White House under fire for suggesting general's remarks should not be questioned
Source: The Guardian
David Smith and Sabrina Siddiqui in Washington
Friday 20 October 2017 23.14 BST
The White House has been condemned for attempting to silence the media by warning that it is “highly inappropriate” to challenge the veracity of remarks by a military general. A reporter on Friday questioned a claim by the White House chief of staff, John Kelly, a retired four-star marine general, that the Democratic congresswoman Frederica Wilson had taken credit for securing funding for an FBI building in Florida. Chip Reid, a CBS News correspondent, said during the daily press briefing: “He was wrong yesterday in talking about getting the money. The money was secured before she came into Congress.” Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, replied coldly: “If you want to go after Gen Kelly, that’s up to you. But I think that if you want to get into a debate with a four-star marine general, I think that that’s something highly inappropriate."
Reid’s follow-up question was ignored and the implication – from a democratically elected civilian government – that a military general was beyond criticism was troubling to many. Perry O’Brien, a former army medic who served in Afghanistan, said: “It’s just another example of the administration hiding behind the uniform of others. That’s why it’s so unfortunate to see someone like Gen Kelly enable that and jump on the grenade that Trump threw.” O’Brien, organising director of Common Defense, a group of veterans against Trump, added: “When you say, ‘How dare you criticise a general?’, how about [former Trump national security adviser] Gen Michael Flynn, who was the first to resign after we learned they were colluding with foreign powers? I don’t think most generals would say a star on your shoulder makes you immune from criticism.”
Kelly appeared at the White House podium on Thursday, to defend Trump against the charge that he caused offence during a call with the widow of Sgt La David Johnson, one of four US soldiers killed in Niger earlier this month by Islamic State fighters. Wilson heard the call and criticised Trump for disrespecting Johnson’s widow, Myeshia.
While defending the president, Kelly – whose son Robert was killed in Afghanistan in 2010 – accused Wilson of “grandstanding” in a 2015 speech by saying she was instrumental in getting funding for an FBI building in Florida and took care of her constituents because she got the money. Wilson denied the charge and video evidence appeared to support her account.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/20/trump-feud-florida-congresswoman-john-kelly
= new reply since forum marked as read
And American citizens have a duty and an obligation to question generals and everyone else. Also, welcome to DU! 
you assholes keep forgetting one important little thing, to protect and defend the Constitution--------------well guess what you all are failures to do that little thing, which is so important, and we don't bow to TRAITORS, so FUCK YOU
