One of the most consistent experiences of close associates of Donald Trump is that sooner or later they get thrown under the bus. The American public is not terribly cerebral and they display gullibility that is hard to fathom. Specifically, Trump constantly throws personal allies under the bus, yet his supporters somehow believe he won’t dump them as well.
Among the most notable examples is that of retired four-star general of the U.S. Marine Corps, James Mattis. How any retired military personnel can support Trump after they observed how he denigrated the former Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) is perplexing. While on active duty, General Mattis was revered by his Marines and highly respected by the officers and enlisted personnel of all of the Department of Defense services. So greatly esteemed by civilian leadership was he, that Congress passed a waiver so that he could serve as SECDEF without waiting the required seven years from the date of retirement.
Initially Mattis was lauded by Trump for his strong stance on defense and experience in Middle East conflicts. At the time of his nomination Trump stated, “All I can say is he is the real deal. The real deal,” A great choice, Mattis, nicknamed “Mad Dog,” was seen by most observers as one of the “adults in the room.” Repeatedly blindsided by Trump, Mattis became increasingly conflicted and finally opted to leave the administration. Throwing General Mattis under the bus, for his efforts in countering ISIS, Trump recently called him, “The world’s most over-rated general.”
Trashing people is not new behavior for Trump. For decades his business model was based on screwing subcontractors. His refusal to pay contractors legitimate expenses was well-established. That is borne out in testimony in many of the lawsuits filed against him. Hardly isolated, the number of lawsuits filed were in the thousands. In addition, there were many settlements because it was less expensive to accept a lower amount than to pay the extensive legal fees required to prevail. In some cases, the contractors he threw under the bus ended up filing for bankruptcy due to cash outlays that were not properly reimbursed. This was known, reported and ignored in the 2016 election. In addition to not paying the contractors, his MO was to blame them by attacking their reputations for inadequate work. Based on the number of lawsuits filed, either he has an incredible knack for selecting poor companies or he intentionally just throws them under the bus.
The credulity of Trump supporters appears boundless. Despite the trail of bodies, they willfully ignore the ever-mounting evidence, assuming that he would never betray them. For the moment I’ll set aside his wives, as that story has been rehashed many times. But the lineup since his election should give even the most loyal fan pause. Remember Chris Christie? Though a key player leading up to the election, he was unceremoniously, and without warning, dumped from the transition team. His aspirations for the Attorney General slot were squashed. Aiming low, Trump then criticized Christie for his eating habits. Rex Tillerson was selected for Secretary of State, then constantly undercut in the job and dumped. Trump later called his chosen former Secretary of State "dumb as a rock" and "lazy as hell." The sycophant-orchestrating Reince Priebus quickly lost favor and was replaced by General John Kelly as Chief of Staff. In time he too left the White House in dismay at the chaos and being circumvented by Trump’s family and friends. Of Kelly, another highly-qualified USMC general, Trump’s Press Secretary, Stephanie Grisham, stated, “he was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great President.” Compare that to Trump’s tweet when Kelly was selected. It read, "He is a Great American... and a Great Leader. John has also done a spectacular job at Homeland Security. He has been a true star of my Administration." Like the others, he went under the bus.
Another senior official, H.R. McMaster, was quickly ushered out of his position as National Security Advisor. Like Mattis, McMaster was viewed by national security experts as highly competent and another calming voice in the cacophony that engulfed the White House. A true expert on international affairs his style did not please Trump. That style being based on facts versus emotion and he saw through the administration’s smoke screens regarding Russia, North Korea, and Iran. Expertise and honesty are not values highly regarded by Trump. Rumors swirled and he learned he was out when Trump announced that John Bolton was named to his position. We now know how that worked out as Bolton also was summarily fired.
The list goes on and on. Remember Senator Jeff Sessions being appointed as Attorney General? A true loyalist, he was the first Senator to endorse then-candidate Trump. Initially viewed as a bulwark to stem the ongoing investigations, he rapidly declined in stature and was considered disloyal for following the law. During Session’s tenure as AG the President repeatedly publicly mocked him. In August 2017 he was referred to "scared stiff and Missing in Action." Kirstjen Nielson, the 6th Secretary of Homeland Security, was a loyal Trump supporter even denying she heard him call certain countries “shitholes.” She also covered for him in regards to his infamous Charlottesville comments and other issues. For her efforts Trump threw her under the bus openly berating her at a cabinet meeting. Realizing her change in status and that Trump only wanted sycophants, she resigned.
In 2017 Daniel Coats became the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) replacing General Jim Clapper. Coats’ Republican credentials are impeccable as he was elected and served as a U.S. Senator from Indiana. Throughout his tenure as DNI he repeatedly had to contradict the President based on facts. A major point of contention was the well-established fact that Russia intervened in the 2016 election. That rift became public in Helsinki, when Trump overtly stated he took Putin’s word over that of Coats and the entire Intelligence Community (IC). There is strong speculation that Coats was fired because of the IC revelations concerning Trump’s request for support from President Zelensky of Ukraine. Trump regards most of the IC as part of a “Deep State” that conspires against him. In reality, most are career employees that follow facts and call out BS when they see it, including specious conspiracy theories espoused by Trump and his cohorts. (Think CrowdStrike and Ukraine was involved in the 2016 DNC server break in) Trump’s disregard of facts and analysis in the IC Presidents Daily Brief are well-known. With a notoriously short attention span, briefers learned to keep his attention they had to include flattering statements about him with regularity and to try and avoid issues where he already had taken a counterfactual public position.
An especially despicable event occurred during the recent hearings when Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was called to testify about what he heard on the 25 July phone call to the Ukrainian President and why it was of such concern to him. With no facts to support his claims, Trump tweeted that Vindman, whom he says he never met, was a “Never-Trumper.” On Fox News pundits described Vindman’s activities as “espionage.” CNN’s resident Trump loyalist, Sean Duffy, pronounced that the Soviet refugee (he left at 3 years of age) had an “affinity for the homeland.” Yes, they will throw anyone under the bus if Trump so signals.
Consider Trump’s recent actions that allowed the Kurds to be attacked by Turkey. They had incurred tens of thousands of casualties fighting on our behalf. Then, without warning or consultation with senior leaders responsible for the American interests in the area (or other allies with forces there – such as the UK), he initiated a unilateral withdrawal. So much planning (actually lack thereof) went into the order that it was necessary to bomb our residual equipment that couldn’t be moved from the area fast enough. What value system would American military members have that endorses the betrayal of our allies in combat?
As I have indicated previously, behavior is believable. Trump’s behavior is consistent and has been for years. What Trump supporters simply do not seem to understand or accept is that he will turn on anyone at any time. That includes friends and allies, people who supported him and got him to where he is. For the common Trump supporter to believe that he would be loyal to them, when he has forsaken so many others, displays a level of naiveté that is hard to comprehend. They ride Trump’s bus totally blinded to the fact that he would dump them faster than he did Ivana and Marla.
Repeatedly Trump supporters send me lists of all of his alleged accomplishments. In fact, he has signed a few bills with positive impact, such as the right to try law. Few, if any, of the bills were initiated by his administration. The list consistently boasts the unemployment rates. While true, they are continuations of a trend well-established under Obama. That holds true for manufacturing jobs as well. The list received last night (3 Nov 19) claimed a GDP economic growth rate of over three percent. That is a dated figure and current rates are generally fluctuating and often under two percent. Contrary to Trump’s assertions, he inherited a significantly improved economy, unlike the potential total collapse that Obama faced.
Worth considering is the plight of farmers in the Midwest who strongly supported Trump in 2016. His trade war with China has cost them dearly. Even the approved government subsidies have been slow in getting to them. Deemed expendable, they were thrown under the bus – and yet many seem to maintain support. The highly-touted tax cut was also a mirage. Some people did receive modest amounts of money, but at what expense? It was proposed to produce more taxes that would offset the expense. We now know that failed to materialize and national debt now is above 23 trillion dollars. That does not include another two trillion they passed on to your children. While average Trump supporters got crumbs, his wealthy buddies did exceedingly well. Yes, you too got thrown under the bus.
As a retired military servicemember, continued support by any of us for Trump seems inconceivable. He has taken the best of us (think Mattis, Kelly, and McMaster) and thrown them under his bus. Amoral, his lack of values do not comport to those that I was taught throughout my career. How anyone from the military or Intelligence Community can support such flagrant contempt for our institutions, demeaning of our leaders, disregard for their expertise, and willingness to forsake our allies in combat is incomprehensible. At least to me.
We have just returned from an extended trip through Central Asia. In addition to commentary by the local populations we met, we crossed paths with visitors from many other countries; mostly European. Without fail they aggressively brought up Trump, and seemed ready to blame any American for his election. In Khujand, Tajikistan we met a State Department cultural attaché who was escorting a few American musicians. There I informed him of the overt hostility that seemed to emanate from everyone we met. As I told him, abroad our reputation is shot. He responded “We’re working on it.” That degradation is due exclusively to Trump and his America Only stance. Disastrous.
Who is next to go under Trump’s bus? It may well be you.