This morning, President Trump disgraced himself before the world when he decided to skip a ceremony commemorating the end of the First World War and honored the sacrifices of the 53,402 Americans who gave their lives fighting that terrible conflict.
To add insult to injury, he couldn’t even be bothered to come up with a better excuse than “because it was raining,” choosing instead to send Chief of Staff John Kelly to attend in his place.
Via pooler @vmsalama on the cancellation of Trump’s visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery here in France due to bad weather (it’s raining here) pic.twitter.com/KdvfO2jEuU
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) November 10, 2018
The rain did not stop any of the other world leaders from doing their duties.
Theresa May , Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Justin Trudeau all paid respects.
Trump absence because of bad weather looks more awkward in photos: pic.twitter.com/YlJNapmWMF— Joyce Karam (@Joyce_Karam) November 10, 2018
His lazy, callous move made headlines around the world and prompted an immediate backlash from many, but none torched the president as powerfully as a grandson of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
They died with their face to the foe and that pathetic inadequate @realDonaldTrump couldn’t even defy the weather to pay his respects to The Fallen #hesnotfittorepresenthisgreatcountry
— Nicholas Soames (@NSoames) November 10, 2018
Nicholas Soames is a Conservative member of Parliament for Mid Sussex and a relative of the famous British leader who helped the world defeat the scourge of Nazism and also starved three million Bengalis to death in the famine of 1943.
His words are a powerful condemnation of the president and his cowardice as Veterans’ Day approaches and we honor those that have given their lives in service of their country. Trump’s track record when it comes to our troops is beyond awful, despite his incessant complaints otherwise.
Donald Trump waged a heartless feud against the widow of slain Green Beret La David Johnson, used the death of Chief of Staff Gen. Kelly’s son as a cudgel to attack President Obama with, famously dodged a meeting with veterans by sending Omarosa to meet with them instead, and slandered the parents of an Iraq War hero because they were Muslim.
There’s also the time he tried to get veteran vendors kicked off of New York’s 5th Avenue because they were “unsightly,” or the time he skipped a FOX News debate to hold a “fundraiser” for veterans and then had to be bullied by the media into actually paying out the money.
While the president publicly worships our veterans as part of his patriotic minstrel show for all of his hooting and baying fans, he’s made it clear time and time again that he couldn’t care less for their sacrifices beyond their own political utility to him and his ambitions — and this latest stunt is just more evidence for the ever-growing pile.
