until the Washington Post shamed him.
There is also an important functional reason for this stunning display of disrespect. Acknowledging the existence of the US military would torpedo Trump’s deliberate effort to terrify and frighten American voters, to seek to convince them that they are defenseless. Contrary to what Trump would have voters believe as he seeks to scare, frighten, divide and manipulate, we are not defenseless. We do not live in a world without threats, but we do have a highly trained, well-armed military.
What’s most stunning is that these omissions came one of times that Trump took the advice to stick (largely) to his prepared remarks. Trump had the chance to think about what he was going to say, but hubris, narcissism, self-aggrandizement, and ego trumped the service of others.
For Trump’s remarks see: www.vox.com/...
Friday, Jul 22, 2016 · 6:48:14 PM +00:00
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Historian
I did miss one line in his screed in which he talks about guaranteeing that veterans can see a doctor of their choice without waiting in line 5 days and dying, but I see no reason to change my main conclusions.