White House decision to cancel veteran's cemetery on France visit creates a storm of its own

[DonViejo]

Source: NBC News


The White House cited weather concerns for the cancellation but the decision isn't sitting well with some European observers.


President Donald J. Trump arrives at the Elysee Palace to meet with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France on Nov. 10 2018.Christophe Petit-Tesso / EPA

Nov. 10, 2018 / 12:50 PM EST / Updated 1:16 PM EST

By Carol E. Lee and Kristen Welker

PARIS — The White House’s decision on Saturday to scrap the president’s visit to a cemetery for fallen American soldiers due to weather is creating a bit of a storm of its own.

President Donald Trump was scheduled to take a 30-minute helicopter ride from Paris to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial in Belleau, France. But a rainy forecast for the city made it too risky for him to safely fly there, the White House said a couple hours before he was to arrive at the cemetery.

"The President and First Lady’s trip to Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial has been canceled due to scheduling and logistical difficulties caused by the weather,” the White House announced.

White House chief of staff John Kelly and Gen. Joseph Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made the roughly 50-mile long trip to the cemetery in a small motorcade of vehicles. The drive took about 90 minutes each way. Separately, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel traveled a similar distance by car to a commemorative event in northern France.

Read more: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/white-house-decision-cancel-veteran-s-cemetery-france-visit-creates-n934796

[Laffy Kat]

1. Snowflakes melt in the rain. nt

[busterbrown]

5. Your not referring to Sargent Bonespur....

Are You?

[Johnyawl]

7. Cadet Bonespur...

...Sen. Tammy Duckworth's name for him.

Sargeants are usually people who know what they're doing.

[busterbrown]

15. Even Better! N.T.

[Johnyawl]

23. yeah, I always thought she nailed that one.

[keithbvadu2]

63. Trump... Cadet Bone Spurs' Military Medal

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211411288

Trump... Cadet Bone Spurs' Military Medal

[mgardener]

37. Who knew...

Bone spurs did too?????

He is a national disgrace.

[LiberalLovinLug]

43. lol for the win!

[duforsure]

2. Every service member needs to remember this

As trump shows no respect for those lost in WW1.

[Johnyawl]

22. Especially every past, present and future Marine...

Last edited Sat Nov 10, 2018, 04:51 PM - Edit history (1)

...there are Marines buried at that cemetary that died at Belleau Wood, a battle that the Marines are renowned for. (the 5th & 6th regiments will wear the French fourragere that they earned at Belleau Wood for the rest of their existence.) And that man-baby disrespected us on the 243rd birthday of the Marine Corps.

I woke up this morning, put my flags up (Stars & Stripes and the Marine Corps flag), came in turned on my computer, and news out of France was the first thing I saw. I wanted to punch someone, and I'm too old for that shit.

[sarge43]

32. "I wanted to punch someone ..."

Two retired Zoomers here. Hubby wanted to prep a couple of Mk82s and I wanted to cut an order sending Cadet Bonespurs to the latrine detachment in hell.

Happy Birthday, Devil Dogs. Always faithful.

Just for the record: 116,708 Americans died doing their duty in that horror.

[Docreed2003]

54. Pisses me right the fuck off

As I said in another thread, to borrow from Daniel Daly..."Come on you son of a bitch. Your shitty hair won't live forever!!"

[Docreed2003]

55. Also Happy Birthday Devil Dogs!

From an FMF "squid" surgeon

[redstatebluegirl]

3. He didn't want his orange mane to fly around and show he is almost bald.

[appalachiablue]

6. Plastic works, trash bag. Could have driven to the event like Kelly, others.

[IcyPeas]

4. But he loves the military, right?

Soldiers died.... but hey, it's raining.....

He's a prick.

[PeeJ52]

8. Cmon.. give the guy a break...

How can you expect him to sit in a car for a 90 minute ride with Melania after what came out in the WSJ about him being an unindicted co-conspirator in the paying off of his mistresses while she was having their son? At least if he stays in the hotel he can run to the bar and have a water with Putin or pretend to have an important meeting or something...

[PeeJ52]

9. Oh...

I hope we can get a tally on all the other heads of state that didn't attend... Wouldn't it be interesting if tRump was the only one?

[Leghorn21]

10. Who knew Plaid Shirt Guy had a distant cousin living in Paris?!?

THANKS, UMBRELLA GUY

[sinkingfeeling]

21. +100

[Johnyawl]

26. the Secret Service should have arrested him...

...just for that look. lmao.

[Hermit-The-Prog]

40. defines "side eye"

That look is the first thing that caught my eye in the photo. Congrats to the man for having the fortitude to not act on what that look says.

[FarPoint]

45. OMG!

Perfect mirror images....

[left-of-center2012]

11. This ...

Kelly Magsamen, who served on the National Security Council under both Republican and a Democratic presidents, said it displayed “real low energy,” for Trump "to not bother to honor the sacrifice of American soldiers in WWI due to some rain. Somehow everyone else was able to do so today.”

[RKP5637]

12. All his makeup, orange shit on his face and dyed hair might run in the rain. n/t

[LakeArenal]

31. Actually you are probably100% correct.

[left-of-center2012]

13. Awaiting Sarah Huckleberry Sanders comment on this

[Timmygoat]

18. Funny

The other leaders made it there, I really cringe at the thought of what other countries think of us, my husband after retiring from the military was part of the commission that took acre of all the American cemetery's and monuments in Europe, we lived there and I do not remember other leaders ever missing the memorial day ceremonies.
If he did not want to travel by helicopter why did he not travel by car, as the others did?
The Europeans were shocked, as well as we were.

[LiberalArkie]

24. They really do not think much of us. We a just the worlds bullies.

[maddiemom]

38. "Who's WE, Kemo Sabe?

[riversedge]

59. ....White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended the president's decision not to travel by mot

....White House press secretary Sarah Sanders defended the president’s decision not to travel by motorcade to the cemetery. “We can't shut the city down for four hours for him to go there and back plus the asset issue” referring to US security resources,” she told NBC News.

Sanders said Trump’s view of the change was: “We had the two best marines that he knows there to represent our country with General Kelly and General Dunford.”

Sanders noted the weather doesn’t look promising for Trump’s Sunday trip to honor U.S. soldiers who died in both world wars.

More than 2,000 soldiers are buried at the World War I cemetery, many of whom died in the Battle of Belleau Wood. Kelly and Dunford, who were joined by their wives, placed a wreath in front of the cemetery’s chapel and walked through the rows of gravestones under a low cloud cover and a light rain.

After his visit to the town of Compiègne, where Germany and France signed the 1918 armistice, Macron posted a photo of the two leaders at the site with a single word — “Unis” — which is French for “united.”..........
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/white-house-decision-cancel-veteran-s-cemetery-france-visit-creates-n934796

[ffr]

14. Coward. What a mouse-like weakling disrespectful act, dishonoring those who gave everything.

Donald J. Trump is despicable.

[Pisces]

16. He doesn't care about anything but himself. A total pig!!

[AZ8theist]

17. What do you expect...

From an IMBECILIC ASSHOLE who doesn't know the difference between the Baltic states and the Balkans..

Fucking embarrassment..

[IMG][/IMG]

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

19. What a wimp!

[samnsara]

20. hes so frikken lazy he wont even RIDE in the back seat of a car 50 miles...

….I bet hes golfing somewhere..or napping!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

28. I'm guessing the SS was afraid.....

the French would throw rotten eggs at him on the trip. Also sounds suspicious that a 'chopper couldn't go, since our military rarely lets rain stop their flights.

As with all things Trump, I smell a sinister motive..... ....

[Hermit-The-Prog]

41. sinister motive: Putin

Diaper Don may have been told by his puppetmaster Putin to stay away and cause further erosion of U.S. influence.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

46. Yes, my thinking too, Hermit.

tRump's minders don't want him to be seen as too cozy with Europe's leadership. Trump, Putin and their ilk despise the EU.

Let's hope the right-wing resurgence in Europe and elsewhere fizzles soon. Trump's upcoming crash should help that along!

[SeattleVet]

44. They rarely cancel flights for rain, but remember...

those are usually just military enlisted and officers, and he's the POTUS, so he's 'special', and he doesn't care about what the military has to go through on a daily basis...especially those who have to do it in support of the orange turd.

But, if there is even a small chance that he'll have another 'bad hair day', all bets are off.

[CottonBear]

36. I don't think he can walk long distances without assistance.

Then there’s the hair and orange makeup issues.

He has insulted, manhandled and shoved so many world leaders, not to mention the fact that Merkel hates him.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

67. He probably heard the cell reception was lousy enroute and he couldn't tweet.

Or maybe the prospect of spending three hours cooped up with his wife turned his stomach. I know it would hers.

[bluestarone]

25. I say

TRUE COLORS SHINING THROUGH HERE!!!!

[SHRED]

27. Mysteriously other world leaders made it there

[Thekaspervote]

29. Here's a real president at Normandy

[Johnyawl]

34. Yes, a REAL President. And...

...a real journalist. god I miss those days.

[world wide wally]

30. And the deplorables are ready to follow this regged he-man into war.

(I think we got this in the bag, resistance).

[LakeArenal]

33. He's also pissed that the EU wants form it's own army.

[Maeve]

35. Weak baby. So sad! eom

[Victor_c3]

39. If service actually meant something to him, he would have showed up to anything.

Can’t make the helicopter to the 50-mile away one? Find a monument closer. Anything, however small, holds meaning to those who served and to those who have lost in war.

In another thread I replied to, I said basically “good. He doesn’t belong near a military memorial given his public disdain for Soldiers”.

If it was important to him to make an appearance, he would have done so.

On the other hand, a guy who did serve (General Kelley), gets it and made it.

Not related to this, but I was in Germany for a number of years when I was in the military. On Veterans Day, German WWII vets showed up to the same memorials we did to pay our respects. Soldiers, on all sides, get it.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

48. Looks like folks at Military.com are not to happy either....

President Under Fire After Canceling WWI Cemetery Visit Due to Weather
10 Nov 2018
Agence France Presse
By Clare Byrne and Francis Curta

Link: https://www.military.com/daily-news/2018/11/10/president-under-fire-after-cancelling-wwi-cemetery-visit-due-weather.html

(snips)

The cancellation drew derision from some critics, with several suggesting he was afraid of messing up his hair and others noting that the rain had not stopped French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel or Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from visiting memorials.

"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," tweeted Nicholas Soames, a British Conservative member of parliament and grandson of Winston Churchill.

"Donald Trump complained about having to stand in the rain, to speak about the massacre in Pittsburgh, because it messed his hair up (more)," the VoteVets veterans lobby group tweeted. "Today, he will skip honoring fallen American heroes of WWI, and stay in his hotel room, because of some rain."
---------
Trump was compared unfavorably by some to his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama. "Unlike Trump, a little rain never stopped President Obama from honoring our fallen war heroes on Veterans Day," former Pentagon official Adam Blickstein tweeted along with a picture of Obama carrying a wreath at a rain-soaked remembrance ceremony.

..............

[Rorey]

42. Well, he definitely shouldn't ever get to have his military parade

It could rain then too.

I suppose he'd try to sue God for the weather.

[Guilded Lilly]

47. They should all call him out personally on his foul spineless stunt. He should have just stayed...

the FUCK away, period. Everywhere he goes he takes his toxic, nation-humiliating, carnival act.
Beyond an embarrassment, now. The ugliest American in history. The damage this graceless slime has already created is lethal to our country's standing and global stratus as a solid, dependable, intelligent nation of dignity and strength.

And any person who still stands by him for any reason is equally as vile.

[CTyankee]

49. Way to go, you ass. Now you are going to piss off veterans who see your disrespect.

Good. Keep going with this. You're gonna end up pissing everyone off...

[KY_EnviroGuy]

50. If this event had been a huuuuge political rally for him....

He would have been there with bells on and a brass band.........

[LiberalLovinLug]

51. But I suppose his "pro-military" cult followers will be fine with it

[IrishObserver]

52. Make Sanders Explain

Sanders needs to be asked why the helicopter couldn't fly and then why the President could not go by road. And if she tries that crap of muttering an ignorant, sullen non-answer then pointing to another journalist, the next journalist should ask her the very same question, and the next after that etc

[Hoyt]

53. Majority of military voted for him in 2016, suspect same again in 2020 if he runs.

[IrishObserver]

56. If that happens they deserve disrespect

I mean the man takes a dump on their service and they still vote for him? How stupid are they?

[Cold War Spook]

57. Why would he go there?

These soldiers died in combat, he only likes the ones that didn't.

[ribrepin]

58. Well - he doesn't his heros to be captured

I guess he doesn't like ones who were killed.

[paleotn]

60. Spin this f up, magats.

[LudwigPastorius]

61. Trumps have a long history of cowardice and contempt for the military.

His grandaddy, Friedrich, was tossed out of Germany for failing to fulfill his military commitment.

His father, Fred, was investigated for profiteering off of housing for WWII vets.

Little Donny got five deferments that helped him dodge the draft, one for "bone spurs" that magically healed themselves later.
...and, we all know how Trump denigrated a grieving family that lost their son in Iraq, and publicly insulted a Senator for being captured in Vietnam.

Now this.

The piece-of-shit-in-chief can't bother to take a car ride to honor America's dead on the 100th anniversary of the end of the Great War?

Fuck that traitorous coward.

[keithbvadu2]

62. Some people served in the rain.

Some people served in the rain.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211410305

[JohnnyRingo]

64. You know it's about his hair.

We all know what that duck's ass comb over must look like after it gets wet.

Dickhead wouldn't take that chance just to honor some losers who couldn't beat the draft.

[YOHABLO]

65. So Pathetic ... guess FLOTUS didn't want to get her 'Jimmy Choo's' wet.

[Tarheel_Dem]

66. Could you imagine the hysterics on the right if that were Obama or Hillary? We'd have protests of...

angry gun toters marching outside the White House for "disrespecting our war dead". The shit that Trump gets away with, without a peep from certain quarters is just unbelievable.