Making its rounds on the great and fantastic social media sphere, this meme would have you believe that our recently inaugurated President of the United States, Donald J. Trump, is the troop-loving Leader of the Free World for which oppressed conservatives have been praying for greater part of a decade. Don’t get me wrong, Trump’s salute is leaps and bounds better than the much lambasted coffee-cup salute President Barack Obama presented back in 2014, but is a decent salute evidence enough of an individual’s respect for troops?
I have a problem with this mentality that a few outward displays of support are now incontrovertible pieces of evidence that our nation’s leader supports or respects the enlisted men and women protecting our freedoms. I take issue with the notion that Trump is a president that respects servicemen when we’re not even a month into his presidency and his track record speaks otherwise. Evaluating his words and actions, I’m of the opinion that Trump is far from the troop-respecting paragon many paint him.
While Trump received deferments, neither breaking any law, some see as draft dodger. He was rated as 1-A (available for service) on several occasions. However, in 1968 and 1972, Trump was classified as 1-Y and 4-F respectively. Both afforded Trump medical deferments, but it was the 4-F classification that squelched any chance of him enlisting.
On record explaining his deferments, Trump also remarked that he would have proudly served if given the opportunity. While I can't fault Trump his medical deferments, barring their suggested illegitimacy, I wonder why an examining failed to catch Trump’s bone spurs only three months prior to the disqualifying exam. Is it a conspiracy? Possibly, but the point is moot. He had the opportunity to serve but doors opened rather fortuitously robbing him of the opportunity.
Trump did not serve, but in a 1997 interview on Howard Stern's radio show, our future president equated sleeping around and avoiding STDs as his personal Vietnam and that he felt like "a great a very brave soldier." Although I'm well aware of the oftentimes glib and inappropriate contexts of Stern's show, Trump just compared his sexual promiscuity to one of the American military's ugliest conflicts in history. I remember being offended back in 1997, long before I myself enlisted in the Army. I can't imagine that any veteran would overlook this crass comparison.
Speaking of Vietnam and veterans, John McCain served with distinction during the Vietnam War. McCain was captured and spent five years as a prisoner of war. Injuries incurred left him with a slight physical disability.
Throughout his campaign, Trump traded barbed words with McCain on a regular basis. During a 2015 interview at the Family Leadership Summit in Iowa, Trump referred to McCain as a "loser," stating that he "likespeople that weren't captured." By all accounts, McCain acquitted himself with honor in the line of duty. Trump later backpedaled (somewhat) on his statement. Too little, too late, I say.
Don't mistake me for a McCain fan; many of the man's political opinions I disagree with - at great length - but McCain is a veteran. Insult his policies, but don't make a joke of his status as a prisoner of war. McCain raised his hand and took an oath to support and defend something greater than his own interests, something Trump declined to do when he had the chance.
Pretending to know what servicemen experience is poor taste and ignorantly pretentious. In "Never Enough," Trump likens his military school experiences to being in the military. While the aesthetics and aspects of training can be similar, the similarities end there. At a youth military school, a cadet runs no risk of deploying to a combat zone. As a cadet, the most likely combat experience was via combat simulations. Any combat simulations or training were just that, simulations and/or training with instructor oversight.
Trump's ignorance, presumptuousness, and callousness extend to a variety of topics. Demonstrating a tactless attitude toward military service, Trump claimed up-armored Humvees reduce an IED's impact to the degree that the vehicle occupants merely “go for a little ride upward and they come down.” It appears that Trump opposes the Post 9/11 GI Bill. In an interview with George Stephanopoulos, Trump asserts his sacrifices to the country include creating jobs.
Trump's regard of the military is contestable, some taking issue with his conduct while others not. There may exist definitive examples in which his support of the military is beyond reproach, but some readily researchable instances are mired in accusations of misconduct and deplorable business practices. Anyone wishing to enlighten me, by all means, I welcome it.
Despite my inclination toward the 45th President of the United States, I want to think the best of Trump. I want to think the best of everyone, but, as a veteran, I want to know Trump has our back, while serving and afterward. I want the comfort of knowing that our Commander in Chief's respect runs deeper than a crisp hand gesture.
