Lt. Col. Stuart Scheller, the Marine who has ended up in the brig in Camp Lejeune for making a video criticizing Pentagon top dogs for the Afghanistan catastrophe, had a few choice words for former President Trump and a host of others in a lengthy rant he posted on Facebook just before he was arrested. His hostility to Trump is incongruous, given that it was Biden’s woke military brass that he took to task, but from the looks of his Facebook posting, clearly Scheller thinks of himself as above it all, possessed of insight far beyond America’s present bitter divisions. That’s wonderful, but now that he has alienated practically everyone, it’s unclear who he thinks should or will fight to get him sprung.
Scheller writes to Trump with withering contempt:
President Trump. I was told by everyone to kiss the ring because of your following and power. I refuse. While I respect your foreign policy positions, I hate how you divided the country. I don’t need or want your help. You do not have the ability to pull US together. You may even win the next election. But your generation’s time is running out. Tell your son to stop tweeting about me. Your whole family knows nothing about US or our sacrifices. I could never work with you. I’d rather sit in jail and be released with a dishonorable than make compromises in my beliefs.
Despite having such low regard for Trump, the far-seeing Marine officer found Trump’s predecessors no better: “President Obama. Great at speeches… obviously weak in any intestinal fortitude. President Bush Jr. great at speeches… obviously ignorant in thinking he could import democracy. President Clinton. Great at bringing Congress together… obviously morally bankrupt. This includes his wife.”
Scheller does respect one president. He may be the only person in the entire world who considers George H. W. Bush, the forty-first president, a “genius.” He criticizes General David Petraeus for not heeding Poppy Bush’s wisdom: “History somehow forgot George Bush Sr.’s genius. If you were half as smart as him, you would have recommended an efficient withdraw much sooner than the long wars you promoted. But that would have marginalized the theory of your genius.”
Numerous others came into Sheller’s sights: “General Mattis. The warrior monk. We all know you became a monk because you are gay. To be clear, my generation don’t care about sexuality. We are better than that. But our generation does care about honesty. You brought to my Infantry Officer Course 1-06 what can only be described as a female prop. It was uncomfortable for all of us. As soon as you left, we all knew you were a liar.”
Scheller despises General Michael Flynn also, for the crime of claiming to “understand” the noble Scheller himself: “General Flynn. You gave interviews about me. Pretending to understand me. You are the same as the rest. You were caught in a lie. My generation is sick of your lies. We are not the same. Stop speaking my name as if you understand me. You could never understand US.”
Likewise misunderstanding the great Scheller is author Bill Lind, who “just wrote an article about my moral courage titled The View from Olympus: The Scheller Affair and Moral Courage. Let me be clear Mr. Lind, despite your contributions to the Marine Corps, you could never understand me. And my contempt for the academics who have attached themselves to the military machine runs deep.” Poor misunderstood lamb!
Does anyone understand the great man? Apparently not. In any case, after receiving criticism for lashing out at the very people who were fighting for his rights, Scheller walked back his assessment of Trump in a new Facebook post the following day:
I’ve had such a strong reaction to my comments against President Trump I felt a follow up clarification was required. No, President Trump didn’t divide the country. But President Trump, in my humble opinion, is incapable of bringing us back together. Did he expose the corruption in the DOJ, media, and other places… yes. Was he the right person to expose the corruption at that time… maybe. Is he honest, accountable, and full of integrity… no. Would I want to work for a leader like that… no. I want a leader that will bring US together. Someone who has the courage to defend our country when called. My sons deserve that type of leader running the country in the future. That type of person is the only leader who I want in my corner. I respect all opinions. I’m not asking you to agree with me, but to at least consider my perspective. Much love.
There is just one problem with this: Scheller did say quite clearly that Trump divided the country. It would have been more respectable if he had acknowledged what he said and retracted and apologized, rather than simply affirm the opposite of what he said the previous day without explanation.
Stuart Scheller should not be in the brig, and there is no doubt that if he had criticized Trump while Trump was still president, he would not have been jailed. He deserves justice, and those who are fighting for his cause are right to do so. But if this self-important, self-absorbed, petulant whiner is an example of officers in the U.S. military today, it’s no wonder that we’re in the fix we’re in.
“What happens when all you do is speak truth and no one wants to hear it,” muses Scheller. “But they can probably stop listening because… I’m crazy… right?” Yeah, maybe. But you still deserve justice. And the Trump supporters for which you clearly have so much contempt are going to keep fighting for you.
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