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    David Cay Johnston on Trump's lying, crazy, self-absorbed weekend

    David Cay Johnston, DCReport @ RawStory
    October 28, 2019

    Thanks for your support!

    This article was paid for by reader donations to Raw Story Investigates.

    Trump at Nats game (Photo: Screen capture)

    This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers. Not a subscriber? Try us and go ad-free for $1. Prefer to give a one-time tip? Click here.

    David Cay Johnston, DCReport @ RawStory

    That Donald Trump is manifestly unfit to be president, and cannot be trusted with national security secrets, was on full display Sunday morning.


    What should have been a simple but triumphant announcement on the death of a dangerous man, the ideological leader of ISIS, became a display of Trump’s sick mind. It also showed that Trump’s claims to have defeated ISIS are nonsense.

    During the announcement, Trump lied repeatedly because that is just what he does. He didn’t even tell Americans that Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi committed suicide, killing three children as well, before he could be assassinated. Instead, Trump created the false impression that American forces killed al-Baghdadi, saying it was “something really amazing to see…as though you were watching a movie.”

    Trump thanked foreign governments, notably Russia, before he thanked American forces.

    Trump is so obsessed with celebrity he discussed the death of al-Baghdadi in Page Six gossip column terms, using his ignorance as a reference point and trying to diminish the success of President Barack Obama’s administration in hunting down and killing Osama bin Laden in 2011.

    Celebrity Obsessed

    “We would kill terrorist leaders, but they were names I never heard of,” Trump said. “They were names that weren't recognizable, and they weren't the big names. Some good ones, some important ones, but they weren't the big names."

    Then Trump puffed up ISIS for reasons not all clear while showing how thoughts pop up in his jumbled mind like random weeds, but always making it about him.

    ISIS, he said, “they use the internet better than almost anybody in the world—perhaps other than Donald Trump. And what they've done with the internet through recruiting and everything—and that's why he [al-Baghdadi] died like a dog, he died like a coward. He was whimpering, screaming and crying."

    Trump thanked foreign governments, notably Russia, before he thanked American forces.

    "Russia treated us great. They opened up. We had a flyover certain Russia areas, Russia-held areas. Russia was great,” Trump said.

    Russian Dismissal

    Problem is, Russia dismissed Trump’s thanks for help with the al-Baghdadi raid. “We are unaware of any alleged assistance … during this operation,” Russian Major-General Igor Konashenkov told a Kremlin news outlet. Russia favored Trump in 2016 not because it loves him so much as it wanted to block Hillary Clinton, who had vowed to force the Kremlin to give up Crimea and eastern Ukraine.

    What Trump failed to do was advise the eight members of Congress who by law are required to get advance notification. He did, however, inform Russia, showing again that Trump’s de facto policy is Russia First.

    Trump also thanked Turkey, foolishly and gratuitously giving away operational details.

    “Turkey—we dealt with them. They knew we were going in. We flew over some territory. They were terrific. No problem. They were no problem…We flew very, very low and very, very fast," Trump said.

    How many foreign governments are going to pause, and perhaps say no, when asked for help in future operations for fear that Trump will out them? This is a growing concern since May 2017 when Trump revealed highly classified information, including another country’s sources and methods, to two Russian spymasters he invited into the Oval Office.

    Self Congratulations

    Throughout his announcement, Trump wallowed in self-congratulation sprinkled amidst extensive gruesome details. For as long as I have known and covered Trump, now more than 31 years, he has made remarks revealing his violent fantasies, becoming animated when discussing events marked by pain and gore.

    But take heart, for there was one important development Sunday that bodes well for our republic.

    Within hours of his televised statement, serving military officers, diplomats and others were dishing on Trump, pointing out his lies, filling factual gaps and warning how his conduct endangers our national security.

    Why is that good news? Because it reaffirms that Trump does not have the support of our military officer corps, without which he cannot stage a coup d’état.

    And we know that’s on his mind because he talks about it all the time, though in accusatory terms towards House Democrats who are properly following Constitutional procedure to impeach him for “high crimes and misdemeanors.”

    As a general rule, when Trump accuses others of anything it is what he is thinking, or knows, about himself.

    Trump displays his contempt for our Constitution, and following the law, when he dismisses the impeachment inquiry as “a scam” and “a lynching.”  That’s another sign that he wants to be America’s dictator for life.

    'Frightened Puppies'

    Trump described al-Baghdadi's last moments in lurid detail that again showed his animus for people whose ethnicity is other than white European, remind us that Trump is an uncivilized man. Civilized people, even in the necessary killing of the most horrible among us, conduct themselves with dignity. Not Trump.

    When Nazi, Fascist, and Japanese war criminals were tried and then executed after World War II, Americans carrying out those executions acted with solemnity to show that America acts with respect for human life even in ending the lives of those who engaged in torture and mass murder.

    Trump went on and on with gruesome details, a marked contrast to the crisp and civilized remarks of President Obama when he announced the killing of Osama bin Laden.

    "He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming all the way," Trump said of al-Baghdadi. "He died in a vicious and violent way, as a coward, running and crying... He died like a dog. He died like a coward."

    Yet al-Baghdadi also took his unavoidable fate into his own hands by detonating a suicide vest befoe he could be shot,  a fact that does not fit Trump's narrative, but does describe how Trump would act were he being pursued.

    What's Next

    What happens next with ISIS is not going to go as well for America as it would have but for Trump’s abrupt and inexplicable withdrawal from Northern Syria earlier this month. He never told the generals before he tweeted, forcing our soldiers to flee half-eaten meals, as shown on Russian TV. American planes had to be sent to blow up the munitions left behind.

    Brett McGurk was the special presidential envoy for the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS under both Obama and Trump, laid out some of the awful truth in a smart Washington Post op-ed today.

    Whoever rises to replace al-Baghdadi, that “successor will keep the Islamic State alive in Iraq and Syria” with its more than 10,000 fighters, but for now no territory controlled by the terrorist organization.

    “This would be the perfect time to consolidate success and act on what is likely a trove of intelligence pulled from the Baghdadi compound,” McGurk wrote Monday.

    “Our analysts are surely poring over this information now, and it will lead to Islamic State sleeper cells and networks across Syria, Iraq and elsewhere. But our abrupt pullout from Syria will make it harder to act on this information” because U.S. Special Forces were forced to flee and “these areas are now controlled by Russia and the Bashar al-Assad regime, foreclosing our ability to act on targetable information.”

    Keep in mind that ISIS arose after the George W. Bush administration breaking its promise to Iraqi military officers that if they did not resist much they would be treated well, only to fire every one of them. ISIS offered career military officers jobs and they signed up, though any did not share its ideological convictions.

    'Lock Him Up'

    Trump arrived for the fifth game of the World Series between the Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros with his wife, but not his 13-year-old son, Barron. Instead, he brought along a squad of Republican senators and two Congressmen, one of them the Florida frat boy Matt Gaetz, who led the lawless mob of lawmakers who invaded a secure House hearing room last week endangering national security.

    When the Nationals stadium Jumbotron showed Trump and his entourage at the end of the fifth inning the crowd broke into chants of  “lock him up.”

    That’s disgusting, an awful illustration of the state of our democracy thanks in good part to Trump's debasement of civic debate.

    Much as we believe at DCReport that Trump should be removed from office and then prosecuted for his many state and federal criminal offenses, we call out mobs of all kinds as inimical to liberty and justice.

    This article was paid for by Raw Story subscribers. Not a subscriber? Try us and go ad-free for $1. Prefer to give a one-time tip? Click here.

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    … then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we here at Raw Story believe in the power of progressive journalism. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and legal efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. And unlike other news outlets, we’ve decided to make our original content free. But we need your support to do what we do.

    Raw Story is independent. Unhinged from corporate overlords, we fight to ensure no one is forgotten.

    We need your support in this difficult time. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you. Click to donate by check.

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    … then let us make a small request. The COVID crisis has slashed advertising rates, and we need your help. Like you, we believe in the power of progressive journalism — and we’re investing in investigative reporting as other publications give it the ax. Raw Story readers power David Cay Johnston’s DCReport, which we've expanded to keep watch in Washington. We’ve exposed billionaire tax evasion and uncovered White House efforts to poison our water. We’ve revealed financial scams that prey on veterans, and efforts to harm workers exploited by abusive bosses. We need your support to do what we do.

    Raw Story is independent. You won’t find mainstream media bias here. Every reader contribution, whatever the amount, makes a tremendous difference. Invest with us in the future. Make a one-time contribution to Raw Story Investigates, or click here to become a subscriber. Thank you.


    Report typos and corrections to: corrections@rawstory.com.
    READ COMMENTS - JOIN THE DISCUSSION

    Survey: Will Melania leave Trump now that he's out of office ?

    White House staff thrilled by departure of Trump family: 'The residence has life again'

    Tom Boggioni
    January 25, 2021

    According to a report from CNN's Kate Bennett, staffers in the White House who serve at the pleasure of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden are exceedingly pleased with the new tenants after four years of dealing with Donald Trump and his family.

    No longer forced to fetch a Diet Coke for the president at the push of a button for Trump, Bennett's report states that White House cooks and those who attend to the first family's personal needs are going through a "honeymoon period" in contrast to the darkness that attended the Trump family's last days.

    According to the report, "There were nighttime movie binges in the White House movie theater, complete with snacks from the White House kitchen cooks, many of the Bidens' five older grandchildren piling into the seats to watch, said another source familiar with the activities," with one aide gushing, "The residence has life in it again."

    As Trump's days in the Oval Office dwindled down, White House staffers admitted they tried to avoid the now ex-president while at the same time confessing that they felt like they were "babysitting" him in an attempt to keep him from creating more mayhem.

    Noting that staffers are pleased that the Biden's are enforcing mask-wearing, the report also points out that the removal of the chief White House usher, hired my Melania Trump. was greeted with approval.

    "The residence staff is operating 'as usual,' said the first White House source, noting the departure of chief usher and Trump hire, Timothy Harleth, which occurred on Inauguration Day," the report states. "In recent weeks, he had made a play to stay in the Biden White House, say several sources, to no avail."

    According to one staffer, "He was not particularly well-liked."

    You can read more here.

    Biden just reversed Trump transgender military ban – order allows ‘all qualified Americans to serve in the military’

    David Badash, The New Civil Rights Movement
    January 25, 2021

    President Joe Biden has just signed an executive order reversing President Trump's total ban on transgender service members.

    The order "sets the policy that all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States should be able to serve. The All-Volunteer Force thrives when it is composed of diverse Americans who can meet the rigorous standards for military service, and an inclusive military strengthens our national security."

    "President Biden believes that gender identity should not be a bar to military service, and that America's strength is found in its diversity. This question of how to enable all qualified Americans to serve in the military is easily answered by recognizing our core values. America is stronger, at home and around the world, when it is inclusive. The military is no exception. Allowing all qualified Americans to serve their country in uniform is better for the military and better for the country because an inclusive force is a more effective force. Simply put, it's the right thing to do and is in our national interest."

    Developing...

    More to come.

    This is a breaking news and developing story.

    The View’s Meghan McCain plays the victim again as she whines that Katie Couric wants to 'deprogram' her

    Sarah K. Burris
    January 25, 2021

    President Donald Trump is toying with the idea of starting another party as members of the GOP line up to hold him accountable for his role in the Capitol insurrection on Jan. 6. While New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman reported that Trump has been dissuaded from the idea, for now. Someone in Georgia has already filed the paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission for the Patriot Party, indicating Trump is their candidate.

    All of it led "The View" co-hosts to say that they think it's the only way for the GOP to purge the Trump-loyalists from their ranks.

    "I do think this is an important issue for Republicans to decide," said Sunny Hostin. "Is it going to be just the Republican Party, or will you hear about this third party, the MAGA party or the Patriot Party? My understanding is that former President Trump is looking to start this -- this Patriot Party, and a recent -- a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll found that six in ten Republicans found that Republicans should follow Trump's leadership, rather than chart a new path. If that is true, six in ten Republicans, then there is no other choice than to form a new party, and then, you know, perhaps the true Republican conservative -- conservatives will remain in the Republican Party."

    But it was Meghan McCain who internalized it to be about an attack on her. She noted that Katie Couric recently asked how so many Trump supporters could be "deprogrammed" from the cult.

    "And the question is how are we going to really almost deprogram these people who have signed up for the cult of Trump," Couric said.

    McCain in the past has appeared to be supportive of President Joe Biden and against the ideology of Trumpism but took up for the MAGA "cultists" who stormed the Capitol and QAnon believers calling them people like her.

    "I had sort of assumed after President Biden won that the feeling of unity and coming together would be something that would be happening, that Democrats would be wanting Republicans to come together with them to go forward, and instead we're hearing a lot of language from people like Katie Couric that Republicans like me need to be, 'deprogrammed,' that we're brainwashed, that there are people who are irredeemable people, and we don't need to have anything to do with them, and I think it's horribly dangerous for the country," McCain complained. "And there is a vacuum to pick up -- four in ten Republicans who feel very disenfranchised, and if President Biden and Democrats want to have a big party and include some of these people, great, and if we're all just deplorable and need to be reprogrammed as Katie Couric said, then honestly they can go to hell because I don't need to be deprogrammed. I just have a different perspective on how the government should be run."

    Last week, the Arizona Republican Party voted to censure Meghan McCain's mother, Cindy, because she failed to support President Donald Trump in the 2020 election. The younger McCain was not singled out by the Arizona GOP.

    See the discussion below:

     
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