As a cuck RINO NeverTrump traitor, I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching about the things I got wrong during Election 2016. I begged the GOP not to nominate Donald Trump, for the same reason the liberal media celebrated his nomination: We both assumed he’d lose.* We both underestimated Hillary Clinton’s boundless capacity for failure. Awful, ignominious, soul-crushing failure. Failure so complete, so humiliating, that it has driven her acolytes irretrievably insane.
This faulty assumption, this mistaken belief that America hated him more than her, was one of the reasons I remember feeling a sense of relief back in July 2015. It was one month after Trump announced his candidacy, and he said the following about the late John McCain:
“He’s not a war hero. He’s a war hero ’cause he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured, okay? I hate to tell ya.”
Well, that’s it, I figured. Trump’s candidacy just collapsed on the launching pad. Who’s gonna vote for a guy who says stupid crap like that?
D’oh!
Congratulations, Trumpkins. You proved me wrong. It turned out you didn’t care what Trump said about a decorated veteran, prisoner of war, United States senator, and Republican candidate for president in 2008. It turned out you didn’t care about a statement like that, coming from an aspirant to the commander in chief of America’s armed forces. Hell, you didn’t care about pretty much any of the moronic garbage Trump said and did. Good for you.
So maybe I shouldn’t be surprised that Trump is hanging onto his vendetta against McCain, even after the man’s death:
In the Oval Office just now I asked @realDonaldTrump if he had any thoughts on the legacy on John McCain. He heard me but did not answer. pic.twitter.com/reVwoJCMzV
— Jonathan Karl (@jonkarl) August 27, 2018
Flag back at full staff atop WH. Pres Trump did not issue proclamation on the death of @SenJohnMcCain, which usually calls for flags to remain at half-staff through the day of interment, which is Sunday at the @NavalAcademy. pic.twitter.com/NGasNPT0VB
— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) August 27, 2018
Camera shot facing south over the White House – you can see the flag at the WH at full staff while the flags surrounding the Washington Monument are lowered pic.twitter.com/xT2KdPLgpB
— Karen Travers (@karentravers) August 27, 2018
If you don’t think this is a purposeful snub… #MAGA!
How much would it cost Trump to make some small gesture of reconciliation? How much would it cost him to say something halfway civil? “We had our disagreements, but I honor his service to our country. My condolences go out to his family.” Sure, everybody would know it was BS, and the press would find fault with it. But if your enemies are going to attack you no matter what you do, why not do the right thing?
Showing a moment of grace at the passing of a man he personally hated would cost Donald Trump nothing but his pride. And that would be far too high a price.
This isn’t about two guys who couldn’t stand each other. It’s bigger than that. It’s about the commander in chief and a deceased veteran. It’s about the duties that Donald Trump agreed to take on when he was sworn in.
We all know these things no longer matter because #HeFights, but this behavior is beneath the dignity of the office. I would’ve said the same thing if this had happened when, say, Barack Obama was president. If you wouldn’t… why not?
If you voted for Trump with the assumption that he would grow into the office, then you have my condolences. Behavior like this is one of the many reasons I couldn’t bring myself to give in. I hoped he’d change in office, but just as with all my other hopes over the past few years, it was misplaced.
I’ve never been prouder that I didn’t allow myself into get bullied into supporting this guy. I’ve been wrong about all the barriers in the path of the Trump Train, but I do not regret letting it leave me at the station.
Enjoy the ride, guys. I’m fine right here.
*Remember this? John Oliver wishes you didn’t.
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