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Khizr Khan, father of 27-year-old Army Captain Humayun Khan, who was awarded a Bronze star following his death in 2004 and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, speaks about Trump's obscene stunt of staging a political photo-op in the cemetery:

“It is appetite and ego, wherever he goes, whatever he does, wherever he stands."


/1

thedailybeast.com/gold-star-fa

The Daily Beast · Gold Star Father Khizr Khan: Trump Exploited Sacred Ground for His EgoBy Michael Daly

"Monday’s wreath-laying at Arlington was, in part, Trump’s attempt to clean up the mess he has created [by disrespecting miltary service and veterans], and to establish some credibility as a champion of men- and women-at-arms. But in the end, it merely served to remind Americans how little he understands about service, sacrifice, and heroism."

~ Charlie Sykes


/2

theatlantic.com/newsletters/ar

The Atlantic · Trump dishonors fallen soldiers againBy Charles Sykes

"Trump’s latest leaves me angry and appalled, that he would denigrate this solemn place for a photo op. How can this man be put back in charge of the country’s military when he clearly doesn’t respect them or what they do?

Remember that Trump got out of serving in Vietnam because of 'bone spurs.'”

~ Dan Rather


/3

steady.substack.com/p/a-new-lo

Steady · A New LowBy Dan Rather

"He has called American fighting men and women who paid the ultimate price 'suckers and losers.' He has ridiculed prisoners of war, like the late Senator John McCain. 'He’s not a war hero, he’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, okay?' Trump said during the 2016 campaign."

~ Dan Rather


/4

"A handout given to visitors titled 'Rules Governing Conduct' specifically prohibits 'political campaign or election-related activities within the cemeteries.' But that didn’t stop Trump’s political operatives from shooting campaign video and setting up photos with their malignant candidate standing over a gravestone, grinning and flashing a 'thumbs up.'"

~Steven Beschloss


/5

americaamerica.news/p/snapshot

America, America · Snapshot: The Further Desecration at Arlington By Steven Beschloss

"I felt it necessary to follow up on this nauseating, infuriating episode because it encapsulates why we should do whatever we can to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz—to make clear how done we are with a sociopath who exploits a hallowed place like Arlington, cares not one whit if he’s breaking laws, creates conflict and misery for his own personal benefit, then exacerbates the abuse when the actions are questioned."


/6

Wendell Griffen, an honorably discharged military veteran who has served as a judge and pastor of a church, says,

"We should be offended, but not surprised, that Donald Trump recently visited Arlington National Cemetery for political posturing.

We have seen Trump use the Holy Bible for political posturing, personal branding, and private profiteering."


/7

fierceprohetichope.blogspot.co

fierceprohetichope.blogspot.comDONALD TRUMP'S DISHONORING AND DISGUSTING STUNT AT ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY  ©Wendell Griffen, 2024 Little Rock, Arkansas   We should be offended, but not surprised, that Donald Trump recently visited Arlingto...

"He uses women in his family, notably Melania Trump (his wife) and Ivanka Trump (his daughter) as sex objects.

He used classified material stolen from the White House as personal swagger material.

He wanted to stage a Fourth of July military parade using military personnel and armored tracked vehicles on Washington streets to show his personal power.

Trump referred to flag officers of the U.S. military as 'my generals.'"


/8

"Long before Trump stomped onto the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery to exploit family members of fallen veterans of the U.S. war in Afghanistan at the gravesites of their loved ones, there was overwhelming evidence that Donald Trump is a vicious sociopathic idiot who only reveres himself, his celebrity, his wealth, and his power."


/9

"The latest stunt at Arlington Cemetery is further proof that Trump is an idolatrous buffoon, con artist, judged sex offender, pathological liar, commercial cheat, and convicted felon without any regard for the valor, devotion, and loyalty demonstrated by people who serve in the military, not to mention those who died in service to the nation, and their loved ones."


/10

"The fascist overtones from the Arlington National Cemetery incident are unmistakeable: a presidential campaign run like a gang, with enforcers shoving aside a public servant enforcing the rules and a mob of millions of supporters with a track record of doxxing, harassing, intimidating, & threatening anyone who gets in their candidate’s way, all the while being egged on by the candidate himself."

~ David Kurtz


/12

morningmemo.talkingpointsmemo.

Morning Memo · Cemetery Staffer Declines To Press Charges For Fear Of RetaliationBy David Kurtz

"You can’t blame the cemetery official for declining to press charges rather than put herself in the line of fire for continued and unending abuse. She didn’t sign up for that. She’s already been baselessly accused by the Trump campaign of having a 'mental health episode,' being 'despicable' and a 'disgrace,' and not deserving to have her job."


/13

"The erosion of any kind of strong, unified, national, countervailing force to Trump’s public bullying and nastiness only enables and emboldens the thuggery that is central to his appeal and that he has already notoriously used on Jan. 6 to try to retain power."


/14

"There's something fundamentally broken about Donald Trump, and it was on full display during his recent visit to Arlington National Cemetery. ...

This is where Trump's moral failing becomes most apparent. It's not just that he and his campaign were willing to break the law for a photo op; it's that they were so quick to vilify anyone who stood in their way."

~ Parker Molloy


/15

readtpa.com/p/trumps-arlington

The Present Age · Trump's Arlington Disgrace Reveals a Deeper Moral FailureBy Parker Molloy
William Lindsey :toad:

"The Arlington employee's fear of retaliation wasn't unfounded — it was a reminder of how Trump's influence has twisted the public discourse, where those who uphold the rules are the ones who end up under attack."


/16

"Today, it became known that the family of Army Master Sergeant Andrew Marckesano, a soldier buried next to the grave behind which Trump posed, told the New York Times that they had not given permission for Trump and his campaign to film his gravesite, which appeared in photographs and videos of Trump."

~ Lucian K. Truscott


/17

luciantruscott.substack.com/p/

Lucian Truscott Newsletter · Trump manages to disrespect both veterans and women as Arlington visit blows up his campaignBy Lucian K. Truscott IV

"'The Trump campaign staffers did not adhere to the rules that were set in place for this visit to Staff Sergeant Hoover’s gravesite in Section 60, which lays directly next to my brother’s grave,' Marckesano’s sister Michelle told the Times in a statement. Master Sergeant Marckesano served six tours in Afghanistan over the 20-year duration of that war, and died by his own hand in 2020 after a long battle with PTSD."


/18

"A spokesman for Arlington National Cemetery said today that holding a campaign event on its soil not only breaks the rules of the cemetery but is a violation of federal law."


/19

"The Republican Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, reportedly pulled strings to get Donald Trump into Arlington National Cemetery, amid what has become a scandal and a crisis for the ex-president’s campaign to re-take the White House and once again become Commander in Chief."

~ David Badash


/20

alternet.org/trump-arlington-m

Alternet.org · Trump’s Arlington scandal expands as Speaker Johnson’s role revealed: reportsBy David Badash

@wdlindsy My father is also buried at Arlington, and I wouldn’t have wanted Trump anywhere near his grave, no less filming!

@AlliFlowers I fully understand. I read commentary today by Will Selber stating that he knew comrades buried in the secton of the cemetery Trump desecrated and is appalled at Trump's desecration of all those graves.

thebulwark.com/p/trump-arlingt

The Bulwark · Trump Manages to Spoil One of Our Few Remaining Sacred SpacesBy Will Selber

@wdlindsy Being abused, then blamed for the abuse can be testified to by all victims of a Malignant Narcissist.

@Tharpa Yes, abuse heaped on abuse. Much is being written about that in recent years as sexual abuse of minors in religious communities has come to light and is being discussed.