@Real Music,
McCain was not a hero at the "Hilton", he dealt with his imprisonment with the good service he was known for his entire Navy service.
What he is a hero for was what he did during the Forrestal disaster.
He walked thru flames to rescue another pilot suffering 2nd and 3rd degree burns all the while bombs and ammunition was going off all around him. 134 were killed and 161 injured.
@bobsal u1553115,
That's because I'm good with facts.
@Real Music,
Whose military service do you think Mr. Trump disrespected? And (more importantly) what do you think that he did to disrespect it?
Every time Trump has attacked American veterans or military families
James Pasley Oct 30, 2019, 1:20 PM
President Donald Trump doesn't care whether someone's a general, or been awarded a Purple Heart. He'll still blast them if they've done something he doesn't like.
Trump has disparaged generals and decorated soldiers, including the late Sen. John McCain, his former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, and the former special counsel Robert Mueller.
One of his favorite terms for someone he dislikes is a "Never Trumper," which he has said are "human scum."
Serving in the military provides no protection from President Donald Trump's ire.
Trump has never served in any capacity. He received five military deferments — one for bone spurs, and four for education — during the Vietnam War.
But he's repeatedly disparaged the late Sen. John McCain, dragged his former officials, and told four-star generals they're overrated.
In the last few years, he's also started calling veterans who have been critical of him "Never Trumpers," which he has said are "human scum."
Here are 16 veterans or military families that Trump has disparaged.
In July 2015, at a forum in Iowa, then-presidential candidate Trump said Sen. John McCain, who retired from the Navy as a captain, awarded a Silver Star and a Distinguished Flying Cross, was only a war hero because he had been taken hostage. "He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured," Trump said.
He said he didn't like McCain after he lost to Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, because he didn't like "losers".
When McCain died in 2018, Trump refused to lower the White House flag back to half-staff, even though it's become customary for presidents to sign a proclamation calling for the flag to remain at half-staff for members of congress until the day of interment, Business Insider's John Haltiwanger reported.
Months later, Trump still wasn't over it in March 2019, and during a speech in Ohio, he said he'd "had to give" McCain a funeral he wanted. "I don't care about this, I didn't get 'thank you.' That's OK," he said. "We sent him on the way, but I wasn't a fan of John McCain."
Trump continued his attacks criticizing him again in March 2019, for the role he played in the investigations into whether Russia influenced the 2016 election. "Spreading the fake and totally discredited Dossier 'is unfortunately a very dark stain against John McCain,'" he tweeted, referring to McCain's decision in December 2016 to turn the dossier containing salacious (and largely uncorroborated) intel about Trump over to the FBI.
In February 2016, Trump turned his ire onto Sen. Lindsay Graham, who served in the US Air Force and rose to the rank of Colonel, calling him a disgrace. He also said Graham was one of the "dumbest human beings" he'd ever seen, and that he was a "nut job."
Trump was lashing out at Graham after the South Carolina senator had questioned Trump's ability to be president. Graham had also endorsed Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.
Since Trump took office, he and Graham have buried any mutual dislike and become close allies.
In July 2016, Trump took aim at retired four-star General John Allen. "You know who he is? He's a failed general. He was the general fighting ISIS. I would say he hasn't done so well, right?" Trump said, according to Politico.
Trump wasn't a fan of Allen's, since he supported his 2016 opponent Hilary Clinton.
At the Democratic National Convention, Allen said, "I also know that with her as our commander in chief, our international relations will not be reduced to a business transaction." He was alluding to what would happen if Trump was elected.
In July 2016, Trump attacked the family of Capt. Humayun Khan, a slain soldier, dismissing a speech his father Khizr Khan made, because he said Khan's mother hadn't been allowed to speak.
Trump was referring to Islam tradition of female subservience, but the family said she had not spoken because she was too emotional to talk about her son's death.
The elder Khan also said Trump had never sacrificed anything or lost anyone, to which Trump responded, "I think I've made a lot of sacrifices. I've worked very, very hard. I've created thousands and thousands of jobs."
In August 2017, Trump called Sen. Richard Blumenthal "a phony Vietnam con artist." He was referring to misleading statements Blumenthal had made saying he had served in Vietnam, when he'd served during Vietnam.
Blumenthal had apologized for the statements, but Trump also tweeted that "he cried like a baby and begged for forgiveness like a child," which was baseless.
The New York Times reported in 2010 that Blumenthal had deferred his Vietnam enlistment five times before joining the Marine Reserve and mostly doing training and service projects in Washington.
In October 2017, Trump forgot the name of slain US army Sgt. La David Johnson, while he was on the phone with his widow. Johnson was killed in an ambush in Niger while in active service. Myeshia Johnson said the call with Trump made her cry, and that Trump told her that her husband "knew what he had signed up for."
Trump disagreed with this and tweeted that he had known his name and spoke it from the beginning, without hesitation.
But Rep. Frederica Wilson of Florida said Johnson was telling the truth, and then-White House chief of staff John Kelly explained in a press conference what Trump had meant, effectively confirming what Johnson said.
In April 2018, Trump called James Clapper, the former director of national intelligence, "a lying machine." Trump was referring to Clapper's testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee in 2013, when he said the NSA did not wittingly collect data on Americans.
According to documents released from whistleblower Edward Snowden, the NSA had collected information about American citizens' calls and internet use.
Clapper is a retired Air Force Lieutenant General, who served twice in Southeast Asia. He has been a frequent critic of Trump.
In June 2018, Trump called Rep. Conor Lamb of Pennsylvania "Lamb the Sham," when he endorsed Lamb's opponent for the district. He also criticized him for only voting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Lamb is a Marine Corps veteran. The reference to Lamb being a "sham" might stem from previous claims Trump made about Lamb only winning his election by supporting Trump's own policies, even though he is a Democrat.
In November 2018, Fox News' Chris Wallace asked Trump about his thoughts on retired Admiral William McRaven, a former Navy Seal who was behind the mission that killed Osama Bin Laden. He interrupted Wallace and said, "Hilary Clinton Fan." When Wallace continued, Trump did, too. "Excuse me: Hilary. Clinton. Fan."
Trump went on to repeat that McRaven supported Clinton — which he hadn't — as well as former President Barack Obama, and said, "Frankly, wouldn't it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that?"
Trump's attacks on McRaven were in response to an opinion piece McRaven wrote for the Washington Post, telling him to revoke his security clearance, after Trump had revoked former CIA director John Brennan's clearance.
McRaven wrote, "I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency."
In October 2019, McRaven said the US is "under attack from the president" after Trump pulled US troops out of Syria, allowing Turkish-backed militants to wage assaults against the once US-backed Kurdish militia.
In January 2019, Trump said retired four-star General Stanley McChrystal, who led US forces in Afghanistan between 2009 and 2010, was fired by former President Barack Obama "like a dog." He also said his final assignment was a total bust, that he was a Hilary Clinton lover, and he was known for his "big dumb mouth."
Trump's attack was in response to McCrystal saying he wouldn't work for Trump's administration, because he didn't think Trump told the truth.
In May 2019, several days after the former special counsel Robert Mueller released his investigative report on Russian election interference and Trump's attempts to obstruct justice, Trump tweeted the report had been constructed by "Trump Haters," and called Mueller "highly conflicted."
Mueller fought in the Vietnam War, and was awarded multiple awards, including a Purple Heart and a Bronze Star. Trump disparaged him throughout the two-year investigation.
Also in May, Trump called up former Fox News anchor Bill O'Reilly and said Mueller disliked him because Trump refused to give back a $15,000 deposit for a membership at one of Trump's golf courses. Mueller disputed the account.
Trump also falsely accused Mueller of deleting emails and texts between FBI agents in June, when 19,000 texts were deleted due to a technical glitch.
In August 2019, Trump told Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton, who served as a marine in Iraq, "You remain a frickin' coward" when Moulton dropped out of the race to be the next Democrat presidential candidate.
Moulton was awarded a Bronze Star and a Navy and Marine Corps Commendation medal, Business Insider's David Choi reported. The awards cited his fearlessness for when he exposed himself to fire to help four of his marines who were wounded.
In October 2019, Trump called his former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, a retired four-star general, "the world's most overrated general," after also saying Mattis wasn't tough enough.
The comments were made during a meeting with lawmakers who were assessing what the US should do about the Syria-Turkey conflict. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer repeated what Mattis had previously said about needing to keep pressure on the area to stop ISIS from resurging, and it was then that Trump cut him off, and said Mattis was overrated. He also said he was better at the job than Mattis.
Mattis responded at a foundation dinner, a day after reports about Trump's comments came out, by saying, "I guess I'm the Meryl Streep of generals." This was because Trump had also said Streep was one of the most overrated actresses in Hollywood.
In October 2019, John Kelly, Trump's former White House chief of staff, told a live audience that he'd told Trump not to hire a "yes man," because if he did, he would get impeached. When Trump heard about it, he said, "John Kelly never said that, he never said anything like that. If he would have said that I would have thrown him out of the office. He just wants to come back into the action like everybody else does."
Kelly is a retired Marine general who fought in the Persian Gulf War and the Iraq War, and spent more than 45 years in the service, according to Business Insider's Michelle Mark.
In October 2019, Trump called Bill Taylor, the US's chief envoy to Ukraine, who was a witness in Trump's impeachment inquiry, and who had given evidence against him, a "Never Trumper." He went on to say, "Never Trumpers" were "human scum."
Taylor served as an Army infantry officer for six years, and completed two tours of Vietnam.
Taylor had given "damning" testimony to Congress on October 22 that prompted "sighs and gasps" from people in the room, according to the Washington Post and Politico.
Taylor implicated Trump for directing the US to withhold security assistance from Ukraine unless they caved to his demands for politically motivated investigations, Business Insider's Sonam Sheth reported.
In October 2019, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a Purple Heart recipient, was the most recent former-soldier to face criticism from Trump. After Vindman's opening statement was released to the media, but before he'd given evidence at the impeachment inquiry, Trump called him a "Never Trumper."
Vindman served in Iraq, where he was wounded by an IED, and received a Purple Heart.
He's on Trump's National Security Council and was on the call when Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to investigate Joe Biden's son Hunter's business dealings.
Vindman told Congressional investigators he reported the call to the NSC's top lawyer.
Trump Posts Fake Photo of Himself Placing a Medal on Military Dog
Joshua Espinoza
BYJOSHUA ESPINOZA
OCT 30, 2019
Donald Trump is getting slammed over a Twitter image that has been perceived as disrespectful toward a war hero.
On Wednesday night, the president shared a doctored photo of himself placing a medal around the neck of a Delta Force dog. The canine was reportedly wounded in a recent military raid that resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
"AMERICAN HERO!" Trump captioned the Photoshopped picture, which was originally shared by conservative outlet The Daily Wire.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
AMERICAN HERO!
12:54 PM - Oct 30, 2019
Trump has continued to praise the male Belgian Malinois since al-Baghdadi's death was announced over the weekend. According to the Washington Post, the dog, whose name has not been released for security reasons, had chased al-Baghdadi into a tunnel near the Syria-Turkey border, and was injured after the ISIS leader detonated a suicide vest.
POTUS declassified a picture of the dog on Monday, after Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed the dog had returned to duty.
Donald J. Trump
✔
@realDonaldTrump
We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi!
3:02 PM - Oct 28, 2019
As pointed out by the Washington Post, the injured dog is not eligible for a combat decoration, such as the Purple Heart. The publication notes U.S. military dogs were once given medals in recognition for their service; however,
that practice ended after it was argued that such awards were an insult to human service members.
Trump's Twitter photo appears to be a Photoshopped version of a 2017 picture in which he is seen awarding the Medal of Honor to James C. McCloughan—a Vietnam veteran who saved nearly a dozen lives during the war. Twitter users were quick to criticize Trump for sharing the altered image, and accused him of diminishing McCloughan's service.
Charlotte Clymer🏳️🌈
✔
@cmclymer
If Barack Obama had done this, GOP leadership would call for him to be censured by the House. And yet...
Trump tweeted a photo of a Medal of Honor recipient — who was edited out and replaced by a dog
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/10/30/trump-tweeted-photo-medal-honor-recipient-who-was-edited-out-replaced-by-dog/ …
Trump tweeted a photo of a Medal of Honor recipient — who was edited out and replaced by Conan the...
The president tweeted a photo taken from the Daily Wire that replaced an image of Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan with one of Conan, the dog said ran down Islamic State leader Abu Bakr...
3:31 PM - Oct 30, 2019
Island Girl 🌊🏝🌺🌼🌻
@DearGoodPeople
Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to James McCloughan. He was credited with saving the lives of 10 men in a brutal, battle in Vietnam.
Yesterday, Trump posted a photo of that moment with McCloughan’s image replaced by that of a dog.https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/10/30/trump-tweeted-photo-medal-honor-recipient-who-was-edited-out-replaced-by-dog/ …
Trump tweeted a photo of a Medal of Honor recipient — who was edited out and replaced by Conan the...
The president tweeted a photo taken from the Daily Wire that replaced an image of Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan with one of Conan, the dog said ran down Islamic State leader Abu Bakr...
3:54 PM - Oct 30, 2019
Kenneth Weene
@Ken_Weene
I'm all for honoring our brave #CANINESOLDIERS but I don't think it's right to disrespect our #MedalofHonor recipients by substituting a dog's photo. Once again, #Trump displays his lack of class.
8:12 PM - Oct 30, 2019
Ka Rice 🌹🍑 no more endless wars
@attykrice
tRump is a truly sick and disgusting person. No disrespect to the dog and his handler, but for tRump to treat this hero patriot veteran with such disrespect makes me nauseated.
https://twitter.com/freedlander/status/1189661214017753088 …
David Freedlander
✔
@freedlander
James McCloughan ran through VietCong gunfire for 2 days, saving 10 men, taking shrapnel from a rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire into his head and arm, refusing a superior's order to evacuate. Today he was replaced by a picture of a dog
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/30/us/politics/trump-dog.html?smid=tw-nytimes&smtyp=cur …
8:41 PM - Oct 30, 2019
Denise Griewisch
@DeniseGriewisch
Another example of trump’s complete disrespect for the military. He equates a dog, however valiant, to a highly decorated soldier. After he told the press he wouldn’t reveal the identity of the dog.
https://twitter.com/W7VOA/status/1189612710515937281 …
Steve Herman
✔
@W7VOA
Replying to @W7VOA and 2 others
Photoshopped from the first Medal of Honor @realDonaldTrump awarded (to James McCloughan of the @USArmy for conspicuous gallantry during the Vietnam War).
https://twitter.com/JerylBier/status/1189604324843950080?s=20 …
8:49 PM - Oct 30, 2019
Mike Vendetti
@VendettiAudio
Leave it to this piece of dog **** in the White House to disrespect our nation's highest award.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2019/10/30/trump-tweeted-photo-medal-honor-recipient-who-was-edited-out-replaced-by-dog/#click=https://t.co/LlIAzpjvsW …
Trump tweeted a photo of a Medal of Honor recipient — who was edited out and replaced by Conan the...
The president tweeted a photo taken from the Daily Wire that replaced an image of Medal of Honor recipient James McCloughan with one of Conan, the dog said ran down Islamic State leader Abu Bakr...
6:26 PM - Oct 30, 2019
Fauda فوضى
@liberte1787
Trump continues to dishonor our military daily, not only did he do them a disservice by attacking Lt Col Alexander Vindman, now he has photoshopped previous medal recipient James McCloughan with a military dog. Trump's contempt & disrespect for the US Military is Un-American.
Navy SEAL slams Trump for pardoning Eddie Gallagher: 'Shooting civilians and executing prisoners shouldn't be' political
Eliza Relman Dec 27, 2019, 1:30 PM
A Navy SEAL who testified against Chief Edward Gallagher in a war-crimes trial condemned President Donald Trump's interference in Gallagher's case in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune.
"When you look at politicians getting involved in military justice — whether it's a congressman from San Diego or the president — with their involvement, it isn't justice," the SEAL said. "It's political, when shooting civilians and executing prisoners shouldn't be."
Gallagher was charged with war crimes after he was accused by fellow SEALs of stabbing a young ISIS fighter to death in US and shooting at civilians, including women and children.
Gallagher was cleared of all but one charge by a military jury in July, and Trump intervened to restore his rank in November.
President Donald Trump's interventions in the military justice system to protect service members from war-crimes charges has upset many service members as well as Pentagon leadership.
One SEAL who testified against Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher during his trial criticized Trump and other politicians, including Republican Rep. Duncan Hunter, for intervening in the case.
"When you look at politicians getting involved in military justice — whether it's a congressman from San Diego or the president — with their involvement, it isn't justice," the SEAL, who was granted anonymity because he feared for his safety, said in a Tuesday interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune. "It's political, when shooting civilians and executing prisoners shouldn't be."
Gallagher was charged with several crimes, including murder, after fellow SEALs accused him of stabbing to death a young ISIS fighter who his platoon had captured and medically stabilized. Gallagher then posed with the dead teenager, holding him up by his hair.
His platoon also accused him of targeting civilians, including women and children, while shooting from sniper nests in Mosul.
Seven of the 22 SEALS in Gallagher's platoon testified against him. Gallagher has denied the charges and said the allegations were "blatant lies" made up by unhappy members of the platoon in an effort to force him out.
This week, The New York Times released videos of members of Gallagher's SEAL platoon describing his alleged crimes to Navy investigators in shocking and sometimes emotional interviews. The Times obtained thousands of text messages between the SEALs and hours of video recordings of the investigators' interviews.
"The guy is freaking evil, man," Special Operator First Class Craig Miller said in the video.
"You could tell he was perfectly okay with killing anybody that was moving," Special Operator First Class Corey Scott said.
Trump intervened even before the start of Gallagher's trial, which was also marred by prosecutorial misconduct. In July, Gallagher was acquitted on all counts except for one minor charge of posing for a celebratory photo with the captive's corpse.
Last month, Trump intervened again to overturn Gallagher's demotion, restoring his rank. Gallagher retired at the beginning of December.
Earlier this week, Trump invited Gallagher and his wife to Trump's Florida resort, where Gallagher gave the president and first lady what appeared to be a black-and-white ISIS flag captured in Iraq.
Hey Ollie. Where are you. You wanted some instances of Trump downplaying military men.
@RABEL222,
Real Music hasn't gotten back to me with an answer yet. I'm sure he'll reply at some point though.
@oralloy,
Pretending not to see the truth is a dishonorable act. I guess you're used to ignoring truth though.
@neptuneblue,
It is a trait of all tRump butt kissers. It is sad America has come to this, 3rd world fascist country tactics for these AntiAmerican jerks!
Published November 19, 2018
Quote:The president’s hot streak of disrespect continued Sunday when he sat down for an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. Trump took the opportunity to attack Admiral Bill McRaven, the 37-year Navy SEAL veteran who orchestrated the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Before Wallace could even finish asking Trump for his thoughts on critical comments made by McRaven, the president cut him off. “Hillary Clinton fan,” Trump interjected. Wallace continued. Trump cut him off again. “Excuse me: Hillary. Clinton. Fan.”
Wallace eventually finished pointing out how McRaven called Trump’s demonization of the free press the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime. Trump wasn’t moved. “OK, he’s a Hillary Clinton-backer,” the president said again. “He’s an Obama-backer. Frankly, wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that?”
Yes, the president casually dismissed one of America’s most decorated military heroes because he supported Hillary Clinton, which is — brace yourselves — a lie. McRaven never endorsed Clinton. He did, however, write an op-ed criticizing Trump’s decision in August to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan. “I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency,” McRaven wrote, effectively adding his name to the president’s **** list. McRaven could have singlehandedly won both world wars for the United States, but as soon as he uttered a syllable critical of Trump he became just as much an “Enemy of the People” as the free press he chose to side with over the president.
As one might expect, Trump’s comments have drawn bipartisan outrage. “Adm. McRaven is not a partisan individual. He’s a decorated former SEAL … who served his nation, not a party. I believe he is speaking out because he feels a moral obligation to do so, and note that Pres. Trump said nothing to refute Adm. McRaven’s criticism,” said Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). “I don’t know if Adm. William McRaven shares my political views or not,” Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted Monday morning, failing, of course, to mention the president by name. “But I do know that few Americans have sacrificed or risked more than he has to protect America & the freedoms we enjoy. His military career exemplified honor & excellence. I am grateful for his service.” Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling wasn’t so coy, calling Trump’s comments “disgusting.”
McRaven responded later on Sunday. “I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all Presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the Nation together in challenging times.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-mcraven-bin-laden-758075/
@Real Music,
Real Music wrote:Before Wallace could even finish asking Trump for his thoughts on critical comments made by McRaven, the president cut him off. "Hillary Clinton fan," Trump interjected. Wallace continued. Trump cut him off again. "Excuse me: Hillary. Clinton. Fan."
Is this being offered as an example of Mr. Trump disrespecting someone's military service?
@coldjoint,
Democrats don't collude with Russians like trump and mcconnal. You and Ollie are showing your inability to understand the written word.
@RABEL222,
You cannot provide any examples of he or I failing to understand something.
(Oralloy) ask me the question:
1. Is this being offered as an example of Mr. Trump disrespecting someone's military service?
2. My answer to Oralloy question is still:
Hell yes.
3. By the way, Oralloy taking a couple of lines out of context is very misleading.
4. So, once again I will repost the
entire article where everything can be read and seen in it's full context.
Quote:The president’s hot streak of disrespect continued Sunday when he sat down for an interview with Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday. Trump took the opportunity to attack Admiral Bill McRaven, the 37-year Navy SEAL veteran who orchestrated the mission that resulted in the death of Osama bin Laden. Before Wallace could even finish asking Trump for his thoughts on critical comments made by McRaven, the president cut him off. “Hillary Clinton fan,” Trump interjected. Wallace continued. Trump cut him off again. “Excuse me: Hillary. Clinton. Fan.”
Wallace eventually finished pointing out how McRaven called Trump’s demonization of the free press the greatest threat to democracy in his lifetime. Trump wasn’t moved. “OK, he’s a Hillary Clinton-backer,” the president said again. “He’s an Obama-backer. Frankly, wouldn’t it have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner than that?”
Yes, the president casually dismissed one of America’s most decorated military heroes because he supported Hillary Clinton, which is — brace yourselves — a lie. McRaven never endorsed Clinton. He did, however, write an op-ed criticizing Trump’s decision in August to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan. “I would consider it an honor if you would revoke my security clearance as well, so I can add my name to the list of men and women who have spoken up against your presidency,” McRaven wrote, effectively adding his name to the president’s **** list. McRaven could have singlehandedly won both world wars for the United States, but as soon as he uttered a syllable critical of Trump he became just as much an “Enemy of the People” as the free press he chose to side with over the president.
As one might expect, Trump’s comments have drawn bipartisan outrage. “Adm. McRaven is not a partisan individual. He’s a decorated former SEAL … who served his nation, not a party. I believe he is speaking out because he feels a moral obligation to do so, and note that Pres. Trump said nothing to refute Adm. McRaven’s criticism,” said Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI). “I don’t know if Adm. William McRaven shares my political views or not,” Sen Marco Rubio (R-FL) tweeted Monday morning, failing, of course, to mention the president by name. “But I do know that few Americans have sacrificed or risked more than he has to protect America & the freedoms we enjoy. His military career exemplified honor & excellence. I am grateful for his service.” Retired Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling wasn’t so coy, calling Trump’s comments “disgusting.”
McRaven responded later on Sunday. “I did not back Hillary Clinton or anyone else,” he told CNN’s Jake Tapper. “I am a fan of President Obama and President George W. Bush, both of whom I worked for. I admire all Presidents, regardless of their political party, who uphold the dignity of the office and who use that office to bring the Nation together in challenging times.”
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-mcraven-bin-laden-758075/
