During his campaign, and through the first 23 months of his term in office, Donald Trump has repeatedly made statements that demean the military. He has also ignored key events honoring those who serve.

Trump verbally abused the Gold Star parents of Captain Humayun Khan and then bristled and demeaned John McCain when he criticized Trump’s behavior.

Trump has disparaged the military command. In an NBC interview he said, “I know more about ISIS than the generals do.” He recently criticized retired Admiral William McRaven, who led the group that captured Osama bin Laden, claiming that he “should have captured bin Laden sooner.”

Trump’s recent trip to Paris resulted in his unwillingness to visit a WWI cemetery honoring the centennial of the end of that war because of a little rain. He followed that up by refusing to attend Veterans Day ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery after his return.

Trump is not above using the military in his electioneering. He directed a few thousand troops to the Mexican border to “protect” us from a “caravan” of people fleeing violence and seeking asylum. Given this action, you would think a visit to those troops on Thanksgiving would be in order, rather than spending the day in Mar-a-Lago with his rich friends. But this president has yet to visit troops in any current theater. It has been reported that he is afraid to do so.

Trump received multiple draft deferments and never served during the Vietnam conflict. But he did brag about his record during that period in an interview with Howard Stern, explaining that he slept with many women without getting STDs.

“It is my personal Vietnam,” he said. “I feel like a great and very brave soldier,” adding, “This is better than Vietnam. It’s more fun.”

Appropriate words from a narcissistic, misogynistic, xenophobic, bullying coward.

Gretta Van Bree

Lincoln Township