Betsy Ross flew F-15s when she wasn't making flags.
8
The only thing worse than plagiarism is the attempt to copy greatness using different words on the same structure and fail miserably.
John F. Kennedy, American University, June 10, 1963:
Our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.
Donald J. Trump, Lincoln Memorial, July 4, 2019:
We are one people chasing one dream and one magnificent destiny. We all share the same heroes, home, heart and we are all made by the same almighty God.
“…made by the same almighty God”? In one fell swoop Trump demolished science and denied everyone’s faith and beliefs but that of his white Evangelicals, his voters in the Midwest, to say nothing of the separation of church and state the Founders built this country on. A shameful moment for America. A moment when an ignorant charlatan flattened everything this country used to stand for.
PS. In religion-speak, for those who believe in a creator, God did not make them. He created them (yes there is a difference). If you are going to become bishop as well as king, Trump, at least get your words right.
14
President Trump's reality lives in his head as it is all about him, him, and Him. America is just a prop.
9
Tanks for the memories Donald. 😀
2
Must've been a challenge for him to NOT talk about his Space Force branch of the military... so hard.
We have kids in cages.
10
I can’t find the official transcript of the oratory.
Blaming the rain is so Trumpesque.
I really want to know what word “airports” was supposed te be.
The adult response to his blunder would have been to “tweet” the corrected sentence.
4
It was like the car crash on the highway, that you don’t want to look at but you do. So like many, I had to watch.
My fave moments, when our POTUS read his random list of patriots. When he got to Frederick Douglas, I wondered if Trump even knew who these people were. Maybe Douglas was like Kanye West as far as Trump knew.
Another highlight for me was the introduction of “Acting Secretary of Defense” in this revolving door of cabinet positions. I honestly didn’t know if we had one this week.
Overall, I was glad that the Heavens had opened up and poured mightily on Trump’s parade. And I was astounded that he didn’t end with “Lock Her Up”. A sad day for democracy overall.
12
I understand that the President wanted to honor the troops. We have holidays to do that. To me, Independence Day represents values expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights; the striving of humanity to lift itself up toward freedom for all people. Those values do not come through killing and killing machines. To me, Independence Day represents that which is uplifting in the human spirit.
16
What an embarrassingly cheesy spectacle. I wonder whether it is a good idea for the American press to cover these campaign events of Trump's. Seems like a better idea would be coverage by an army of hundreds of accountants and fraud investigators who could root out the financial malfeasance that paid for this circus.
12
J Clarke: When you learn to use the correct English, I might pay some, not much, attention to you.
3
It wasn't much as far as the buildup was concerned. I'd been there for 4th of July festivities many times growing up.
It was a bore to me. The speech. given mostly without emotion, smacked of googling random facts and taking notes from Wiki and then never really tying any theme together.
No real excitement, crowd behind Trump not terribly engaged.
I'm sure his supporters enjoyed it. I doubt any new ones were cultivated.
Worth the money spent? Not hardly I'd say.
Worth being there? Always, but not for the same reasons this time.
Glad always for any military honorees but all seemed disjointed and not well thought through to me.
4
This “event” , essentially a citizen (who found a way through his social position evaded the draft) manipulating the military in the same vein as dictators always do, on the day celebrating our Nation’s Birthday and the essence of our democracy and position in the world?!!?
This was the political equivalent to a wealthy divorced man buying a Porsche or Corvette convertible to distract his target audiences (political base) away from his inadequacies and short comings.
The 4th of July, needs to be revered, not politicized and manipulated (an invitation only crowd? Not acknowledging the traditional homage event to our nation a half mile away?). Prior to the event the White House concerned about turnout, not our Nation’s birthday?
A sad state for this nation
8
A speech from Donald Trump with historical references is better than watching Comedy Central's "Drunk History"!!
According to Donald the continental army, "seized the airports", and "under the rockets red glare" was victorious at Fort McHenry. Right battle, wrong war. He forgot to mention how Washington defeated the Hessians at Gettysburg.
His knowledge of history is akin to that of a seven-year-old. If the president is this clueless about basic history, when he talks with foreign leaders, how can they take him and anything he says seriously? He seems to invent "facts" out of thin air.
If any of the democratic candidates for the presidency were to utter any of these blunders, their candidacy would be finished. Yet Trump's supporters think nothing of it and want four more years of this sewage.
20
NYT: please clarify. Were there members of the military wearing things that were clearly political?
"Speaking to a rain-soaked audience filled with troops decked out in “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2020” paraphernalia, the president finally presided over the grand military display that he has wanted since witnessing the Bastille Day parade in Paris two years ago."
1
I am disturbed that the Times saw fit not to mention Mr. Trump's saying revolutionary troops took over airports and misattributing the siege of Fort McHenry to the revolutionary war.
Nor was the size of the crowd reported, beyond the word "thousands." Two thousand? A hundred thousand? It makes a difference, and is part of the story.
It appears the Times is bending over backwards to appear impartial, to the detriment of basic reporting.
15
So much drama in the comments today, and many references to "fascism." I agree that its a little jarring to see tanks and military hardware adjacent to the Lincoln Memorial -- hallowed ground that is meant to be a place of peaceful reflection.
But this event was about Mr. Trump, not about the disintegration of our government or our democratic system. In 2016 we elected to office a person who craves attention. Its our own fault.
Until that changes, we have Congress and the Supreme Court to ensure our democracy lives on. I am not losing any sleep, and neither should you.
2
How could the “troops” possibly be wearing Trump regalia? There are no photos in the piece or elsewhere I’ve looked to suggest anything of the sort. Moreover the military is expressly apolitical. This is an understandably clumsy choice of wording in a spot story but members of the military I imagine are justifiably furious. If it didn’t happen as reported it should be corrected immediately.
4
I spent a good deal oif my youth at anti Viet Nam war protests. & much as I loathe Trump, I prefer cowardly bone spur types to those who went over there to murder the Viet Names, who had done nothing to us.
2
Mr. Trump is antithetical to everything the forth of July represents. Wrapping yourself with the flag does not make a patriot. Trump American vision is clearly visible by the company he keeps, the Kims and Putin's of the world.
8
God was crying. again, like at 45s inauguration.
9
Any active member of the military in uniform, displaying partisan paraphernalia or chanting political slogans, should earn at least an Article 15 or more appropriately, a reduction in rank. Meanwhile, how a current member of the military or veteran could admire this chickenhawk draft dodger is a source of mystification to me.
12
All the pomp and circumstance in the world can’t hide the fact that we families separated and children and adults in cages in defiance of the words on the Statue of Liberty. My father used to say, “judge someone by their actions, not their words”.
6
Trump doesn’t want unity. He thrives on discord. He thrives on distortion. He thrives on lies. He thrives on attack. None of those things equal unity unless we all become as abysmal as he is. I have no intention of becoming a cruel bully. Trump cannot unify what he has torn in half because he lacks the skill to mend.
8
As a veteran who will support anyone but President Trump, I love the troops, military equipment, and pageantry. It would be wonderful for the President to use his love for Air Force One and travel to various military bases to support troops.
The day was pro-American and probably pro-Trump, but demonstrating support for America's military makes me proud to be a veteran.
3
The good news is all the public and media pushback against this unnecessary vanity project did reduce its size, scope and cost far below the grandiose wishes of the current White House occupant.
7
I’ll say this on Trump’s behalf: thank the shade of Tom Paine that the man’s this lazy and incompetent.
His viciousness, manipulative racism, and greedheadedness would be a far bigger disaster than they already are, if it weren’t for the cheap display (two tanks and two APCs on trailers that only VIPs could see?), or the cheap speech (Edison and the lightbulb? Seriously?), or the bizarre version of history (uh...airfields?), or the general ‘tude of, “Hey, I’ll drone along for twenty minutes, and the suckers will buy it, because the suckers will buy ANYTHING I sell ‘em.”
About the best Trumpists can come up with, at the point, is a lot of screaming, some bluster, some threats, general bla-bla. Oh, and a lot of recitation of the same old phony “facts.” It’s really devolved below their old tries at maybe trying to explain why massive tax cuts for the wealthy cut the deficit because Laffer: now, they just tiredly repeat the same old junk. Seriously, even the bellowing is starting to fray around the edges. Notice how many of the posts just chant the same bored guff?
Can you imagine Trump’s gawdawfulness combined with somebody like Obama’s self-discipline and competence? Or more accurately, Putin’s?
Sure, Trump’s laziness, ignorance, and stupidity are costing us around the world, and bigly. Sure, there’s an ugly chance that somebody’s gonna get tired of being screamed at, look at Trump’s crawfishing, shrug, and throw a serious punch at us.
But if the man had a clue...
9
“Many military families who received invitations to a V.I.P. section close to the president’s stage appeared to all but ignore the usual understanding that members of the armed forces should not engage in partisan political activity. Many wore Trump’s MAGA hats and openly campaigned for Trump’s re-election, chanting, “Four more years.””
More than “ the usual understanding ...”: When military members are in uniform and also wear political campaign paraphernalia, they are violating *military regulations*. They probably know it and don’t care. Their superior officers should *make* them care! This isn’t the Venezuelan military, yet (I hope).
6
What frightens me is how Trump is turning the military political and prepping them to defend him if he decides not to leave office after losing in 2020 or, God forbid, after two terms in 2024. Very frightening days if this happens.
5
What, no nuclear warheads on parade?? I am disappointed.
Rather reminiscent of a parade I saw in 1984 in Beijing celebrating October 1st founding of the People’s Republic of China. Except, that one was much better.
4
I miss Obama. Barack would have inspired. Trump's history lesson was boring.
8
@markmcg Barack would have had Betsy Ross era flags flying! Oh, he already did that.
2
"Trump calls for unity".
And at the same time, he's trying to dream up ways to skew the Census count to favor his political party.
And at the same time, his administration is separating children of legal asylum seekers from their parents, and detaining both the parents and children in squalid and inhumane conditions.
And at the same time he is cutting taxes for millionaires, billionaires, and corporations. And raising tariffs paid by millions of ordinary American consumers.
And at the same time he's changing the status of LBGTQ citizens who want to serve in the military he adores so publicly.
And at the same time he's sending that fabulous military to the border as a political stunt.
Sure, Trump calls for "unity". Watch what he does, not what he says - everything he does is to divide America, and pander to his "base".
13
Was not at the celebration, but would love to know how many film cameras were. Trump orchestrated this event to get footage of him in all his patriotic glory, so he has pictures to use for upcoming campaign ads. Think about how beautiful those images will be. The prez on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial addressing America, with thousands of adoring D.C. visitors and tourists wearing red, white, and blue-- being passed off as Trump supporters. The best part? All produced on the taxpayer dime! Bet the footage is already in the editing process!
8
Oh how disappointed the liberals are that their prognosis of a campaign speech was completely wrong. What could the Times and Post publish today? Just more whining
1
Fortunately, Trump and the Repubs got the message that a single MAGA bleat by the current White House occupant would have resulted in a multi-million dollar invoice. Much safer to recount the stirring tale of the Continental Army recapturing airports during the 18th Century Revolutionary War.
7
No just laughing at how he states, let me see yeah Kellyanne alternative facts. He really needs American History 101 class.
2
What if Hillary or Bernie or Biden had made the same exact gaffe Trump made in his speech yesterday, what if they in a confused manner had spoken about Airfields being taken in the war of independence. The result would have been an all out assault on their mental faculties with Trump leading the way, Limbaugh and Hannity would have spent every second of their show questioning if senility was setting in, humiliating, making fun of "crooked Hillary," and "crazy Bernie" because isn't that what they do, cheapen the political process by insulting opponents, showing no respect to incredibly accomplished people, they even find a way to belittle war heroes. They magnify any mistake by the people blocking their way to ultimate power, in this way the accomplished speaker of the house become "Nervous Nancy" a great Senator is tagged as Pocohantas. I notice the democrats never belittle anyone, never try to humiliate their opponents, they don't make fun of their age, or any impediment or handicap, so why does Trump do it, why do the republicans allow it. I will let you know the answer to that when we find the airfields that were in use in 1776....the Tanks used by General Grant during the Civil War and the Drones that led us to victory in World War 2.
3
Every year on July 4th I read the Declaration of Independence. One portion of it particularly caught my attention this year. In speaking of the reasons for the Declaration, T. Jefferson wrote of King George: “He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws of Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither,.....”
This was one of the complaints of our Founding Fathers against the king, that he was inhibiting migration into “these States.” Written into the founding document of the United States.
Interesting, no?
9
I did not know I was capable of the hate and disgust I feel for this man. It makes me very uncomfortable.
15
On the one hand, I appreciate the effort to avoid any hint of opinion in this piece. Still, the resulting article lets slide several important facts, documented in other reporting:
Mr. Shear notes that the president "singled out a long list of Americans for their contributions to science, medicine, politics and the arts, and spun a history that praised everything from the civil rights movement to space exploration." Perhaps 'spun a history' is a sly reference to Mr. Trump's reference to attacks on airfields during the revolutionary war and conflation of that uprising and the War of 1812.
Later in the piece, he remarks on Mr. Trump's deferral from military service during the Vietnam era "because of bone spurs in his heels." There is no credible evidence to support the president's alleged disability, so it's odd to present it as factual.
And while it's true that "thousands of people braved scorching, humid weather — and later heavy downpours — traveling to Washington to see the president," it's also apparent that the numbers were far lower than Mr. Trump would have wished, as documented in photographs and crowd estimates that indicate a turnout that must have disappointed the White House, assuming anyone there can be honest about it.
There is balance elsewhere in the article, but I hope readers can continue to count on the Times for honest reporting that does not shy away from challenging the administration's often distorted version of the truth.
2
Thank you MSNBC and CNN for boycotting this! You made my 2020 decision a lot easier now. No way I am not voting for Trump again....
8
Interesting complaint, considering that both networks carried that imbecelic speech. Perhaps you missed it, because you were out leading Washington’s airforce to vic’try?
4
@RS
It was broadcasted on CNN. Now you can reconsider your vote.
3
Gee, and you were all set to vote for Harris.
The highlight for me was when POTUS took us on a history lesson which informed us that the Revolutionary Army “took over the airports” in 1775. I never knew this!
As he was reading from a teleprompter, something that someone moderately intelligent wrote, it must have been a deliberate insertion, that he lacked the intelligence to recognise. Once again he broadcasts to the world the stunning fact that the country Regan described as "a shining city on a hill", is currently led by an idiot.
7
Was the brainless fellow also honoring the US Air Force and anti-aircraft artillery of the 18th century? he-he-he, What an embarrassing character!
Of course he blames the teleprompter instead of himself and his lack of brains.
1
What about the brand new Sherman tanks?
3
So glad I missed it.
3
Let’s be very careful. This isn’t a rare call for unity, it’s a planned step towards fascism.
10
Donald Trump is quite a character. Unfortunately, he currently controls our military, absent Congressional action that would take Trump down a notch or two.
Thus, our military leaders had no choice but to salute the president and carry out his orders to make a political rally out of our nation's celebration of its origins. Regardless, our military deserve all of our respect and good wishes as they defend our nation day in and day out.
2
If only this were usual behavior - this call for unity.
1
"took over the airports": is he starkers? Why isn''t that the end of his Presidency? Derision sh'd be his recpn henceforth.
https://time.com/5620936/donald-trump-revolutionary-war-airports/
3
My relatives fought in the Revolutionary War. I will have to find out if any of them were pilots.
5
There's nothing "unifying" about a VIP section for Republicans only. Also, Mr. Trump's teleprompter speech was full of hollow words. Taking over the "airports" in 1776? Encouraging young people to enlist, but refusing to do so himself. A sad day for America.
4
@Lisa Kelly VIP is an acronym for Very Important Person so he was correct in doing so.
We are very fortunate as a nation to have such a dignified and compassionate commander-in-chief. The selfless gestures of patriotism will be forever be etched into our American fabric. God Bless the USA!
4
Hilarious
7
@Laurie It was not sarcasm
2
@RS It should be, if you actually are aware of his antics. I suggest you read the Mueller report.
ps last time I checked dignified men did not sleep around (sex) with anyone willing to take payments while they were married to any one of his three different wifes. UGH
9
But where were those
super duper fireworks we were promised? I watched PBS as I do every year and maybe it’s my imagination or just a promise not fulfilled but I found them okay but less than previous years.
Maybe they weren’t broadcast or I was not looking in the right place for them.
Luckily they were over before the Macy’s fireworks on NBC. All I can say is WOW.
I’m a proud resident of DC but a prouder Bronx native.
Ahh, New York City.
3
Mother Earth cried on the event.
4
Did that crowd look like the diverse America I live in? It looked more like a 50s country club.
10
@Rio4mio I did look like the America I live in
1
@RS. So--no minorities in your America? No blacks? No Asians? No Hispanics?
3
Evidently he needs a refresher course in Early American history. Not very inspirational.
4
The President and the RNC ran a campaign ad within hours of his 4th of July celebration, using footage from the event.
slammed President Trump's July Fourth "Salute to America" event as a "taxpayer-funded campaign ad.
From Walter Shaub:
"There you have it. A taxpayer- funded campaign ad. Your tax dollars coopted for the benefit of a man whose idea of public service is the public serving him," wrote Shaub, who left the White House in 2017 after clashing with Trump, and has since become a frequent critic of the president.
Shaub works for nonprofit government accountability watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington.
"Tens of millions effectively given to the Trump Campaign. This is what it was all about. This and revenue for his hotel," he added.
6
"What if Obama did this?" He would not have and never did!
3
I understand he is considering an executive order to alter history books to include a chapter on air travel in the late 1700's. His reference to the Continental Army (an army with the spare tire mounted in the back) taking airports from the Red Coats during the Revolutionary War must be substantiated in the books, or the books must be considered "fake news".
4
This article is too kind. The man didn't even prepare for this oh so important event. The gibberish he spoke about the Revolutionary War wasn't even mentioned in this article. WHAT? Anyone else would have paused and said "Who wrote this?" But he doesn't know enough to know he's reading complete and utter nonsense! What a complete disgrace he is to this country. Call of Unity. Yeah. I have a bridge that spans Manhattan and Brooklyn that I'd like to sell.
6
This was nothing more than the production of a commercial for this 2020 campaign.
5
It was a despicable display of military might and Trump's hollow words of "fighting more to maintain our freedom"... Fighting? That means war! And whose kids are going to do the fighting? Certainly not his! It was a sickening misuse of our military... OUR military, not Trump's! Remember the words of a real President, "Speak softly and carry a big stick." What does Trump and his chicken hawk followers think they are doing by pumping their chest for an hour? Scaring our enemies? It shows what a spineless coward Trump is by using this show of force to make everyone think he's tough! Well he's not! He's a spoiled, self-centered, ego maniacal tax evader who bragged about not paying taxes for years! How ironic that he orders the display of military hardware that was paid for by tax payers, not tax cheats!
5
It’s taken how long for this man to mention the word unity? And when I start believing him I’ll buy into his Trump isn’t prejudice. And Kim is getting rid of bombs, and Putin doesn’t know anything about killing journalists, and interfering in our elections.
2
I was much alarmed to read that "military families" were openly rooting for Trump yesterday on the Mall. But I could find no reference in this article or any of the others that this paper ran on the festivities that any of them were in uniform.
My understanding has always been that military personnel are allowed to demonstrate their political preferences freely as long as they're out of uniform.
I felt no compunction about demonstrating against the Vietnam war when I was on active duty in the Army a lifetime ago--as long as I wasn't wearing any part of my uniform. And I certainly couldn't dictate to my family whether they would demonstrate or not: they would have done it with or without me.
So while I'm deeply disappointed that military families have been conned into supporting our awful president, as long as their active duty members stay our of uniform, I support their right to so in public.
6
Donald Trump will never be the President of all Americans. He has no desire to be the President of all Americans. Trump has divided this nation through hatred, bigotry, and fear, all for his own personal, selfish gains. I fear that we can no longer recover in my lifetime.
5
When this POTUS makes "a call for unity that has been largely absent during his divisive presidency..." you should look behind you, look into the weeds, look up, down, all around..."
“Tanks aren’t props. They are weapons of war,” said Senator Jack Reed.." This spectacle, better suited for Red Square, Uncle Mao, "Rocketman" Kim, is a dangerous and provocative move toward further politicalization of the US military; a clear and present danger...
3
I like to think that Trump's speech writer slipped in the airport comment on purpose as a joke on Trump, knowing he would read it verbatim.
5
A made for TV extravaganza ironically based on the reality of Independence Day. A speech
for unity flanked by tanks and military weaponry is not a "call" but a threatening demand for unity, in the same vulgar vein as King George demanded unity.
When in the Course of manipulated televised events, "it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them...That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness."
Military weaponry staged on the streets and monument and parks of our Nation's capital threaten my safety; kidnapping, cruelty and killings of other immigrants to this land threaten human happiness. I do not consent to such governance.
Yea, it is time to dissolve the Republican political bands that oppress people and pillage the planet we share, from this day forward let us declare our independence from what Republicans have become, and move forward practicing equality.
3
I think his comment about airports during the revolutionary war underscores the world-class ignorance which he and his supporters proudly put on display.
6
@Alex I didn't get to hear the speech but I didn't think we had too many airports during the period of history. Anyway, Thank you DJT MAGA
The speech was an archaic simplistic recap of portions of American history dumbed down so Trump and his supporters could get the gist. Some may have.
3
@Maxy G I voted for Trump and I thought the speech was about Make America Great Again even if that means using military tanks. Either way. Thanks Daddy Don!
How can we talk about our history, and the independent spirit we cherish, the impetus behind our Constitution, yet act in ways that contravene it's meaning?
Our country, our government was formed to guard our rights, our freedoms, our happiness not the other way round.
.
And any American who denounces the migration of people from Central America or seeks to punish them without acknowledging the direct role we played in those countries' ensuing instability is a hypocrite.
We reap what we sow.
If we're going to hold fast to any course of action, let's not forget that future envisioned by our founding fathers, our greatest leaders and the men and women whose memorials of service and sacrifice provided the backdrop yesterday.
3
“Troops decked out in Trump 2020 paraphernalia”? I thought the military was supposed to be apolitical?
4
Unity? Only under Don’s rules.
No thanks.
5
This was a great opportunity for Democrats running for president to out-patriot the current occupant, especially by out-praising our armed services. Of course, the media would not report their patriotic comments if they did. Fortunately, I only heard a couple have anything negative to say about the event or its emphasis on the military. It was the "Ain't Trump awful!" media who created controversy and boosted Trump's re-election chances.
3
There will never be unity with this abhorrent person named Trump. Unity is anathema to him - he craves discord, upheaval, hostility and ill feeling.
He thrives on the above and would shrivel dealing with anything opposite to his embraced and very basic nature.
5
It's so ironical that the man who dodged military draft five times using the military to beef up his reelection campaign. Yes, the event, presented as a tribute to the military, is a campaign rally for Trump's 2020 reelection. How else can we explain the fact that the audience was filled with those wearing hats with Trump's favorite "Make America Great Again" campaign slogan written on them and T-shirts with "‘Trump 2020" printed on them? One day, Trump will have to explain why he made American taxpayers pay for this partisan event.
And those military personnel in the audience who “wore Trump’s MAGA hats and openly campaigned for Trump’s re-election, chanting, ‘Four more years’” will have to explain their action. They have flouted the hallowed tradition under which military personnel stay away from politics, while still in service.
It’s so noble of Michael D. Shear that he didn’t embarrass the president by including in this report some of the blunders he uttered in his “sometimes rambling trip through America’s military history..." Some other news outlets have already publicized them, to the amusement of many around the world.
Shear’s report is also notable for the wisdom an ordinary truck drive conveyed through it: “You have everybody here. You have anti-Trump people, which I don’t agree with, but by God that’s what makes America great. We have freedom of speech. I have no problem with them.”
I wish Trump could be just half as profound.
1
I think what he created was a campaign clip on the taxpayers dime. He spoke with the language of a sixth grader, and that's generous, because he slurred his words, and misspoke, apparently, stumbling over the reading. Anyone who things this very shallow veneer of patriotism will bring Americans together, is fooling themselves.
1
I awoke this morning and have never been so relieved in my life knowing that much of the national media survived the projected disaster of a July Fourth celebration on the mall by President Trump. The media's predictions of a disaster based on the appearance of tanks at the Lincoln Memorial never materialized---thank God, I thought CNN was going to report mass "newsroom" suicides in protest. The national liberal media (which is most of them) are so disgusted by President Trump they have lost any modicum of objectivity. The media's hysterical lead-up to this event was disgraceful. Fortunately, most Americans can smell a skunk when they see it.
3
And we did. Never hears one give a speech before.
I told you ... in my comment four hours ago I called it .. it just came out everywhere else but in the Times .. Trump blamed his "Revolutionary War airport" and Star Bangled bungles on the rain & teleprompter. Because without that why would he know the airplane was invented in 1903 or when the Revolutionary War was .. of when the War of 1812 was ... why is the Times not covering this? ... why the kid gloves on this moron? On top of it someone should find out if the teleprompter actually went out .. I am betting it didn't
4
yesterday's fourth of July extravaganza turned out to be less of a chauvinistic disaster than I feared. but then my expectations were low.
1
Trump may sound good at times but so did the Wizard of Oz. Believe nothing.
5
Even if he was a good speaker I would find it suspect. I have yet heard anything he has said as even at what you would say was a so so level.
1
He just can't help screwing up things vocally...aside from trying to hide his cowardice during the Vietnam War by wrapping himself in the flag, he made a laughable mention of Washington's revolutionary troops of capturing airports in the late 18th century. How could he say that?
8
@dan ehrlich
Just shows you how far ahead of the times these two armies were - the British to anticipate the need for airports and the Americans their strategic value, all 100+ years before the first powered flight. The only thing missing is that neither side had Mexico foot the bill.
1
"Speaking to a rain-soaked audience filled with troops decked out in “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2020” paraphernalia, the president finally presided over the grand military display..."
What??? Troops decked out in Republican propaganda? American troops? Trump should be impeached for that alone. The US military is not his private toy. What a shame. THIS is what American boys have died for? This is what I served in the US Navy for? I don't think so.
1396
@Mark Lobel
According to reporting from Trump's visit to Japan, active duty naval aviators onboard the USS WASP wore patches on their jumpsuits that read “Make Aircrew Great Again” and the patches included an image of Trump in the center.
42
It’s a free country. They can wear it if they want. He didn’t make them.
10
@Mark Lobel I thought the same thing. Did the writer just screw up the sentence, or were U.S. Military troops actually "decked out in 'Make America Great Again' paraphernalia? Both scenarios are appalling.
32
Oh my god how stupid is this guy?! A speech riddled with inaccuracies and bold stupidity.
My favorite is (drumroll)...
Revolutionary War Airports.
This gem should be showcased in his “presidential library of alternative facts”.
No books in his library, just wall quotes.
19
One more brick in the road to fascism. I am 70 years old. Too old and poor to move. Yet I feel like a woman without a country.
1560
@hdw Thank you, hdw. We need leadership like yours. The job of building a society that uses it's resources wisely and treats everyone as a respected and valued human being, may never be done. I pray the I may be as determined in that pursuit as you.
37
Word of advice from an independent: this whole “Trump is a fascist” claim isn’t working. Democrats need to come up with some middle of the road ideas to win my vote.
11
@Gwen Vilen
Well said.
18
In other words: Hail to the military industrial complex and the new deep state led by Trump's elite supporters. Force makes right and force makes the USA great.
2
America has by far the strongest military in the world. We do not need to show that off. We do need to show appreciation for the men and women who serve, and take care of them after they have served far better than we are currently doing. Let’s go to work on things like healthcare, education, housing, the environment, immigration, and other far more pressing issues and showing off military hardware. This was by and FOR DJT!
2
For 39 years, PBS has broadcast, "A Capitol 4th," Washington's 4th of July events near the Capitol building at the other end of the National Mall from President Trump's event. It featured a diverse group of musical performers and tributes to those who serve and have served our country in the military. A rock band performed composed of men who had lost limbs in military service. I found that quite moving. The audience was open to all, and many families were present.
3
Keeping it plain and simple, it was a great speech and everyone present seemed to enjoy the day.
2
@Jacob Paniagua*** esp the part about the airports during the Revolutionary War ... and Francis Scott Key writing the Star Spangled Banner at the same time ... great speech all right ... for a comedienne
7
lol
2
Said no one with at least an 8th grade education.
America already has two (2) national holidays honoring the military: Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
And the military is supposed to be used only when diplomacy fails.
The Fourth of July is to celebrate the birth of our nation.
How about our next Fourth of July honoring our State Department and our diplomats, the ones who use diplomacy rather than bullets.
Oh, I forgot, Trump is big on "acting" assignments for his cabinet and other top level posts, and Trump doesn't much care much about filling the vacant diplomatic posts around the world.
13
There's no hawk like a chickenhawk.
19
@Will-o
Watch it there - if it weren't for a fraudulent medical report about bone spurs our hero would have been right at the front.
1
Oh! No! Say it isn’t so! The agony! Oh the humanity! why we wouldn’t have had such an eloquent statesman. The speeches, the promises, .........
1
I won't be surprised to see this tweet from the President: "You know all that stuff I said about unity, and looking to the future, and the really, REALLY bright days ahead for America? Forget it! The Democrats are all Socialists who want open borders and fewer jobs for 'Real Americans;' Robert Mueller found NO Collusion, and we need to subpoena Crooked Hillary about those emails!"
BREAKING NEWS!! From the Truth is Stranger than Fiction Department, I saw this just after I finished writing the imaginary tweet above. From the Washington Examiner website: "President Trump argued that the findings of the Mueller report prove he's "a very honest guy," on Friday morning.
'It's very interesting. After 500 witnesses, 2,500 subpoenas, every single person I know practically was called in one form or another, nothing. And I'll tell you what, even with you people — you’re honest people — none of you could have withstood that. They would have found something. If there was a comma put in the wrong place, if there was a period in the wrong location, they would have grabbed it,' Trump said to reporters.
"He continued, 'No collusion, no obstruction. After that, it’s almost — it’s amazing. You know what it shows? It shows I’m a very honest guy.'
Geez, my satire can't even keep up with this guy . . . .
7
Don’t worry, we all have to monitor his infantile way of handling things. And every now and then we have to take a break from the insanity.
1
" In a made-for-television Independence Day production starring America’s military weaponry,"
Jason Collins, a truck driver from Lafayette, La. stated:
"We have freedom of speech. I have no problem with them.” (Democrats).
Yes, Jason, we do have, so far, freedom of speech but if trump is re-elected that may be the first item on his list to repeal.
5
@Pataman
Me again.
This wasn't a made-for-TV Independence Day production. trump made sure it a made for trump production.
2
Who gave us independence if not our military?
5
@John Xavier III Could we, in the days of Trump, rely on that military to insure that independence, and keep us free from a ruler rather than a president?
Wow! There were airports in existence during the Revolutionary War according to Trump's speech. You learn something new every day! I wonder what we'll learn next! Stay tuned for the next revisionist history lesson ... brought to you by the illustrious purveyors of truth, justice and the American way: The Trumpster Administration.
10
"Washington’s usually nonpolitical Fourth of July celebration..."
Nothing in Washington is "nonpolitical" and certainly not the Fourth of July (which celebrates a military victory over the politics of King George). Too military? Even our national anthem is military ("..bombs bursting in air..") written by a prisoner of war. This NYT story is opinion, not news, in my opinion and that should be news to no one.
2
The person most divisive Trump,, is calling for unity. That's a puzzle, isn't it. Maybe if he learned what a comprise is then he could be a better leader. Naw!!, not possible. He didn't get to be the head of a criminal organisation by calling for unity. It feels that all we can do until next year's election is hold our heads down in shame at this spectacle of narcissism. With Tin ears he strides across this polarized country, he with a hammer of negativity and banners of sloganeering. It's a wonder he didn't wear a uniform in yesterday's celebration. All Hail - Supreme Leader of the free!
4
@CaptX54
Give him a break - he threw a bone to the millions of "losers" who won't kiss his behind.
Sounds like a nonevent to me. Looks like the lack of support for, in effect, a Trump 2020 campaign rally, led to a disorganized scaling back of the spectacle that then turned into 45 minutes of back slapping platitudes with most of the Joint Chiefs unable or unwilling to participate.
I don't know who writes Trump's speeches but, let's put it this way, you could program a computer to do a better job. They could easily be penned by someone whose major claim to fame was playing prep school lacrosse. Wait, wasn't that Hope Hick's MO? Or as a backup - high school government also rans - Stephen Miller, Mitch McConnell, Brett Kavanaugh, et al.? Real sophomorish stuff. It was JFK not, not JFK "ask not".
Singularly absent from the photos - African-Americans - and that in front of the Lincoln Memorial. I recently learned that significant sums of money change hands (Trump supporters get paid) to arrange for people to show up wearing Blacks for Trump sweatshirts. It's not that easy, however, because most African-Americans find the whole setup offensive.
8
trump's base may not go to hear him speak. that is, to say a speech as much as to just to be there and react. like a dog who has yet to be learn human speak, and we think our canine understands when all that is heard is "blah blah blah".
for any person listening to have missed the more fascinating bits of trump's speech is more than teleprompter problems. if one knows a speech than the mistakes are obvious. no. turmp was winging it just to keep the momentum going
all that fuss and pother. why not a speech from the Oval Office and a running stream of parades from television archives or even a CGI of troops and tanks and planes.
1
"Speaking to a rain-soaked audience filled with troops decked out in “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2020” paraphernalia," Isn't it illegal for troops to campaign for a candidate while they are in uniform?
6
@Eric Key Yes. And it is prohibited from mixing civilian wear with military uniforms.
Retired U.S. Army
3
Made for television production? Really? Trump needs a new producer, certainly a better writer, and definitely a few reading tutorials.
Pretty bad for a former television host
So, no Emmys for this borderline-fascist, narcissistic, insult-to-intelligence-and-dignity performance.
5
As a former newspaper reporter and editor, I cannot understand why your story did not mention Trump’s errors recounting U.S. Revolutionary War history.
Let me quote the Washington Post’s transcript of a portion of his speech:
“In June of 1775, the Continental Congress created a unified army out of the revolutionary forces encamped around Boston and New York and named after the great George Washington, commander in chief. The Continental Army suffered a bitter winter of Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown. Our army manned the [unclear], it [unclear] the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do. And at Fort McHenry, under “the rockets red glare,” it had nothing but victory. And when dawn came, their star-spangled banner waved defiant.”
Maybe your editors didn’t think it was news fit to print, but when a U.S. president makes such a muddled mess of our history, that is indeed worth reporting.
9
Fascism 101: When you win control, use it to your advantage.
America deserves this corporate-valued "leadership" (from both elitist parties, don't kid yourself).
3
Among the differences between me and Trumpists, there’s this: my heart doesn’t swell with pride because some rich jerk droned through a prepared speech and praised the light bulb, or because a luxury jet flew over a bunch of plain old Americans standing around in the rain.
In fact, I find that kind of thing embarassing. It doesn’t just remind me of Katrina and Trump’s attitude regarding Puerto Rico. It screams dumb, and lazy, and accepting of the cheapest kinds of clichés and slogans. It tells me that at this point, Trump can feed the rubes the crummiest slop, and they’ll chow down.
You want my heart to swell with anything like pride, at LEAST gimme Bush right after 9/11, or Obama announcing bin Laden’s death or talking about race. Gimme something like Mark Twain’s “To the Person Sitting in Darkness,” or Tom Paine’s books, or movies like, “Glory,” and “The Siege,” or cartoon animals singing, “Right in the Fuehrer’s Face.”
I’m happy to love my country, based on something decent. Something true. Something beautiful. Something that isn’t just a cynical jerk droning through a ridiculous speech.
The fact that a lot of Americans took this swill seriously is a Bad Sign.
6
A tin pot leader behind bullet-proof Plexiglas, further dividing our nation on the day we usually stand together as united. Showing us his toys while reading yet another jingoistic bromide that had absolutely no place on that day.
We are the laughing stock of the world.
5
In incompetence we voted!
2
7/4/17 No appeals for unity. 7/4/18 Ditto. 7/4/19 someone flipped a switch apparently. Unity is in vogue now. But a day late and a dollar short for most of the country however. Nice try Mr. President, but your sentiments and your words are as transparent as that bullet proof shield you stood behind. Zero credibility.
4
'Unity' for Trump is his way or you're a loser and even dangerous. That's not the American Way, and I'm not having it. VOTE!
4
Can't believe this article doesn't include a hint that Trump gave the this garbled account of the Revolutionary War, which he conflated with the War of 1812:
"In June of 1775, the Continental Congress created a unified Army out of the Revolutionary Forces encamped around Boston and New York, and named after the great George Washington, commander in chief. The Continental Army suffered a bitter winter of Valley Forge, found glory across the waters of the Delaware and seized victory from Cornwallis of Yorktown.
"Our Army manned the air, it rammed the ramparts, it took over the airports, it did everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry, under the rocket’s red glare it had nothing but victory. And when dawn came, their star-spangled banner waved defiant."
4
There seems so be some confusion about what active duty military are allowed or nor allowed to do related to partisan politics. My father-in-Law was career Air Force, and once explained to me the strict guidelines he followed, as per the clear rules.
This is from the Dept of Defense Rules:
The Department of Defense (DoD) defines "partisan political activity" as "activity supporting or relating to candidates representing, or issues specifically identified with, national or State political parties and associated or ancillary organizations."
Showing up in uniform to hear Trump speak clearly did NOT violate the rules.
Showing up in uniform wearing Trump campaign paraphernalia (MAGA hats etc.) clearly DID violate the rules.
Trump carefully placed these military personnel where they would be SEEN. To be SEEN by an international audience, in uniform, showing partisan paraphernalia, is reprehensible.
Trump clearly does not care about the consequences to the careers of these service women and men, and their families. This is a man who mocks John McCain.
One would hope though that a more disciplined military corps would know better, and at the very least be taught from this occasion never to do it again.
7
"Speaking to a rain-soaked audience filled with troops decked out in “Make America Great Again” and “Trump 2020” paraphernalia, the President finally presided over the grand military display..." Really? Active-duty military members wearing campaign advertisements? I've been unable to find photographs of this, which if true is an egregious misuse of the military for political purposes. If troops were used as placards for Trump, why did not one member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff say absolutely not? I note with dismay that some excused their absences by saying it gave stand-in subordinates "face time" with the President.
1
What's truly shocking is that he didn't have the tanks and fighter jets painted gold...
2
@DJW
wasn't enough time otherwise he would have done so along with painting the TRUMP logo
3
Never before {Trump} have I been afraid to be a US citizen living in the US. But, if I wasn’t afraid, I wouldn’t be paying attention.
The best, most fulfilling thing I’ve found to feel like I’m doing *something* is to register people to vote. Your local Registrar of Voters office has voter registration training. Mine only took 1 hour. My neighbor and I set up a card table and chair at a local college with a “Register to Vote Here” sign. While we are not allowed to influence choice of party affiliation, we encouraged our young people to participate in our process. They are our only hope, but we have to get them to the polls!!
3
Trumpet said, " never, ever stop fighting for a better future —"
Shouldn't that be "never stop WORKING for...."?
This country doesn't need any more fights; we need to focus on unity and collaboration, not divisiveness with "fights against" those with differing visions for our future.
I truly don't believe the Trumpet knows how to "WORK"--a mature alternative to "FIGHT." It's indicative of a limited vocabulary.
Of note is that the USA has a "Dept of Defense," rather than a "Dept of War" as it had previously been named. It was disgusting to me, a veteran, that implements of war were displayed on our Independence Day.
3
"But he spent most of his time recounting the progression of the armed forces, ending his remarks as the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” blared through huge speakers"
This is exactly what is done in North Korea. He heard it there and replicated.
What a slippery slope the US is undergoing...
3
I think the President could have delivered the same speech on tv with appropriate set decoration and gotten is message across. The fact that he did it with such extravagance and expense proves he is really all glory but no guts.
1
I watched.
It’s a pathetic day when the first impression is that Trump can resist the urge to derail a speech and stick to the TelePrompTer.
He was busting at the seams in some places to go into super duper language land. I recall one extra superlative then right back to the script.
I don’t track his tweets but based on past experience he will be the first to break the division cease fire.
Just hours earlier he condemned Rep. Justin Amash for leaving the GOP to become an independent.
How hypocritical can Trump be disrespecting Amash’s constitutional rights on the same day he bombasts a speech he could never be able to write.
Gotta go catch a plane back to 1776.
3
How was this event not political when the VIP seats were given only to Trump supporters? How does this unify the country?
Trump will use the footage of this event for his 2020 campaign. That is why it was staged. He will probably do the same for July 4th in 2020 right before the election.
4
Trump supporters (read: Fox Propaganda) are attacking liberals for condemning Trump's parade and speech before it happened. It's true, he took an unexpected moderate tone. But it was still a highly partisan event. There was a security zone in the front and only Trump supporters were allowed. More importantly, when you spend as much time being divisive as Trump does, attacking everyone and everything, you don't get to give one speech and redeem yourself. Trump is still the most divisive president in history. And he will leave the White House as such, because he can't help himself. He's a big baby and any moment now he's going to lash out again.
2
Hmmm. Many, many thousands of people typically attend the celebration on the Mall and many thousands come from out of town, and they all brave the typical heat and humidity and occasionally, the rain. So, how do we know who came for Trump?
And by the way, did the reporter actually listen to Trump's speech? I didn't, but I understand it was rather newsworthy.
1
"One of the greatest stories ever told...the story of America.." Notice that Trump correctly used past tense. The fact is that we are way behind other countries in health care, education, longevity, equality and the democracy ranking. We are getting less competitive every year. Low unemployment is wonderful but won't drive our country in 5 years. Real patriots should be honest enough with themselves to see our situation for what it is.
6
Made for television production? Trump needs a new producer, certainly a better writer, and definitely a few public speaking tutorials.
Pretty bad for a former television host
So, no Emmys for this borderline-fascist, narcissistic, insult-to-intelligence-and-dignity performance.
6
Yes, Trump wants unity all bow down to the dictator or is emperor. I did not watch or listen to this campaign event and you can be sure you will see this in his and other Republican campaign ads our tax money used to his political purpose. But, the history of Trump has always been his money is his and your money belongs to him also. The 4th has never been used in this manner it was holiday meant for us to celebrate our Independence, but now as long as he is in office I will never celebrate it like everything else he soils it with his filth. Just wait till next year. Memorial Day, Arm Forces Days and November 11th have been the days to remember our military. Of course think back how he never visited the graves on November 11th in France because it was raining. The man who was a coward in the Vietnam War now prances around like he is so patriotic. There was a time when I served and over 59,000 men and woman died and so many hundreds of thousands of others haunted by their time in Nam that he could have been a patriot, but rich little kid did not have any guts so someone else took his place. As for unity what a joke he stokes the fires of hatred and pits our fellow country against one another and even has kind words for racists and now unity. Unity to him means shut up and let me do what I want. The most corrupt government in US history where he and Jared and their friends line their pockets with our money. Unity, yes when you are gone. Jim Trautman
5
The Lincoln Memorial is a place to see and encourage us to reflect on our history.
Somehow it seems to me that blocking out his image with a political rally is disrespectful and crude.
Uniformed service members wearing DJT gear is not supposed to be allowed.
Tanks and other military symbols and the most divisive president of our times calling for unity is insulting.
Maybe it is a rehearsal for a coup in the event he loses the 2020 election!!! Had to add a bit of humor?
4
Interesting that he spoke behind a bullet proof shield surrounded by tanks. Reminiscent tactics used by South American dictators and others around the world with neo fascist leanings.
8
@Terry Obama stood behind bullet proof glass in Grant Park in his hometown of Chicago on the night of his first election. Was that a fascist act?
2
What I find beyond appalling is that all these people turn out to hear a man who thinks the army took over all the airports in 1776. He's far past delusional. Why is it that his supporters can't see him for the complete buffoon he is? Those of us who believe trump is a danger to the nation are constantly admonished for saying anything negative about his supporters, but you've got to question their collective intelligence level.
8
It would be fun to know who wrote that speech and who coached him to not go ad-lib. I hope they get paid.
4
@VC
The CIA was likely tasked to measure his ad-lib hormones in real time. When they got close to the off the rails zone someone must have tased him.
Trump could not be more blessed in his opponents: shrill, violent, and, in political terms most fatally, humorless. Perpetual solemn indignity is even less attractive than a combination of calculated self interest and earnest buffoonery.
2
Ridiculous spectacle and a waste of taxpayer money. Never mind the army"taking over the airports" in 1789. What a moron. I would never deliberately watch (and try not to read) his stupid blather on any media platform.
4
@Betsy Bree I have never heard Trumpet's voice, nor seen him on any media. And I have been begging the internet media to refrain from featuring his photos. Enough is enough! Make the Trumpet disappear!
The Trumpet is persona non grata to me, and I try diligently to avoid looking at the idiotic photo ops that pop up online.
1
It was reported elsewhere that Trump alluded to the Continental Army taking over airports (um, this would be during the Revolutionary War). Why is this gaff not reported by the NYT? It seems significant historical ignorance as it slid smoothly off his tongue--surely anyone else would catch such a mistake (if it was an error by his speechwriter).
3
Made for television production? Trump needs a new producer, certainly a better writer, and definitely a few public speaking tutorials.
Pretty bad for a former television host
So, no Emmys for this borderline-fascist, narcissistic, insult-to-intelligence-and-dignity performance.
Taxpayers want their money back
2
On a dreary sad day, a sad and pathetic man delivered a meaningless speech illuminating nothing, appealing to our worst tendencies, hyping events that never occurred all in the interest of his own self aggrandizement. All of this was done against the backdrop of GOP propaganda paid for by the taxpayers of the country. He wasn't appealing for unity, he was only up to his usual grifter tricks. Meanwhile, thousands of immigrants rot in detention at the boarder while the world recoils in horror at our cataclysmic implosion.
7
Is it just a rumor that the Army is putting a tank on the White House grounds so Donald can go out and play with it?
2
Might be worth noting, amid all the deserved derision for the airports reference, that Trump also referenced the Battle of Fort McHenry, which actually took place almost forty years after the Declaration of Independence.
4
This president, this date of July 4th, his speech, this entire display--I can barely wait for the highly anticipated results of the November 2020 election, along with the expected changes all as a result of U.S. democracy in action.
2
I continue to be astonished that our nation’s most important newspaper rejects mentioning that Trump made egregious historical mistakes while seemingly unable to read a TelePrompTer. It is indeed a serious matter when Trump slurs, stumbles, and is so foggy in his thinking that he cannot catch, for example, the fact that there were no airports in existence during the 1770s. If his grasp of time, or as I suspect recognizing numbers, is so weak, (a problem that often occurs after a stroke), then he is not mentally fit to hold his office.
7
The liberals and the Democrats are starting to become joke. The rest of the nation realizes that no matter what President Trump does he will be criticized. Parade, no parade, girl scout parade, military parade, fly overs, no fly overs, military bands, Rap music, he will never get an ounce of approval from the socialist left because the hatred runs that deep.
The really sad part is that the media,including this news paper, is part of this hate group. You can deny that the Democratic platform is not true socialism and just part of the progressive movement but in reality a dramatic change to America's ideals will not come in one fell swoop on Jan. 21 2020 when a Democrat takes office but evolve over time one government take over at a time. Medicare for all, free college, guaranteed annual income, college debt forgiveness, income equality, etc, etc.
There is an old saying that goes: "The most ardent revolutionary will become a conservative the day after the revolution." In other words, wait until the Liberal Progressives find out what all these free programs really costs.
Can't wait to read the replies.
1
My only reply on YOUR unintellectual comment is, try getting the next inauguration date, when the Democrats take over. It’s January 21, 2021!! WE vote in November of 2020!
4
I will start to respect him when he starts telling the truth. Oops.
6
@Fred
You sounds a little triggered there, my friend.
3
At what cost to taxpayers was this empty-headed extravaganza mounted? A million here . . . a million there . . . after a while, it you have to make cuts for national parks, infrastructure, border security, tax collection, VA health care . . . for a partisan demonstration of military power.
6
Just a “mere $92 million.” And yes, that $92 million of OUR taxpayer money. I’m not sure about anyone else out there, but I personally didn’t need a celebratory farce such as this to celebrate OUR great country! I’ve been doing that every year since I was born! I already KNOW how great our military is! He didn’t need to give us something we’ve known about longer than we knew about him, or what a conman he is.
great celebration and honoring the military a brilliant move
1
There is a lot of irony in Trump's making numerous errors about some of the more important events in the founding of this country. Had an immigrant applying for citizenship made the same ones, he or she would likely have failed the citizenship test.
5
Something happened yesterday? I had a much better day than I would have at such an event. We prepped the house for tenting for getting rid of termites and other vermin. Should I send a recommendation for such a service in DC? Seems like the swamp has been getting much worse since about two years ago.
5
The Independence Day parade in my small town reflected the Trump disease. Th Republicans, Democrats and Green Parties all had floats. The Democrats and Greens floats had uplifting messages about how great America is and what they thought needed to be done to make it better. Neither had any anti-Trump signs. OTOH the Republican float was covered with signs that viciously attacked all things not Trump. The absolute Hatred of the REpublican float turned my stomach.
3
Trump’s July 4 speech: Never have so many words been spoken by someone with so little real understanding of so much of what he said.
9
“A house divided against itself, cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure, permanently, half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved — I do not expect the house to fall — but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction; or its advocates will push it forward, till it shall become lawful in all the States, old as well as new — North as well as South”...Abraham Lincoln.
No matter the issue, what is different in the year 2019 between all Americans and between the 7.7 billion humans on earth???
It was a "Tale of Two Americas" that was on display in Washington on July 4th. On the one hand, there was the cruel, narcissistic venality of a racist on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial whose "unity" is white supremacy that repudiates everything the Great Emancipator stood for. And on the other hand, at the other end of the Mall, those who still believe in true independence from autocracy now in the form of Donald Trump. This is what a civil war looks like in 21st America, but with the silence from the media and the political class it seems that, after 154 years, the other side representing the Union and the Constitution surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse. It was a sad day for America that portends even worse to come. America, we are sleep-walking toward a white nationalist autocracy. #Where'sNancy?
What unity? Trump gave tickets to his donors and supporters and kept everyone else out, as he always does, including democratic members of congress. Dressed up in pretend clothing, this was still an election campaign event, with the military attired in MAGA hats. All on taxpayer dime. He subverts everything about America into a TV version of the presidency.
5
You do know that the festivities at Empire State Plaze in NYS's capital had fighter jets fly over head, drones, and played every military service anthem during the fireworks display, I hope. The problem of fetishizing war and weapons is a national problem that cuts across both parties and goes back way before Trump. It is the product of an aggressive conquering Empire founded on slavery and genocide that aspired to hemispheric and then global hegemony. Over 700 military bases across the world and a semi-autonomous military industrial complex that dictates national and foreign policy. Trump is a small symptom of that big picture.
Eisenhower and JFK had missiles and tanks in both their inaugural parades. Hating Trump is understandable, but he is not really doing anything new. He is just stupid and likes to draw more attention to what others kept on the down low to get plaudits from his fan club.
2
This was a enhanced campaign rally coercing and politicizing the US Armed Forces, and a gross abuse/misuse of the commander-in-chief's power, carried out in front of a restricted privileged audience of supporters, not open to all citizens, in one of the most hallowed spaces in our country. It was an abomination, not a glorification of our grossly bloated, globally dispersed military--The Department of Defense should be retro-branded, back to the Department of War, and the commander in chief should be relieved of his duties immediately.
--A retired physician and Vietnam Combat Veteran (Navy
Battalion Surgeon w/Marines, '69-'70)
4
Not a salute to America but a salute to militarism. By a rich kid whose father helped him avoid the draft and the Vietnam War in which so many poor kids died.
7
In exchange for my taxpayer dollars helping pay for Trump’s campaign rally at the Lincoln Memorial yesterday, can I have a free weekend stay at his hotel down the block?
5
I was very surprised and saddened by the troops in campaign hats. What about the Hatch Act for them? They are not supposed to be partisan!
13
I’d often wondered why George Washington in his Farewell Address thanked Dr. Brown and Martin McFly from Mill Valley, California for their invaluable contributions to our defeat of the British in the Revolutionary War. Now I know: They had packed the plans for building fighter planes and airports in the DeLorean’s glove compartment.
11
The signers of the Declaration of Independence pledged "for the support of this Declaration.....our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor" where they described the reasons for declaring their separation from the British crown.
Trump's bizarre retaking of our country's birthday was by a man who has no honor, who holds his fortunes private, and opted not to fight in a war where he might lose his life.
8
In other interesting airline news, a two-seater Cessna 152 plane crashed into a cemetery early this morning in New York. A search and rescue team led by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has recovered 200 bodies so far, and expects that number to climb as digging continues into the evening.
3
Thanks for the clear example of just how lame the right-wing sense of humor really is. It’s important to be underlined, because nothing is more American (or important for freedom) than our ACTUALLY funny insults to the pompous likes of Donald Trump.
I figure that if you can’t come up with a funny joke about, say, how Obama’s ears flap when he bows, you’re certainly not going to be able to look at the reality of a clown like Trump and deliver a good-old American horselaugh.
4
OK...he wasn't himself at this event...but here is, Master of Ceremonies, and the primary focus of this video and photo op...all to make him even more popular. This is what Donald Trump is good at...making believe he's something he's not.
6
Trump calling for unity? Seriously?
11
I seem to remember, correct me if I am wrong, the United States was born in battle against the tyranny of an imperial power ruled by a monarch that had an empire upon which the sun never set.
Perhaps some detractors of our current stand forget that several groups, even in the 2000's, are expanding their territories to create such empires.
If you don't notice this happening, I suggest you visit Crimea, Ukraine, the south China sea area, Iran... or just wake up.
2
This would be the Russian takeover on which Trump refuses to comment, the Ukraine where his convicted-felon campaign manager made millions, the South China sea where Trump trashed TPP and bellowed at our allies, and the Iran where a dimwitted bail on the JCPOA amped up the hardline loons in the Iranian government?
1
Your coverage should have simply been a page 10 two line story Trump held a taxpayer funded political rally on July 4.
7
And of course Trump totally screwed up US history...fireworks were started to celebrate the National Anthem (the bombs bursting in air and rockets red glare were references to military weapons, not fireworks, bombarding Fort McHenry). Trump is a historians nightmare, but given most of his supporters live in places where education is pretty much being able to write your name and thump a bible, not surprising.
4
One day those troops are going to turn around and see the weak worried wizard behind the curtain. With bone spurs. God help us all then.
We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto.
10
A sickening spectacle.
The fact that it is tolerated - and even supported - by a large segment of the American people and so called "liberal" institutions, speaks to a serious erosion of basic notions of civics and an impending collapse of democracy as we know it and the rise of authoritarian White Nationalist Christian Fascist reaction.
6
In 487 days, you’ll see unity...
10
Hey just think, you get to do this all over again next year, and you all get to pay for it; another Trump campaign rally.
2
In my previous comment I noted that Trump spoke behind a see-through plastic barrier. I stand corrected: it was bullet proof glass.
6
We celebrated yesterday by reading aloud General Washington's famous command to his troops: "Onward to LaGuardia!"
9
Great 4th of July. Thank you president Trump.
4
@lieberma Yup complete with so many historical inaccuracies. Who knew airports existed during the Revolutionary War?
4
@Margo Channing
"Who knew airports existed during the Revolutionary War?"
Maybe Dr. Who?
16:20 EDT, 7/05
My guess is that Trump is flattering the armed forces so they will take up positions on the White House lawn when he declares the next election bogus.
4
What angers most of President Trump's opponents has very little to do with the military, with the red hats, or even with his insistence on such an event as this one. What angers them the most about him and all the people who are so clearly his supporters is his love of America. It's real, and you could see it there yesterday. And that's what they cannot fathom or figure out. And that love enrages them.
5
@Len That's a cute fantasy, but I'm worried about having an admirer of dictators as POTUS, not about the fact that some Americans get off on supporting such a thing.
5
@Len
Yeah, he loved America so much that his Dad paid a doc (one of his tenants) for a medical excuse. Unlike conscientious objectors, he wasn't against the war, just against his having to take part in it. Then as now, it wasn't love of America, it was love of self.
12:25 EDT, 7/05
9
@Len
Yep he loves the working class so much that he gave the 0.01% the greatest tax breaks. So delusional his followers are.
6
Trump is telegraphing as loudly as possible what he thinks of American democracy and the lengths he is willing to go to to bend it to his will. The military display was meant to be a show of might -- not just for our foreign enemies but also for HIS domestic ones. If people -- both at home and abroad -- are not frightened by his tendencies toward authoritarianism, they are either not paying attention or are kidding themselves.
4
I'm the mother, wife and daughter of U.S. combat veterans. We are all disgusted by Trump, a bully and a traitor who uses the military as a backdrop to intimidate our own citizens on the Fourth of July. We spent the holiday celebrating with friends and family and we avoided any mention of our embarrassing president who treats the presidency as a business opportunity to pad his own bank accounts and those of his family members.
20
'Many in the crowd seemed puzzled by the speech...'
The message is; Unity. Or else.
3
There is solace in knowing this.
Trump, who talks about “my generals” and “my military,” decided to turn the normally pacific Independence Day ceremonies in the capital into a martially tinged self-branding exercise. We watched him blow hard into the balloon of his own ego. . . . But, there is solace in knowing that the President, for all his bravado and cynicism, is acting largely out of a sense of what looms before him— a RECKONING.
7
A wannabe tin-pot dictator.
9
What country is this?
Russia, North Korea?
6
What a nauseating show of patriotism! But I have to be honest. It is not just about Trump. I have always found patriotism a primitive feeling. Whether is Obama or Trump, I want to throw up every time our politicians make public displays of patriotism and what triggers the vomit is the idiotic statement: God bless America. That is the final confirmation of our feeble and primitive mind.
8
@Pablo I believe that you represent the true feelings of most people that hate Trump. It’s not just the man they hate but also our Country and the patriotism that is practiced so earnestly by his supporters. As you so clearly stated, the phrase ‘God Bless America’ makes them recoil. Thank you for your bold admissions and so clearly explaining the hatred for Trump.
2
Does everyone realize that he got this idea from Kim Jong-Un? Just let that sink in for a minute.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-north-korea-parade_n_5b958d01e4b0511db3e391e4
He literally tweets the cruel dictator to say Thanks!
5
Look at the picture of the Trump supporters. All white. No blacks; no latinas; no people of color. That sums up Trump. Make America White Again
12
This rain soaked event was all wet. No matter what anyone says it is, I'm glad I did not see or hear one minute of the trump reality tv presidency on the 4th of July....Everyday since his selection sound bites on tv and radio are enough of him and his misguided supporters.
4
Great job, NY Times (and other media outlets). By giving this story —- which is really a minor story — such prominent coverage, you have helped trump achieve his goal of turning the spotlight on himself. Did the MSM learn nothing from 2016?
4
@Chris M, his displays will lose him as many as they gain, or more. He is not attracting new followers now, but having to try to keep the hard core he has. But never mind that. His dementia is so advanced that only our being inured to the bizarre is hiding it, and it is progressing fast. Pence is being kept on hand now. It might be well to brace ourselves and begin to consider the upheavals that may lie ahead.
3
@Chris M It isn't the media's job to stop Trump from being elected. They are in it for clicks, in the capitalist system, as they always have been.
I just watched the video clips at the head of this article, and missing was the 52 second clip where Trump immediately follows George Washington's Continental Army in 1775 and Valley Forge with reference to "Corwallis of Yorktown" and the army taking over the airports!, the rocket's red glare of 1812's "Fort McHendry" and other gross flubs ("ranning? manning? ramming? the ramparts"). He does not know anything about the words of History that escaped his mouth, and he could not even read those words off the teleprompter. The Lincoln Memorial and the Fourth of July became abused props in service of a maga hat / Trump 2020 campaign publicity stunt. Enough.
6
@James Barth
Remember, James, this is a man who doesn't read. He is, as someone else described, "post literate."
6
Our neighbor, who is a Vietnam Vet, who received shrapnel during the war, who has been disabled since, who has been in a wheelchair for the last 6 years, whose house is falling down, whose yard is overgrown, who has rats in his garage, who without the help of the VA and his neighbors, would have no help at all...
... was not part of the VIP celebration.
Show him some of the money, Mrs. Trump - one pair of your shoes costs more than our neighbor's entire wardrobe for the last 20 years.
Show him some of the money, Mr. Trump - who robbed millions from the park service to pay for your VIP celebration.
And to all the politicians, left and right, who talk big - how about a few crumbs to help this man who your political ancestors drafted into a useless war and sealed his fate as a disabled Veteran for the last 53 years?
53 years and counting.
19
Clearly what bothers Democrats and so-called ‘progressives’ the most is that Donald J. Trump loves this nation without reservation.
@EGD
And, you believe this why?
8
@EGD Actually, what bothers me is that he appears to love himself and only himself, and isn't interested in the millions and millions of Americans who aren't invested in serving his ego.
12
@EGD you MUST be joking, right? He loves Donald J. Trump and money and that's it.
6
A wonderful 4th of July event that was well choreographed by the POTUS, but Fake News played it down and refused to broadcast it to the people. But did interview anyone with negative comments concerning the event. With suggestions that the parade money be spent elsewhere like on the undocumented trespassers, Etc...Sad.
1
@Moe
As the writer, Jill Lepore, once observed, "If you believe everything is fake, you believe in nothing."
8
How do more Americans not see that this buffoon is marching us towards dictatorship?
I used to be so puzzled how a well-educated, cultured country like Germany in the 30s could fall into authoritarianism. I am not puzzled anymore.
14
The 4th of July event was a farce and an embarrassment. Just heard Trump on the White House lawn departing for a golf course. The president’s total remarks confirm that he is delusional and living in his own non reality bubble. He proclaimed that he is a honest man, after uttering a list of lies and half-truths from our southern border detention centers being clean and well run to President Obama pressing for a meeting with North Korea. This man is not qualified to be our leader.
4
What happened to all the live coverage of the events from yesterday?
"... an homage to the five branches of the military ...."
All I remember is Trump giving an interview to Fox News excoriating Democrats and boasting about his personal "achievements," while seated in the U.S. Cemetery above Omaha Beach in France with thousands of white crosses in the background.
The man is pathetic.
4
Funny, but somewhere in this article which, although it veers more or less towards the truth, still comes over as anti-Trump, is mentioned that there was an anti-Trump rally going on nearby organized by Code Pink. Nowhere do I see a report here, or anywhere else in the Times, that large American flags were burned in front of the White House, a couple of people arrested in the course of doing so, etc. This is being reported on EVERY radio news program, on both major and minor networks (not political ones), but seems to have totally escaped the notice of this writer or of the Times in general. This is part of the essence of 'fake news' by omission - if we don't report it, it never happened; let's not report it and just admire those anti-Trumpists who behaved so well in Washington on July 4th. My God, can't the readers of the Times see through this charade, or do they simply never hear or read any news that isn't recognized as report-worthy by the Paper of Record?
2
@Joe Pearce
You realize that most of us get our news from multiple sources, right? I watch CNN, MSNBC, PBS, and I listen to NPR in the car everyday. Revolutionary Communist Party burned two large flags and the secret service immediately put them out. Then, far-right Proud Boys group clashed with the Communist group and some scuffles broke out. Two people were arrested.
We know about it already.
Feel better now?
6
There is an article entitled ‘Two Americas, Celebrating Separately in One Place’, elsewhere in this newspaper that includes a picture of the flag-burning that you mention.
The sight of an American president flanked by tanks as he barks out an ignorant dictator's wish list will become know as one of the low points of our history.
7
@DaDa: Enjoyed your comment here! I would add that Mr. Trump's entire presidency has been one long low point of U. S. history.
1
This story ignored some fundamental questions: how many in the crowd got free transportation? who payed for it? how many got free maga hats and shirts? who payed for those? how many got free food and drinks? who payed for that? how much of this political rally was paid for with tax dollars? what proportion of this auidence was white or immigrant?
Answers to these questions would have gotten to the real phoniness behind the facade. Everything this president does if phony. The money spent getting his audience to show up and the money spent to feed them and the money spent to give them free things says alot about how this president buys his following. I expect more from The Times.
8
Dear NYTIMES,
Give it a rest with Trump hate speeches. At the very least you are annoying and unprofessional. You will lose many readers because of your tactics, which are transparent. Remember you are a NEWS paper.
Obviously no normal person supports separation of children and mothers at the border! However, there is a problem at the border and at least he is trying to solve it. Ends do not justify the means and neither does stooping to a lower level of yellow press. You are only supporting his base and making it grow because it is clear that people can very easily understand what is best for them.
-Rational reader.
@RS
Really? In what way is Trump trying to solve the problems on our border. Please list exactly what he has done that has mitigated the problem.
Trump used those poor people to scare and anger his base. He scapegoated those people so that ignorant people could point at them and scream "It's their fault that my life sucks!" He exacerbated the problem, but won't take any responsibility for it. And his supporters are too dumb to see it.
6
@RS
How does your comment pertain to this story, “rational reader”?
1
Why aren’t the glaring historical inaccuracies of Trump’s speech including “taking over the airports “ the headline of the NYT and WA Post? We have become a nation of the “ low education voters “ if even our reporters at esteemed institutions aren’t educated enough to report in horror these imbecilic inaccuracies!
4
Did he mention that only about 10,000 of the original population of 200,000 supported the revolutionary war? That without then French Navy we would have lost? I note he did mention our airpower helped a lot. My history course did not mention the G.Washington airports. I thought the first feeble flying machine was invented 1903. I did not realize that Paul revere shouted 1 by land, 2 by sea and 3 by air.
Our dear leader is really letting us know a side of history that the liberals have tried to hide from us.
8
@RichardHead
One third for the. revolution.
One third neutral.
On third Loyalist
This is perhaps the most unifying speech and event delivered by this President. it wasn't terrible. The fly overs were beautiful and honoring each branch of our military, and weaving in the history of our country, was well done. The choral concerts were magnificent. I was moved for the first time ever by Trumps delivery. Think how valuable this was for the children who were in attendance or watching on TV. The boycott by the major networks was appalling - this was news and that is their raison d'etre - to tell the truth, to inform! Yes, there are big flaws in Trump's actions and policies - but why not take his unity effort and run with it - encourage it, support it, in order to move Trump further in this direction - America for all - as long as he remains President of this great country we love.
1
Think how valuable the history lesson was! Airports during the American revolution? Who knew???!!
2
@Mary A You missed my point - the President interspersed US history, and the role of the military, with his comments. Please read carefully.
Criticism in some of the comments here of Trump's July 4th show misses the point. Trump did not produce this tax-payer financed ceremony to appeal to all Americans. He did it to play to his base, especially those in the military. This can be seen in his heavy emphasis on honoring the military. The spectacle of uniformed members of the military regaled in MAGA gear -- against regulations -- strategically placed behind Trump was intended to encourage members of the military to support actively his re-election.
10
Even though his presidential campaign was the most divisive in American history, I think the inaugural address was his singular momentary chance to seek goodwill and ask for unity. Having lost the popular vote by over 2,900,000 votes he would have been wise to do so. That was really his one and only chance at a re-set.
For him to ask for unity now after doing nothing but mindlessly tearing the country apart for 2 1/2 years is laughable.
He deserves to be soundly defeated in 2020.
8
We honor the military on Veterans Day. We honor the fallen on Memorial Day. We honor America, all of America, on Independence Day. This year, our President decided to mix them all up so that he could shine a light on his favorite thing, himself. That's appalling enough but to have a professional speechwriter (at least I hope that's who wrote it) make so many horrible mistakes about things that happened and then no one caught it? It speaks volumes about how this administration does things.
I've never been more discouraged by what's happening in my country than I am at this moment. When will decency, intelligence, and a sense of honor, come back to our shores?
3
This question is for the authors, can you please tell me what you mean in this sentence after the MLK reference? "On Thursday, the president spoke not far from where the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “I Have a Dream” speech to nearly a quarter-million people in 1963, and Lincoln’s decision to sign the Emancipation Proclamation as a “great beacon light of hope” to millions of people." I can't find any evidence that the memorial stands where it does because that's where Lincoln decided he would sign the Emancipation Proclamation. Can you identify the source of that information?
Empty words from an empty man. What a waste of taxpayer dollars, which could have been used to help homeless veterans.
Trump has sullied the Lincoln Memorial.
4
Did this article deliberately caption its picture of the crowd at this event "supporters of President Trump"? Or was that always the implicit message of the takeover of this celebration by "The Great Divider"?
Whether or not Trump restrained himself from overt personal messaging in his speech, any event where he deliberately inserts himself is assumed by citizens experienced with "number 45" becomes implicitly politicized. Wise Americans know that elevating this president in any capacity diminishes any event, so that merely objective observers would feel queasy about attending. He simply does not represent the best of America--what most of us were trying to celebrate yesterday.
Also, when do we reach saturation point in celebrating the military? Critics do have a point about excessive highlighting of militarism here. We already have Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, Flag Day, and many other occasions where the easy thing to do--say that our freedoms come primarily because some of us fought wars to preserve them--becomes a primary thing. When do we celebrate the contributions and service of Americans other than trained killers?
The deeper President Trump got into his disquisition on American History, the more embarrassed I felt for him.
He was slurring his words and was obviously having trouble reading his speech, which undoubtedly had a lot of unfamiliar place names. The speech itself was quite odd, and appeared to have been written by fifth-graders who didn't know much history.
But Revolutionary War airports? I'm inclined to lay that one on the President misreading rainy text.
On the upside, while his audience's spirits were somewhat dampened by the rain, they didn't seem to mind. After all, They didn't appear to be the kind of audience that would be that concerned about historical accuracy.
On the downside, I can already hear the derisive laughter coming from across the Atlantic, particularly Russia.
4
Don't blame the rainy weather. The blame is on the moron giving the speech. It was a combination of mental deterioration, gross stupidity and just plain ignorance.
2
Based on what I saw in the news, I predict no Emmy nomination for this Trump production, to paraphrase Trump "it was a massive failure"....
1
Sorry to see that all his extolling of past US military history Trump didn't mention Zefram Cochran famously seeing the Bat Signal go up from the North Church tower and so hurried his work on his Warp Drive, flew it through the Star Gate and brought back terrific technology for Washington to deploy against the British in the Civil War.
2
July 5, 2019
Having the Trump way is just his own style for historical narratives that feel good. And there in is the rub his idea that a happy president is a happy country for the entire world. America's cultural manifestations by power personalities speaks to the value system that is what it is - so look at our military strength and so much to enjoy that it's about showmanship and not needed engagements to seek and destroy but to keep our belief system of governing in the mind of Mr. Donald Trump and with the discourse of the play is the thing or a play within a play and Shakespeare has lots to add to maybe the next regalia of mighty truth in the sky and on tank wheels - or is is more to the Colosseum - oh the arts of living with hope, greatness, and lovely audacity.
2
@Joseph John Amato
Correction / Coliseum
1
This was nothing more than a very expensive photo op for his 2020 campaign paid for by taxpayers. Given he stayed on script, we will no doubt be subjected ad nauseum to video clips and photos of this day as he moves forward. It’s why the Joint Chiefs of Staff were conspicuously absent. Trump could have ordered them to attend....
3
Is it unusual that he stood behind bullet-proof glass to give his speech? I don't remember that as a standard before.
5
@MomT it is standard since Reagan was shot. Every president since then has stood behind bullet proof glass during outdoor events like inaugurations and the annual lighting of the White House Christmas tree. Obama even stood behind such glass in Grant Park in Chicago on the night of his first election (before even being sworn in as President).
Your attempt to suggest that Trump is so hated that he must stand behind glass as if no one else ever has is pathetic.
3
The Times misrepresented DC’s Independence Day celebration so absolutely badly.
The parade had just about every nationality of America’s immigrants represented with a float or folks walking with a front banner. Some of the dancers, especially the Asians were absolutely beautiful. Loved the Cowboys 4 Trump (C4T) folks on horseback because it reminded me of the heart of our pioneers that explored and settled our west.
I spoke to several of the soldiers assisting with security - all were intensely proud of their jobs and the equipment that they were charged with operating. Throughout the heat of the day they all remained in full uniform and all where honored to serve at the celebration.
Complementing the parade, the President spoke about the history of our country’s securing independance from King George, the battles we fought and the heroes that made it happen. And where we are heading by way of space exploration.
In its simplest terms the President made it all about all American’s sharing pride and honor of being part of the most wonderful, free, country in the world.
There were people everywhere - it was packed wherever you went. And your reporter’s remarks about attendees being rained soaked is fake. It drizzled a little but my son and I were outside the entire day and barely noticed.
The day and the President’s remarks will be shared with our family and friends for years to come. It was a historic Independance Day celebration.
11
And then the very next morning, Trump, the hypocrite, went back to bashing the majority of Americans he paid tribute to in his salute.. Some unity speech, eh?
3
@Juergen Granatowski
Yeah sure spoke of the history of our country...Including the amazing fact that during the Revolutionary War we seized airports. Confusing the Revolutionary War with the War of 1812. All spoken while standing behind a bulletproof glass. Petty shameful. Who ever wrote that speech should be fired. If Trump was ad libbing then we are in trouble, his dementia is getting worse.
6
@Kathy Berger If you are talking about his remarks to his impromptu press briefings on his way to NJ, his responses were spot on. What exactly did he say that you thought was bashing the majority of Americans?
The old saying is that politicians look for a parade to get in front of. Mr. Trump is doing that literally. A blatant attempt to get some campaign momentum at the expense of tax dollars. And even providing (selling?) VIP area tickets to big donors. All while giving the draft dodger another chance to strut the stage as Commander In Chief. Ms. Conway's attempt to paint critics as being unaware of our country's history is the height of chutzpah.
8
Divided States of America. You want the truth? That's what we are. The only thing that unites me with other America's is a heartfelt distrust for Trump. When he leaves. Then we can talk United. Until then. Divided feels likes the thing to do.
8
Send him the bill, the Blue Angels did not exist in 1776
It is akin to violating the emoluments clause, overriding Congress on appropriation authority to build a wall, and for ...
Where are on this Richard Painter? It is obvious to me that this is beyond the pale.
3
"... was deferred in the draft during the Vietnam War because of bone spurs in his heels..."
The New York Times missed an important opportunity to point out that those "bone spurs" were fake, bought and paid for. Yes, Trump's lies are overwhelming by design, but it is still important to call them out rather than repeating them.
11
@Astrochimp
Democrats used to think avoiding the ‘illegal’ war in Vietnam was the moral thing to do.
You know, as long as Democrats like Bill Clinton and Joe Biden were the ones doing the draft dodging.
1
@EGD And it was a Democrat who made sure the Civil Rights bill got passed unlike the R's who want to strip people from voting. And how about that made up war by Dubya?
1
Trump calls bluff of critics in July 4th speech. CNN
"We will never forget that we are Americans and the future belongs to us," Trump said. "The future belongs to the brave, the strong, the proud and the free. We are one people chasing one dream and one magnificent destiny."
9
@R. R.
I hope this comes out. But the first thing I thought of after reading your comment was the scene of the youth singing in the film" Cabaret".
Tomorrow Belongs to Me - Cabaret - YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tUctFu46_c
1
Wars are fought with drones these days, not tanks, someone’s feeling inadequate.
4
I'd like to sincerely thank his speech writer. It validated his entire charade and stands as a reminder that his final reckoning will be a spectacle that even HE can't imagine. I, personally, cannot wait for this day and I know my patience will undeniably be rewarded.
5
Trump acts as though we are at war. The only war is the one the Republicans have created - the war of one political party against the other, regardless of the effect on the 99%, all designed to transfer wealth and power to the .01%. We need to stop this nonsense and hand the governance of our country over to the party that actually works for the people. Never vote Republican.
8
Unity! The US, Russia, North Korea, and any countries that have business ties to Trump & his famous,
3
One look at the crowd pictures and one could mistake the country for Norway, which for trump is not a bad thing. That so many folks could still feel some affection for such a tawdry, lying, sexual abuser is sad.
14
1. Recounting of any history of the armed forces means he had to be reading from a teleprompter.
2. A crowd wearing MAGA hats and other tRUMP gear makes this a campaign rally.
3. Did Melania have to prompt him to place his hand over his heart this time?
5
All hail Trump, our American Caesar,
on a podium again without rhyme or reason!
8
@FR Things didn't turn out so well for Caesar.
Maybe there were some non-whites in that crowd. But I didn't see any in the pictures. I wonder if I need my eyes checked. But they just were.
3
Where exactly is the Democratic Party in demanding Trump pay for his reelection campaigns instead of using our tax dollars for a Trump rally on July 4th on the Lincoln Memorial? Can Congress explain why tanks were required for a parade? Military flyovers to celebrate the Declaration of Independence? Why are members of the military are wearing MAGA hats? Isn't that against the law? Thank God, I enjoyed the 4th with my family far away in Boston with nary a thought for the Great Imposter at least for a little while? Why even report this non-story?
3
It looks like Trump is buttering up the US military in order to cultivate their fealty to him to help him stage a coup when he is defeated again in 2020.
5
As for Trump's reference to capturing airports in the civil war, the teleprompter probably said "ramparts" and he couldn't make the word out for whatever reason.
Bad eyesight is one thing, but the fact that Trump's brain didn't register that "airports" couldn't be the right....that's telling.
10
Maybe it was my imagination, but I swear I saw the statue of Abraham Lincoln roll his eyes!
14
I'm appalled. No mention here of Trump's slurred speech and blatant errors. Not only did he confuse the Revolutionary War with the War of 1812, he actually said the Army back then "took over the airports." The President of the United States -- Commander-in-Chief of the world's most powerful military, with his finger on the button of an arsenal that could destroy the world, whose decisions affect the entire planet -- speaking at the biggest annual commemoration of America and its history, which he himself advertised as the show of a lifetime, fumbled and babbled and displayed ignorance of (or disregard for) elementary-school level facts. Is Trump senile? What's going on here? And you're too polite to even bring it up?
25
Trump botched this one. He has to follow up with another one, soon, more militaristic, bombastic. I can't wait.
1
Trump had the audacity to embrace people, ideas, and concepts he is, in reality, steadfastly against and has worked hard to undermine. His is the most backward looking administration of my lifetime. I’m still burning about the fact that he robbed money from the already strapped Park Service to pay for his for his personal aggrandizement.
9
Just remembered, it also rained on his inaugural. Perhaps God Wept .
6
As a progressive and having served in combat in Viet Nam, I was initially like my other fairly liberal friends about this July 4th parade. I would've preferred it on Veterans day and themed to the heartache and sacrifices our country made for WW2, as the last WW2 Vet's are passing on. My father was a Japanese POW for almost 4 years and lived through the terrible Bataan Death March and torture. We both would never have considered voting for John McCain, especially with Palin as his VP pick. But my dad and myself always viewed John McCain as a true patriot. Trump's comments regarding John McCain were appalling. In all honesty, I thought Trump's July 4th celebration was mostly nonpartisan and passed my smell check!
3
"Unity" is Republican-speak for Democrats compromising and Republicans pulling the rug out from under them. Can see it from a mile away.
8
Sorry, Trump has been a divider, not a uniter with every tweet.
6
The Lincoln Memorial surrounded by Tanks and Trump. As Martin Luther King would say: " I have a Nightmare."
4
"....they took the airports."
Sounded like he was on drugs or had been given something to keep him calm.
There was and is something seriously wrong with this very troubled man.
He is mentally deteriorating before our very eyes. Put him away, now.
12
During his speech, Trump spoke of the brave Continental Army that stepped up and took the airports. Wilbur and Orville Wright are sitting somewhere very confused.
8
Finally, a president who is using the Reflecting Pool in a manner which would have made Narcissus blush.
Are we great again?
12
So, Trump and his court, the major donors and supporters of Trump, held a military ceremony on our national mall, gated out We The People, we American taxpayers who are paying for King Trump’s monarchy to celebrate Trump’s Ego Imperiale.
Impeach him now.
11
"Trump defies ominous predictions with nonpartisan July 4th salute to American spirit"
Sad to see all the posters here who cannot love the US, whether under Obama, Trump, ETC.
4
@R. R.- You're assumption is incorrect. We do love our country. We hate what Trump has done to trample our traditions, our laws and our constitution. It's because we love our country that we speak out against Trump. His lying, narcissism, bullying, bigotry, crassness, name calling, ignorance, paranoia, incompetence and pettiness — all of it stains and sullies his office and everything it stands for. You may pretend that character and virtue don't matter, but to us they matter more than tax cuts and the stock market and the unemployment rate. We love our country and we want it to again be the envy of the world and not it's laughingstock. And, we want our president respected and welcomed everywhere he goes, and not just by dictators, but by our allies.
4
@Ms. Pea
Glad to hear that you love our country. But, surely, you must be aware of all the hatred that is so common now.
1
djt's fireworks extravaganza. One big smokey fizzle. Sound familiar?
1
My ancestors were pilots in the war of 1812. They never got acknowledged for their efforts. Thank you Mr. Trump. (hehe).
10
Oh Dear isn't the President going to personally tweet thank the times for not making the headline the announcement of the Revolutionary Airports.
Yes Yes go ahead and say he was just having stage freight.
The President of the United States who will be in the bunker with
his hands and intelligence on the atomic button. Now he may often be up at 3:00 A.M. so that is not the problem.
3
What a terribly sad day in America when a president has to be complimented for not being racist, misogynistic or xenophobic.
9
From across the pond - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jul/05/heterosexual-couples-airports-4-july-donald-trump-independence-day
Excerpt:
"Trump is a man who only understands things in a very literal way. He does not understand metaphor, or analogy, or metonymy, or even just nuance. This is a man who almost certainly asked “But where were the dogs?” as the credits rolled on Reservoir Dogs. "
3
We didn't go to see the fireworks in our town this year. My spouse said Trump ruined July 4th.
1
total joke.
incoherent speech and sleep walking crowd. another waste of time and money.
6
Behind bulletproof glass?
You mean he's paranoid too?
6
According to many sources, including the "Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget" the US spends more (not the same but more!) on our military than the next 10 countries combined on their militaries. Used to be the next 7 or 8, but no, it's 10 and has been for a while.
$1.6 Trillion in 2015 alone. Guess what - that was the an Obama year and all Trump does is lie about Obama regarding Military spending.
37% of our GDP goes to our military. Nobody comes close to that- nor the dollar value of that 37%.
And the rich pay a paltry portion of their share of taxes and keep finding new ways to pay less - so the working class and working poor pay for that sum.
We used to build great things in this country. Now many communities have citizens that can't even afford the internet and their roads are second world and you can't find a ranger in the National Forest to save your life.
But we have 20+ aircraft carrier battle groups not including amphibious air-land-sea battle groups. A battle group for an aircraft can include as many as 20 other ships for this one type of military attack system. The next closest country, Italy has 2 and China may end up with 3 some point in the future - And all with many less ships in their battle groups.
If that ain't socialism for the rich to have the poor and working class pay to have their world of global oil, commerce and resources movements protected than I don't know what socialism is.
And most of our wars our wars of choice.
18
THank you!
This is shocking!
3
I had read in another publication that Trump was talking about how airplanes were flying in the war of 1812. I do not see that in this report by the NYT. I just did not have the heart to listen to the video—which story is accurate?
7
@Jane, yes, he did, just a recent case of many such lapses. We need to understand that the president is demented, Pence is being kept close, and Trump is most likely not going to last the rest of this term.
7
@Jane He evidently said they took the airports. The "Washington Post" reported the gaff. And others.
3
I heard that as well, and read some excerpts of this bizarre speech, which the NYT should absolutely reprint with commentary. We’ve already had one president who tried to cover up his Alzheimer’s and we don’t need another.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/05/flight-of-fancy-trump-claims-1775-revolutionary-army-took-over-airports
8
... and then, the Continental Army, still freezing from a summer in San Francisco, sent their missiles to beat Napoleon at the Little Big Horn after which General Washington declared. "Lafayette -- go home."
So sorry that I missed the actual speech.
16
His manufactured 4th of July spectacle looked a bit like a white nationalist rally with don't mess with me "hardware" that one may see a banana republic dictator use for his self-grandstanding.
13
I didnt see Ivanka, Jared, Don Jr, Erica or Tiffany in the crowds?
Their own father’s military extravaganza of a lifetime and they were AWOL?
2
@JM they were in the Hamptons.
Yea but Trump lies so much about everything every time he opens his mouth. How can we now believe he's sincere about anything except his lies?
6
How could you have not mentioned Trump's hilarious mashup of history? ie: The Continental Army was named for George Washington? They crossed the Delaware and did what they had to do at Ft. McHenry, where the rockets red glare and old glory was still there? How about the Revolutionary army's supremacy of the air? And how they captured the British airports?
This man does not know the difference between 1776 and 1812 and he arrogantly spreads his ignorance on the gullible citizens of Trumpland. And the venerable NY Times doesn't call attention to it?
The media will be slanting toward the pull of money and power. The Times is already there.
10
Trump spoke of the Military and not himself?
Definitely a canned speech. One wonders what backstage arrangements got him to stick to the script.
3
He only invited Republicans to his show and they are mostly white. In a country that is the melting pot of the world his is the tiny tent political party.
6
The photograph with the six jet planes cutting against the storm clouds dominating the darkness over the blood red carpet and the blinding glaring lights? Absolutely apocalyptic.
10
Not one face of color in his crowd. We need all of our Black allies to VOTE. Women and Blacks will make America great again.
7
@Angelique Craney--Where were all of "his" African Americans? Where were all the Hispanics that love him? Why were only White People let in?
1
Trump, Putin, Khrushchev, whatever.
Red Square, DC; where ever.
"Tear down the Wall, Mr. Trump!" The Wall between you and reality.
8
ironic - bulletproof glass.......
3
Trump is no great president. I find it very hard to accept that he is the president. Hillary blew it.
5
Tanks for the great airshow!
No mention of his huge gaffe about how the Revolutionary Army took over the airports?
8
The military parade was really creepy along with a speech full platitudes and gibberish.
3
Alas! If only Washington DC were Camelot, and the bone-spur ridden Commander-in-Chief King Arthur. Too bad, Executive Order didn’t work yesterday, or we might be singing with our beloved non-reality star Richard Burton --
------
It's true, it's true, the crown has made it clear
The climate must be perfect all the year
A law was made a distant moon ago here
July and August cannot be too hot
And there's a legal limit to the snow here in Camelot
The winter is forbidden till December
And exits March the second on the dot
By order, summer lingers through September in Camelot
Camelot: Camelot
I know it sounds a bit bizarre
But in Camelot: Camelot
That's how conditions are
The rain may never fall till after sundown
By eight, the morning fog must disappear
In short, there's simply not a more congenial spot
For happily ever after in than here in Camelot
Camelot: Camelot
I know it gives a person pause
But in Camelot: Camelot
Those are the legal laws.
------
Call it the Revenge of Mother Nature, but can you dismiss the downpour today as “Fake Rain”? It could've been a lot more fun,
4
I always tell people that if Washington didn’t have two aircraft carriers during the war for Independence, we would all be speaking English now.
14
Sorry Mr. President, but you can't sow discord, hate and bigotry and then all of a sudden call for unity. The best thing you should have said yesterday was thank you and goodnight from Mar-a-Lago.
10
Not long now and the troops will be goose-stepping.
3
Nothing says unity like Bradley armored vehicles and M1A2 tanks.
4
"President Trump on Thursday used the Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop for...a call for unity..."
OHHHH! I get it.
As long as it is unity with Trump!!
(Almost had us there for a minute, didn't you?)
5
President Bone Spurs apparently also encouraged enlisting in the military during his speech.
If you think that irony is just too much...
Wait til the “Salon” story gets traction that Trump actually stipulated in his pre-nup with Marla Maples to HALT child support payments if Tiffany joined the MILITARY.
2
Calls for unity? From the Birther-in-Chief? Who invited no Democrats to his show? For that and a thousand other reasons -- never.
12
When we use the lethal machinery of war to call for "unity," we employ the same strategy as the rapist who holds a knife to the throat to achieve "consent."
6
Perfect analogy
OMG what is he going to do next? I'll just bet the joint chiefs were real happy about the short notice giving them an excuse not to attend Trump's celebration of "my military". The draft dodger in chief has no right to call the United States military "his" under any circumstances as he went out of his way NOT to serve his country.
5
How many levels of government authorization did Trump have to ignore to make this poorly-attended campaign event happen? How many vendors will he stiff? And how much of our tax money intended for this trip to Trump’s Fantasy Island will go into his pockets instead? #ITMFA
1
We’re ANY of his 5 children even there?
1
Respecting the military is not about having flyovers and tanks on the Mall. It is about making sure that the service members and their family have significant benefits, and the veterans receive health care and compensation. Many of the homeless, street people are veterans, an example of disrespecting the military.
Respecting the military also means no more manufactured crises that lead wars built on lies.
7
How much fuel was used in this made for TV display of military power? Along with this show of American military strength should have been a price tag for the fossil fuel that was wasted for our "president" to put on his show. It has been nearly seven decades since a president spoke at the National Mall on Independence Day, when the U.S. was at war in Korea and Harry Truman addressed a gathering on the Washington Monument grounds. This "Salute to America" and "show of a lifetime" is a sad statement indeed.
3
It is hard to imagine a ballot that would force me to contribute to the President's return for a second term. If we oppose him for his work to divide us, we must work to unite more of us around some basic ideas, and not another ego-in-chief. I propose that respect is one of those basic ideas, respect for other Americans and respect for others on this increasingly small planet. I respect the President's supporters, and there are probably people I love among their numbers. While President Trump has often created laughable moments thereby stimulating mockery and satire, I am no longer laughing lest it become a faulty substitute for respectful disagreement and consensus-building. Let all speak and listen, let all vote, and let freedom ring 365 days a year and far into the future!
2
Abraham Lincoln's message to us on our 243rd birthday would probably resonate with the truth of this simple biblical message. Matthew 12:25 and Mark 3:25 convey the common message that a house divided against itself will not stand. What happened yesterday in front of the Lincoln Memorial was a disgrace to our nation's history, Abraham Lincoln and all of our armed forces, especially those who sacrificed their lives for freedom and equality. I think it was appropriate that it rained on Trump's parade.
6
I must have missed the "call for unity" being so worried as I was about those airports that weathered the revolutionary war. All those cold, weary and brave soldiers waiting on stand-by.
7
I don't support Trump at all, period. The exorbitant costs, and the confirmed reallocation of park service funds, is outrageous and maybe even a violation of separation of powers. And Trump's autocratic overtones like we have never seen before are unnerving and continue each day to increase my level of concern about the future direction of our country.
BUT, I watched it, and the message of patriotism Trump was so simplistically (albeit military-concentrically) making really is one that all Americans should embrace. And the failure of Democrats and liberals (and I am one} to at least make that concession of bona fide patriotism undermines their political legitimacy with the "middle-ground" for whom patriotism is important -- draw the line between legitimate patriotism and jingoism. Attack the messenger and his excessive mechanisms but not the underlying message -- which really is not political but patriotic. Rejection of that message makes reaching the common middle ground much more difficult than it should be and needlessly isolates those closer to the ends of each spectrum Accepting and embracing it is politically smart. So contain your sense of injury and victimization (all legitimate) for a minute to accept what made America truly great before this all got started and the reasons for America's genuine greatness distorted beyond all recognition. Open your hearts and minds just a little, if only for moment.
4
I appreciate where you’re coming from. The problem with yesterday’s charade is that it runs exactly counter to the kind of patriotism you would like to see celebrated. To criticize yesterday’s contrived spectacle thoughtfully, to unmask it in all its grotesque cynicism, is a way to defend the better values of our country. I suppose you could call it a form of patriotism. It takes no special courage to voice opposition to what Trump is doing, but it is important to do it anyway.
3
Your words are rational. The words of these people bashing him are unreasonable and just as wrong as what they try to point out in him as being wrong. Just be positive on the celebration of July 4th and resume the political descent on any other day.
@SW
It is not unreasonable to criticize Trump for misappropriating taxpayer money for what was essentially a private fundraising event and stump speech, misappropriating military personnel and equipment for spectacle, and for giving a rambling, barely coherent speech that contained gaffes that only serve to underscore how appallingly vain and ignorant he is. He is supposed to be the President of the United States, and he is an embarrassment. This event should have never taken place.
3
Yesterday's made-for-television festivities in D.C. are recyclable--and were created not just for that one day but for Our Dear Leader's future re-election campaigns. Later this year and on into 2020 (2024, anyone?), we are guaranteed to see snippets from the entire day again and again in Trump's commercials.
Wouldn't Trump's political use of the 4th of July celebration constitute a violation of some law? Soon after his inauguration, he started breaking all kinds of financial laws by holding his non-ending MAGA "rallies" in the red states. Has anyone filed a lawsuit over this misuse of federal monies?
I know that we already have a wagon load of charges we could bring up against the man, but surely it is criminal to use federal monies to run a presidential re-election campaign.
4
I watched the speech with two physician friends, and we found great cause for concern. The president stayed with the TelePrompTer--but was clearly struggling to finish, and when he did, his facial expressions indicated the effort, a licking of lips and other movements that sometimes are found as side effects of some medications. But it was others who made us consider some dire possibilities: the line of Melania, Pence, and other WH dignitaries standing afterward next to Trump. They looked so incredibly grim, as at a funeral, not the 4th, and Melanie's face went from smile to anguish to smile in a most concerning way. Something bad is afoot (see YouTube for this). We have seen Trump's ideation stagger more and more of late; his bizarre statements indicate progressive disabling of cognition. And something brought Pence back to the WH last week... we are used to some madness in Trump, or we would already be very alarmed. But Trump may not be the republican nominee in 2020; he may not finish this term.
9
@jb--I thought much the same when Pence was suddenly summoned back to Washington and no excuse was given. I immediately thought there must be some crisis with the President. I won't be at all surprised if we find that Trump has been suffering from some cognitive or other illness during his term in office, much like we learned that Reagan had Alzheimers for a couple of years toward the end of his term.
3
This was pure political theater at taxpayers expense. As a Vietnam veteran, I wonder where Trump's love of the military was when he had his daddy get all of those deferments for his non existent bone spurs. The 4th of July is not a military celebration holiday but that of political freedom from Great Britain and the beginnings of our experiment in government as a Republic.
9
And the three people I know who voted for him did so to get a tad more money in their pockets. What a sad day.
2
I don't trust him.
I don't trust GOP.
I don't trust current SCOTUS.
I feel for my country.
5
I don't know which I find more disturbing, Donald Trump using the military as political props to feed his ego or the thousands of people cheering him on.
I would put nothing - nothing - past this man. I can envision the Bradley Fighting Vehicles lining up on the south lawn at his order when he loses the 2020 election and refuses to accept the results.
Can't happen here? Don't bet on it.
4
Even if I could stretch credulity to the point where I could entertain the possibility that his canned speech was in any way sincere (I can’t, actually), his “call to unity” was far too little, far too late.
16
@Mercy Me, Mabel!--How can there be any "unity" when only a select group of Americans was allowed into his event? If you don't wear a red hat, you're not welcome. I couldn't believe that members of the military were actually stationed outside the fence to keep people out. This was not an event for all Americans. It was only for some.
3
@Mercy Me, Mabel! How about that retaking of the air fields from the British. Let’s change those history books now.
2
The bully-in-chief is a man who relishes his time in the spotlight. He doesn't care who might be diminished by his hogging the stage. Turning July 4 into a celebration of the military (which Trump calls "my military") was a crass ploy to showcase Trump as the leader of the troops. When we learn of the outrageous cost of this spectacle, Democrats will shout and Republicans will run from the cameras. America is in a very bad spot, and the sad part is that Trump--living in his bubble--is clueless about how much his trampling of the Constitution matters for the generations who will follow us.
14
@Michael V.
Apparently Bone Spurs likes playing soldier in name only. Not when it really counted. Wonder who took his place with his myriad deferments. What a sad little man.
1
At least the tanks and fighter jets didn’t open fire ... this year.
19
The American government must see to it that our veterans, especially those that were gravely injured or have serious mental problems, are personally supported in every way possible after they no longer are of any use in combat. But doing this appears to cost more than the government is willing to spend. I know this because there are so many pleas by celebrities and others on commercials asking for money to support those who have made huge sacrifices for our country.
Once our country takes complete responsibility for these brave ex military individuals who so willingly put themselves into harms way then, and only then, does it have the moral authority to "celebrate" it's military with a huge, expensive extravaganza.
Note to Democratic presidential candidates: Maybe you should start hammering on points like the above before just disparaging Trump when he does things like this. It may actually give independents (and maybe even some Trump supporters} the idea that you don't just hate Trump, but actually understand what's at stake when he spends money this indiscriminately.
11
EXCELLENT observation. Thank you so much.
"“And perhaps the great day will come when a people, distinguished by wars and victories and by the highest development of a military order and intelligence, and accustomed to make the heaviest sacrifices for these things, will exclaim of its own free will, "We break the sword," and will smash its entire military establishment down to its lowest foundations. Rendering oneself unarmed when one has been the best-armed, out of a height of feeling—that is the means to real peace, which must always rest on a peace of mind; whereas the so-called armed peace, as it now exists in all countries, is the absence of peace of mind. One trusts neither oneself nor one's neighbor and, half from hatred, half from fear, does not lay down arms. Rather perish than hate and fear, and twice rather perish than make oneself hated and feared—this must some day become the highest maxim for every single commonwealth, too.”
― Friedrich Nietzsche
9
@lolo
Thanks for posting this. Excellent.
But for the tanks we might have lost WW2 and these critics and the rest of the nation wouldn’t have any Fourth of July celebration. So the inclusion of tanks in the capital's Fourth spectacle is quite appropriate.
5
it was quite unnecessary and braggadocious. A strong country doesn't need a gratuitous display of its strength.
4
@Ross Stuart. Of it wasn’t for isolationists, the US might have entered the war two years earlier saving millions of lives
4
@Ross Stuart — Then why hasn’t it been done on such a scale before? We’ve always been above making a big show of our strength. What changed this year, other than the obvious?
1
Trump understands “unity” to mean “adore me and believe in me, even when I utter alternative truths which may change like the aurora borealis.” And the military stuff adds the postscript “or else!”
10
As a 94 year old friend told me yesterday, "It looks like Russia. I never thought I would live to see tanks rolling down the streets of Washington." Hail to the Chief indeed? Hope he enjoyed his show at our expense.
17
@John Paar
Your 94 year-old friend (and the majority of NYTimes readers) needs a reminder. The events detailed below really did happen during your friends lifetime:
"An Army Pershing missile mounted on a tank-like carrier catches the sunlight as the inaugural parade for President John F. Kennedy draws attention of spectators along Pennsylvania Avenue" https://madison.com/jfk-inaugural-parade/image_d568910c-bac3-11e5-8019-7b64fdb64a6a.html
"A procession of tanks in front of the Capitol building marking the inauguration of President Franklin D Roosevelt's third term as President of the United States" https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/procession-of-tanks-in-front-of-the-capitol-building-news-photo/592664075
2
A call for unity from Trump is a call to accept White Nationalism and a Fascist government. Sorry, I'm not joining you on that evil journey.
29
A president who refused the calling of his country, and uses the military to tout his patriotism, policy, and narratives is just stunning. I'm not sure where I live anymore when we can't see through this man's deceptions. Just last week we were reading about military families being broken up by deportations for late paperwork. This man has got go, vote blue all the way!!!
17
It is amusing that Commandant Bone Spurs praises the military, on an inappropriate day for the praise, our military that defends our country and freedoms yet he shirked that duty.
It is also amusing he calls for unity yet has his adoring supporters don the hats that are his signature wear for disunion.
Well, he got another day in the spotlight and we the taxpayer get the bill. Imagine if Obama had done this.
20
Obama didn’t serve. Bill Clinton didn’t serve. GW Bush served... in Alabama. Al Gore served “in the rear with the gear.”
Also no service:
Hillary Clinton, Warren, Sanders, O’Rourke, Booker, Harris, Biden, de Blasio (unless you count his time with the communist Sandinistas in Nicaragua), Hinkenlooper, Castro, Swalwell, Bennet, Inslee, Pelosi, Schumer...
And your point is?
2
@Johannes de Silentio
The point? None of those previous presidents flaunted our military on our Nation’s Capitol grounds. Means nothing to you? Thats the problem. Our country has sunk to a new low when we roll out the military because the president needs to feed his unsatiable ego. Disgusting. Pur military is a proud, strong team. The world understands and knows this. There is no greatness in shoving it down others throats. Its a bullying move. No one likes the bully.
2
Good point, now can you imagine any of those people doing what Trump just did? He is obviously compensating for lack of patriotism when it counted, when there was a draft, when he was already a military academy cadet. He wants to be associated with the brave, when he himself is a coward. Bullet proof glass, indeed.
2
I, for one, am most grateful that the Continental Army managed to capture the airports during the Revolution. Apparently, they used the Abrams tanks.
25
LEt’s Update those liberal textbooks that ignore this heroism
3
If trump loses the 2020 election, he will not leave. We all need to be prepared for this fact. Who will make him leave? When considering the answer to this question, read this paragraph from this article-
"Many military families who received invitations to a V.I.P. section close to the president’s stage appeared to all but ignore the usual understanding that members of the armed forces should not engage in partisan political activity. Many wore Trump’s MAGA hats and openly campaigned for Trump’s re-election, chanting, “Four more years.”"
This goes for all law enforcement and the armed forces. Not only will they not remove him, they'll protect him. This cult has infested every corner of our society and the sooner we all realize this, the more prepared we can be.
11
b d'amico,
President Trump will not lose. He will beat the competition whoever it happens to be.
@b D'Amico Then he'll be escorted out as a trespasser. He will no longer be a resident of his temporary housing.
2
@KMW What if he doesn't?
1
A magnificent show! What a way to celebrate American Independence. Trump's speech was incredible; his command of the nation's history is unparalleled. I doubt that any of those on the left vying for the Democratic nomination could match it. For me, the most impressive part of the show was the flyover of the B-2 Stealth Bomber. What an ominous bird, which much truly strike fear in our foes when they see a squadron of them coming. There has never been a better time to be an American than in the Age of Trump. Thank you.
4
@Southern Boy. Oh, you are funny. Airports - confusing the revolution and the war of 1812 and from a speech written for him - unparalleled command of US history? You are too, too funny.
6
smoking crack this early is never a good idea.
5
@Southern Boy. And I did not know the Continental Army stormed the British airfields. Was it in 1781 or 1782?
3
Mr Trump loves attention, and that television camera is the mirror-mirror on the wall. Plus, it's free election coverage along with Twitter to keep the Fearless Leader constantly in our face. I can't wait for the Thanksgiving, Christmas, Groundhog Day, Valentine's Day, and Arbor Day televised national celebrations with Mr Trump and battleships on display in the Capitol Mall Reflecting Pool. Instead of mere 45 minute speeches, he'll be trying to go for the record against Castro's hours-long televised socialist pep talks. Who said "The Apprentice" was cancelled?
7
He did once praise Limbaugh for being able to ramble for hours with no callers to respond to. Length, apparently, is greatness. Personally, I would just like to see a coherent paragraph with no redundancy once in a while. And fire that speechwriter, Mrs Conway! He/she really sucks at fact checking.
"As long as we stay true to our cause...." Did trump say what "our cause" is.
What's trump's definition of unity - "don't disagree with me"
4
As a military child growing up on multiple army bases, I remember the run-down depressive housing conditions where we lived. Substandard military housing still continues today. I'm patriotic, I'm all for celebrating our might, I bless our country every day. I also think the money spent on this ridiculous realty show event could have been better spent on new plumbing, plastering, flooring, and paint for our brave and wonderful military families.
19
The presence of tanks and the military do indeed mirror the retrograde thinking of Donald J. Trump. Tanks, of all military weapons, are symbols of the first half of the 20th Century. WWI and WWII. Trump wants to "Make America Great Again" by moving the country back 100 years? So much for the innovative thinking of this Stable Genius" What is amazing and more truly appalling is that there are millions of Americans, 90%(?) of Republicans who actually believe Trump's rhetoric. America is doomed if Trump is re-elected in 2020. (If we haven't already been doomed by Trump's first 3 years.)
6
Saw what appears to be a semi official video on YouTube of the proceedings. One thing which was lacking were faces of hardworking minority Americans. Were they edited out so as not to offend real hardworking Americans? There’s my problem with DJT.
5
Donald Trump put on a blowout birthday celebration for America. It was gala observance of the Trump of America. The only people that stayed home complaining were the also-rans, the defeated, the has-beens and the deadbeat Democrats resolute in their desire to bring America down.
1
Well, at least the tanks didn't disappear into a sinkhole. And the most relieved person was President Obama. Don't know how he would have done it, but rest assured trump would have blamed him for it.
5
Isn't it funny that when John Adams foresaw how the 4th would be celebrated, he didn't mention a display of military weaponry or a celebration of military might.
But of course, what did he ever do for the country?
4
Being prodded into celebrating unity, with an armored tank staring you in the face, lest anyone experiences any doubts. Doubtless, a surreal experience for D.C. tourists.
6
I guess on the Trump scale these are closer to the truth than most of his statements but it indicates both his ignorance and those of his speech writers.
Among the errors were calling the Medal of Honor the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Saying Alvin York was a sergeant when he performed his heroic acts during WWI (he was only a corporal and wasn't promoted till later)
Perpetuating the much disproven myth that the after Belleau Woods the Germans called the U.S. Marines "devil dogs."
Oh well, I guess we should be glad that Trump at least came within hailing distance of the truth although when mentioning some of the great battles in which the U.S. Navy participated, he didn't note that John McCain's grandfather and father were two of the senior commanders. Or failing to mention that a former Democratic senator and governor, Bob Kerrey lost a leg and won the MOH as a member of the SEALS in Vietnam that Trump prominently mentioned. I guess if you oppose Trump, that makes your service worthless.
And if he thinks that serving in the military is so great why doesn't he convince one of his kids to sign up?
7
@Steve
"And if he thinks that serving in the military is so great why doesn't he convince one of his kids to sign up?"
What? And spoil the record of draft dodging in the drumph family?
“Most of the Joint Chiefs were on leave or on travel and did not attend.” I think that says it all.
13
I tried to watch this mockery but could not for more than a minute. Listening to Trump expound on history is laughable, but preaching unity to the nation he has systematically ripped in two is soul crushing. Worse, he knows his props will rile up his supporters because they do not give a whit about the institutions, or the pillars of your democracy, it's all symbols of strength and red hats, made for T.V., and they are Trump’s most prized props of all.
9
My wife & I spent the 4th of July assisting a Syrian refugee family that my family’s synagogue has sponsored for the last two years: The mom needed to spend the holiday in the hospital. Here are 3 quick tales that made me feel proud to be an American, yesterday:
Tale #1: The Syrian Dad wanted to take pizza to the hospital, but we couldn’t find an open pizza store. I found a nice cafe and I spoke to the owner explaining our search for pizza & I added that my Syrian friend was from Aleppo. The cafe owner suddenly became very interested and said that his grandfather was also a Syrian from Aleppo. The cafe owner then called several nearby restaurants and found an open shop for us to go to.
Tale #2: My wife and the young Syrian daughter, wearing a hijab, were together in the hospital elevator. A young Latin couple with a baby step inside. The young Syrian girl smiles at the couple and asks if they speak Spanish. The couple says yes, and the young Syrian girl says to them, “¿Hola, cómo estás hoy?”
Tale #3: We were sitting together in the Hospital room and the Syrian Mom said she is sad because her two older children can’t join them in America. The young daughter said she thought it wasn’t fair that the rest of her family couldn’t live with them. I said to the daughter that maybe she can one day get elected & help change the laws. The young girl was quiet for a moment, then she turned to my wife and asked, ”If I am in an election, will I get to wear eye makeup?”
5
@DCJ. A lot more America in this story than we saw at the Lincoln Memorial yesterday. Great stories.
3
@DCJ the true Spirit of America! Bravo!
@DCJ
Lovely story, but how was the pizza?
Mr. Trump claims that America remains strong in part because of the men and women who choose to serve our country in the military. Funny coming from a man who evaded the military when he had a change to serve in it. Another banal reality show without any reality, as usual. Imagine what good could have been done--for the immigrants suffering on our southern border, for example--with the money wasted on this insipid bit of re-election drama.
6
“Flanked by tanks?”
There were 2 Abrams tanks on wooden pallets to protect the turf.
And 2 of the smaller Bradleys also on wooden pallets.
No grass was killed in the production of this made-for-America program.
1
That was the most boring "salute" I have ever seen. By coincidence, I happened to be in Paris the summer that Trump was so impressed by Bastille Day celebrations. That was a pretty cool event, with antique airplanes and other armaments, and without the elementary school narration of military history that Trump provided. Trump is the world's worst teleprompter reader, and the flyovers were pretty pitiful by contrast to the colorful French display. The rain only made it worse. And, oh yes, it really should not have been all about the military, but about what makes the US the US and the resilience of American political institutions. I guess Trump is really not so enthusiastic about American institutions other than the military.
4
Trump calling for unity is like the owner of a bread factory calling for gluten-free diets. He is committed to division, and profits from it.
8
Someone might tell Trump that we did not have an air force during the Revolution or Civil War. Hopefully this will not become an annual Trumpian extravaganza.
4
The dystopian present is more represented by the elite press and by the gentrifying elites who have riddled our great cities with luxury buildings for the few. You are the real culprits not a motionless tank in Washington’s mall.
2
@sebastian very truthful and beautifully said! Bravo!
American taxpayer money paying for Republican GOP promotional propaganda. The presidential celebration of the 4th of July should NOT be partisan. He's only president to part of America when he makes it about his political party.
5
Who allowed the troops to wear Trump MAGA hats and paraphernalia??? That is a clear violation of military rules that say "active duty personnel may not engage in partisan political activities and all military personnel should avoid the inference that their political activities imply or appear to imply DoD sponsorship, approval, or endorsement of a political candidate, campaign, or cause."
But this was just a small piece of the spectacle that starred Trump as dictator in chief, promoting his brand, hijacking our very American holiday for his narcissistic purposes. What was particularly pathetic was a report in the Washington Post describing Paco Sanchez and his wife Nancy, avid Trump supporters who traveled from Illinois to attend Trump's speech, comparing it to the "I have a dream" speech by Martin Luther King. Nancy Sanchez is quoted as saying “When Martin Luther King Jr. had his speech, people look back on that and say, ‘I was there for it.’ We want to witness this part of history being built.” With people like this, America's future is in real trouble.
9
Moderators, who with the best of intentions attempt to shape the debates taking place on this forum, do a disservice to the Democratic Party. Because moderators eliminate pro-republican posts, Times readers are shielded from Republican thinking and mistakenly believe that the Democratic position on President Trump is shared across the nation. This produces a sense of complacency amongst liberal voters and complacent people tend not to vote. Republicans on the other hand are extremely angry about the way President Trump has been treated and will vote in large numbers in 2020 to protect the President.
1
Not sure which New York Times you read, but I regularly see posts from readers who defend Trump and clearly appear to support him. The fact that there are relatively few likely reflects the readership proportionally. I would not expect many real Trump supporters to even read the Times which Trump has told them is fake news. And I don't think most Times readers think that their liberal views are shared across the nation - far from it.
4
Yeah, we know Trump supporters are “extremely angry.” We’ve been dodging (or being stuck by) their gunshots, speeding cars and bats for several years. I guess the insanity starts from the delusion they’re being censored from expressing their opinions on comment boards and it devolves from there.
3
@John Murray I'm not sure what you've been reading. I've seen plenty of pro-Trump posts. They're overwhelmingly out of touch with reality, but they're there. Protect Trump to your own peril because he's not interested in you, only his own petty little world (if you really are American - if you're Russian you've already lost any rights you ever had).
2
We already have, by the way, an Armed Forces Day. It is in May to celebrate and show appreciation for the nation’s Armed Forces. With the highly militarized Trump show yester-day, Trump, who has not served in any Service, probably wanted a ride on the coat tails of these highly respected and celebrated Services for vicarious regard, through association, of “serviceman” himself ... though he’s only a non-veteran, civilian president. Sleight-of-hand; wanting something for nothing; make-believe, dress-up ... who knows for sure? Except that it is abundantly clear that Trump has no credibility when it comes to serving or speaking about the general good. Generous words from him are ever suspect and compromised ... though for some this seems to make no difference. That goes for bringing “God” into the picture as he did yester-day, “using” God as another ploy, in association, it would seem. Trump is a man totally for himself and that will not never change.
3
Has there ever been a greater nation than America?
2
@Robert James. Instead of reading Trump's history, read some real history. Get a reality check. The US has never been a perfect paradise, cruel as a system to anyone who isn't white and male since long before we even became a nation and continuing to the present day. Get real about who we are so we can get better. We deserve better.
3
@Robert James Yes. The one that existed before Trump occupied the white house. It wasn't perfect by any means but it was better than what we have now.
3
Troops wearing Make America Great Again and Trump 2020 paraphernalia? I thought the armed forces had rules that prohibit partisanship while on duty/in uniform.
2
Yes.
A loyalty rally and photo shoot for His re-election Campaign. Fully paid by we Taxpayers. A Documentary and material for the TV ADS. Working title:
" Triumph of the Swill ". NOT Kidding.
"As long as we stay true to our cause..." Translation: As long as we continue to make the rich richer (me and mine in particular) at the expense of the rest of the country. Black comedy only few are laughing.
2
Trump calls for unity. That’s rich.
1
So the president calls Justin Amash a loser in the morning and then calls for unity later in the day.
And his supporters wonder why all Americans don't love him as much as they do.
5
How could we possibly have unity with a man like Trump in the White House.
3
That wasn't rain; that was God crying for our country and its ego-besotted would-be emperor.
4
Next year will be a marching parade with armor driving by the White House.
It is extremely disappointing that half of the country would like to see a Russian type faux democracy take hold.
I never thought so many would yield to such a form of government so willingly.
Democratic candidates had better smarten up and focus on winning this election. There might not be another “real” election if they lose 2020.
2
It never ceases to amaze me the number of Americans that are willing to turn a blind eye to a small man who praises violent dictators, invites the meddling of foreign enemies in democratic elections, wantonly practices nepotism and violates the emoluments clause, boasts brazenly about sexual assault and constantly rattles the trust and faith of American allies. A day of unity promoted by a man who hid behind wealth and privilege to purchase five separate deferments, who’s mocked Gold Star families and tortured servicemen? Now our armed forces are parading around in political apparel that is interpreted as unapologetically racist and sympathetic to white nationalist ideology by half of the country? This isn’t any kind of patriotism that I believe in. This is a corruption of the decency of America.
8
@Chris Martin Please don't forget to add McConnell and the rest of the Republicans in congress who stand by and allow Trump to do what he does. It is their job to stop him and they are NOT doing that job. Talk about the corruption of decency in this country!
1
Wait, what happened to "American carnage"? Was it overcome so quickly?
3
We are at a pivotal movement in history. Certainly more serious than Vietnam because we are dealing with an enemy from within, Donald Trump and his handler Putin.
Is our democracy at risk of being destroyed? It seems to be in danger more than at anytime in memory. A good indicator is the election and support of Donald Trump as President. He seems to be guided more by his need to own and control rather than by some set of values extending beyond his personal wealth, needs and ego.
Our President has lived a life that 99% of us have never seen and will never see in terms of wealth. His morals, or lack thereof, put him in a class by himself. He seems not to have any. He also seems to attract the same kind of people to make up his staff and personal acquaintances This is only natural as we all do the same.
We need to "Dump Trump".... https://lstrn.us/2WhGPnq
You can't imitate the Russian military parades and thinking in a free country.
And the US is a free country. 2020 it will be proven.
But where was diplomat at large Ivanka?
2
This must really tick off Democrats, liberals and progressives. It was a great Independence Day, at least for loyal Americans.
3
Trump’s base sure seems confused this morning. You’d think after such a supposedly great Independence Day show, they’d be in a better mood. Nope, still enraged and bitter. How unfortunate for them.
1
So in your limited view, Democrats, liberals, and progressives aren't loyal and patriotic Americans?
1
Discerning people recognize the difference between sincerity and hypocritical rhetoric.
A narcissistic bully doesn't suddenly become a unifying angel overnight.
Trump's "unity" is the unity of master and slave, of prisoner and jailer, of slave and slave owner.
His purpose is the dystopia of a Pax Trumpiana.
He'll be back castigating the press, immigrants, and Democrats today.
So President Bonespurs once again uses our military for his glorification of himself, and to appeal to the many in this country who actually believe in military service. But has anyone in his family ever served? He even said that we'd have Sherman tanks there; didn't know that they haven't been used for half a century.
Then there's the lady next to him, who came in on a tourist visa and started working (illegal on a tourist visa). But she got to meet Donald that way and scored a Bigly financial deal by marrying him. And she brought her parents in and got them citizenship, through what Trump calls "chain migration", which is wrong according to Trump if anyone else does it. (And her daddy was a card-carrying member of the Communist party back in the old country.)
Do any Trump supporters see the hypocrisy in this guy? Or do they just not care if he says one thing but does another? Is it so important to them that he gives them theatrics to cheer about and trash-talks nearly everyone, that nothing else really matters?
What a laugh. The wannabe ersatz goldflake dictator makes a fool of himself again.
Invoke the 25th amendment and let’s get this buffoon on his way to early retirement so he can cheat at golf everyday.
2
A president can't spend his life hating and inciting violence and expect to read some words for a few minutes and think that the rest of his life is forgotten. He divided the country and no amount of reading speeches will erase his hate mongering.
1
Our reality star stayed on script? How Presidential!
This clown makes news when he does not behave like himself.
3
'Trump, flanked by tanks, calls for unity'
Says. It. All.
4
I'm just glad the Democrats seeded the clouds to Rain on His Parade. They should had colored the water yellow to match the streak on Trump's back.
3
He didn't have a parade so he had a virtual one in words. At least, he learned something about military history. A friend sent me the final word on this matter.
"You have to love a nation that celebrates its
Independence every July 4, not with a parade
of guns, tanks and soldiers who file by the White
House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potatoe salad gets iffy and the flies die from happiness. You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism."
Irma Bomback
2
So, our shameless Fake President urged the youth of America yesterday to voluntarily devote their futures to honorable service in the military forces. Brings to mind a fully realizable circumstance where a credibly accused, serial sexual assaulter and abuser of women publicly lectures young men about treating their female counterparts with respect, equality, and empathy.
3
@John Grillo
Wow a draft dodging president urging the youth of America to serve in the Armed Forces. Boy that's rich. Hey Bone Spurs, how about asking your sons to be the first to sign up, Ivanka too and Baron.
2
Today, is July 5. I woke this morning to find that the republic had survived the 4th of July celebration in DC. I am going about my day.
Some people posting comments need to get a grip on this Trump thing.
3
Agree. The world did not and as we know it. But from reading the Washington post and New York times you would think this is the “end times” because of Trump.
2
@sendero This isn’t about just one day- many folks are concerned about the continuing erosion of norms and civility by this administration. Trump did not create political divisiveness but, he chooses to stoke it rather than make any attempts to extinguish it.
2
Trump forgot to mention George Washington flying to his inauguration from Valley Forge.....
4
How many toothbrushes and cakes of soap would all that buy?
3
Consider Donald Trump''s ethos is also that of every corporate executive under whom we slave.
I didn't realize they were battling over Logan Airport in 1776. Always learnin' something new with Trump ;)
1
Cadet 4 bone spur deferments salutes the military. Hmmm.
3
Calls for unity? How can the NYT print that with a straight face?
This is the most divisive President in history, from the open racism, to the bullying and insults toward anyone who criticizes him, to the attacks on the free press... to yesterday’s military parade for his own political purposes, which many millions of Americans found costly, inappropriate and distasteful.
Yesterday’s “celebration” separated rich Republican donors from ordinary Americans, who even if they wanted to attend this disgraceful spectacle, were kept thousands of yards away behind fences. Is that a call for unity?
We need to end the reign of this tinpot dictator on November 3, 2020, while we still have the right to vote.
4
Calling for unity a couple hours after he publicly called a congressman stupid and “a total loser.”
It was crafty and of his advisors to put that in the speech, but all it adds up to is trolling. By unity, what lardboy and his speechwriters mean is our pushback to their destruction upsets them and they want us to abet them, like Trump’s base does, as they tear down our country.
Good luck with that.
2
DJT is a survivor if nothing else. He's being told by his advisers to tone down the divisive rhetoric otherwise he will forever be known as a LOSER. At his next campaign stop watch to see him return to form. He's a creep, pure and simple. I'm an OWM and he disgusts me.
1
Donald Tump's concept of unity: "ME ME ME ME ME"
Wondering if anyone was planning on fact checking this speech. Asking for a friend.
2
Looks to me that on America's Mall this Fourth it was the Muppets, Trump and Abram tanks (And bombs bursting in air), eccch.
How hypocritical of the President yesterday to encourage our youth to enlist in the various branches of services when he ducked such service as a young man. Now he surrounds himself with the trappings of our finest in a showy effort to appear as a strong leader! Disgusting.....
4
@jda it's a deflection from his 5 deferments. Praise military might and hopefully avoid criticism. Trump has never sacrificed one day in his life.
2
Treasonous Trump can't unite two magnets.
2
tanks for the Fourth of July?
Mr. President tanks but no thanks, I'll take a softball game, picnic and a hometown main street parade rather than your Soviet style sabre rattling display of military hardware.
3
Another leap into fascism.
2
"You tiny, tiny, tiny little man."
- J.K. Rowling on our Lilliputian President
8
Behind bullet proof glass whilst surrounded by his rabid supporters....and the military. Why is he so fearful? Such a coward. Sad.
6
For someone who did not answers his country s call to military service he sure likes the military.what an embarrasement to your country.
2
@tomkatt it's surely a deflection.
Trump has managed to make July 4th in DC as vulgar as he is.
Vote my friends, this self important fool needs to go.
4
By openly flaunting and disparaging American interests and values at such a sacred national site in the District of Columbia on a holiday celebrating America's birth as a nation by declaration of independence ,Donald Trump has united America with it's international competitors, enemies and foes against America's historical traditional allies and friends.
When the current leaders of Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Israel, North Korea, China, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Russia are elated and overjoyed while the current leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the United Kingdom are confused and cringing in despair then America is being destroyed and diminished.
Nothing says right-wing nationalist autocratic fascist color ethnic sectarian supremacist tyranny corrupt corporate plutocrat oligarch ly like a bombastic military parade in a nation's capital.
The dark rainy clouds that graced and greeted this farce were an expression of divine natural hostile judgment against the smiling and smirking likes of Abdel el-Sisi,iBenjamin Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, Mohammed bin Salman Recep Erdogan , Rodrigo Duterte and Donald Trump.
' Behold I am against thee saith the Lord of Hosts. And the sword shall devour thy young lions. And thy messengers shall no longer be heard.'
2
@Blackmamba, on the subject of fire and brimstone, the earthquake here in So Cal yesterday was luckily just only a kind of nice gentle ride. It’s beginning to feel like Armageddon is going to be sort of a let down from the fear and terror pounded into me as a kid. Rather than dwelling on that disappointment, perhaps now would be a good time for America to take its mind of that and instead to focus on the matter of a humane disposition of what to do about all the many suffering arriving foreign refugees, but in the context of 2019 and not of 1919.
1
What a waste of money. What an insult to Linclon and MLK. And, from a coward whose dad paid a Queen's doctor to fake a certificate of bone spurs so he could send some other poor lad to Vietnam. What a low life his is: trump the chickenhawk. They say, the last hiding place of a coward is patriotism. Drain the swamp? It looks like trump is flooding the swamp. The republicans have truly become a morally bankrupt group.
2
I can't help but feel this is a pretty good example of how the media leans liberal.
I mean, give Trump credit, a lot of people came out and apparently wanted this kind of thing, and just are super into loving America, and he even managed to not get too political with it.
Of all the insane things the President does, this is so far down the list.
No credit is given to how many people showed up (looks like a pretty impressive crowd), and instead, we mention once again how he deferred the draft, etc. Most of our Presidents aren't military people. That's how it goes. There's no compelling reason to dig in now, imo.
There is a way to fairly criticize Trump and his policies, but I just feel like this sort of article kind of really shows that everything has to be a little anti-Trump, even if it gets away from just covering an event and its facts.
4
It was amazing when Lincoln stood up, and left the memorial.
7
Very fitting that the rain poured down in oppressive heat on Trump's "show of a lifetime" and the Trumpeteers had to sit in it whilst the pretend king blathered fractured history behind bulletproof glass. No doubt Trump will tweet that it was a glorious sunny day and a historic size crowd came together to praise him. The Orwelian story continues.
3
Every active-duty, uniformed, member of the U.S. Armed Forces who was there and displayed any political paraphernalia, slogans, or otherwise showed a political preference ( for any political party or such movement) was in violation of the Department of Defense's Political Activity Regulations for Military Members (DOD Directive Number 1344.10). They should be disciplined for their actions . Their superior officers should also be held accountable for allowing or promoting such actions.
5
As I have grown older I have cooled towards the Forth or July Holiday.
When I was a child I loved the fireworks and loved to play with the illegal fireworks my uncles smuggled in from the midwest and south.
When I was a teenager in high school I learned about the history and meaning of the holiday and filled with the unalloyed patriotic love of my native land. I loved the Forth!
When I was a college student I watch my less fortunate childhood friends come home from the Vietnamese War in caskets or grievously wounded. I also learned a more nuanced World History and started to understand that my homeland's foreign wars were not unalloyed altruistic efforts in the behalf of democracy and freedom but also economic and political efforts to benefit the Plutocracy.
As an adult my education and cynicism grew and I became more convinced that our foreign military adventurism was misguided and cooled to the forth.
Now as an Old man I spend the Forth of July at home and only the noise of the fireworks in neighboring towns with the budget to afford fireworks interrupt my home's rural silence and the sounds of nature. I still love my native land but I do not love its militarism and unbridled capitalist greed.
8
I live about 15 miles to the west of Washington DC, and can tell you that yesterday was one of the muggiest, hottest, most humid and generally unpleasant days to be outside so far this year. I do not know anyone who lives in the DC area who would go to such an event, no matter how supportive they were of Mr. Trump. A typical July 4 celebration on the mall is akin to spending time in a noisy sardine can surrounded by mountains of litter, where finding a parking space is a Herculean task. I guess that the average American from the Midwest does not know this.
2
It is difficult to accept a call for unity from the Divider in Chief. Treating others the way I wish to be treated and believing that my word is my bond make it impossible for me to accept the leadership of a man who has never heard of, let alone practices, the civic virtues that are at the core of my value system.
This event in Washington was All About Trump
not our magnificent military.
1
Upon pausing the video of all the faces in the crowd when Trump was speaking was fascinating. Many white faces in the crowd and very few Americans of color to be seen at the July 4th event in DC. Our nation has been built with a diverse population and yet that isn’t reflected by Trump followers.
1
The star spangled banner ,the bombs bursting. The revolutionary war. The shot heard around the world. Fireworks! What’s the problem? Oh yeah that’s right you don’t like the current president. So anything he does is bad. Why do you think they use fireworks to celebrate the 4th? Because it represents our military at the time ,fighting a war of Independence. How do you think that Independence has been kept? The military. Like it or not we have the greatest military in the world and I am proud of it and you should be too. It’s what keeps you safe at 3 AM. And too all the cry babies who whine about the money and how you feel it could of been spent better for this or that. I say it was well spent and how about we use some of the money we waste on give aways. Like the reparations the Democrats want to hand out so badly. Stop the political whining and support your military. If Obama would of done this type of thing you all would of been shedding tears of joy instead of tears of resentment and bitterness. Give it a rest .
113
@J Clarke
One word: airports.
114
@J Clark. It’s “would have”
And the $700billion hasn’t been spent well at all.
122
@J Clarke
We do celebrate our military: we have MEMORIAL DAY and we have VETERANS DAY. July 4th is about something much, much different than a made for TV Trump centered extravaganza. We're not whining, we're appalled. Trump has no empathy, no decency and certainly no sense of the true American values embodied in the humility of the old adage, "walk softly but carry a big stick".
396
Don't be deceived by the pictures you see. This was a cleverly-staged event, with camera angles designed to make you think it was enormous. It wasn't; it was a small, cocooned-off area in front of the steps of the Lincoln. The tanks and military hardware - inside the cocoon, for viewing by the select few and the cameras. Aside from some number of tourists, the city was largely empty, in contrast to years past, when throngs would go down to the mall to celebrate. The all-day drizzle was symbolic of the dreariness of the event.
47
@Scott D. Carson good to know..... I have seen almost no reporting on the attendance and size this event. you painted the picture of a private affair for members only..... only the people he wants to have access to government were allowed in.
3
@coale johnson well you can bet if the crowds were small the press would be all over it with drone shots to drive that point home.
So my guess is the crowds were quite large thus the lack of information about numbers.
His first tweet today was about how great he is. I kid you not.
29
Nice that Trump gave a history of the country’s armed forces.
Too bad that he botched it. Badly.
28
With the USS McCain episode in Japan and now tanks on the national mall, Trump has succeeded in grooming the military to do what he tells them to do, no matter how stupid or crazy. He now has an attorney general who thinks the president is above the law. And Trump appears ready to defy a Supreme Court ruling on the census question.
Trump may stage a military coup, or he may foment a bloody civil war waged by millions of his AR-15 toting backers, but--win or lose in 2020--Trump has no intention of leaving the White House to spend the rest of his life in prison. Democrats continue to behave as if the rule of law will win the day. But they are bringing a subpoena to a sub-machine gun fight.
We have to wrap our minds around one simple truth: Trump will stop at nothing to save himself, and that includes destroying our democracy.
57
There is nothing wrong with whiskey unless it is misused. Like patriotism.
Boswell tells us that Samuel Johnson made the famous pronouncement that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" on the evening of April 7, 1775.
Trump is a jail-bound scoundrel and he is taking refuge in fake patriotism. The odious way he hugs the flag is an example. Remember he faked bone spurs to avoid genuinely embracing that flag.
Patriotism in this case really is the last refuge of a scoundrel.
43
@Bob Guthrie
Samuel Johnson had another quote, about the Declaration of Independence: "Why do we hear the most yaps about liberty from drivers of Negroes?" His opinion of Washington and Jefferson.
1
@Bob Guthrie that phase by Samuel johnson has been on my mind for a while...... trump is a scoundrel in high definition but the the republicans in general are just as guilty.
2
We're going to hear a lot about "socialism" in the next year.
Let's talk about "fascism."
75
Yes we will hear about socialism. Democrats can’t take the bait. They have an uphill battle in battleground states. I don’t think the liberal activists will let s candidate compete in those states and that’s why we are in trouble
It's just one more blatant example of this president's total disregard for the rule of law and lack of empathy for those less fortunate. Dictating seems to be his style. Unfortunately he has shown the world he is a bully and always gets what he wants without thinking about the consequences. Me, Me ,Me. He continues to set a bad example for children and adults. His actions will have a lasting negative impact for generations. Àn invoice needs to be sent to hiim for this ridiculous political stunt. It's obvious he couldn't care less about July 4th. Just one more speech solely for political gain at the taxpayers expense. Business as usual.
19
Didn't watch it, forgot about it actually.
Enjoyed the local parade full of happy kids.
Prayed for the children in cages and their parents not to lose hope.
Still waiting for the Democrats to come up with a real plan to help all children, I mean ALL of them.
30
I missed the beginning of the speech where I am sure President Trump referenced all the other things that “make America great”. The part I saw was very similar to my middle school Veteran’s Day program although we don’t have a flyover. Perhaps we could have Ellsworth AFB send a B1B over school. Everyone loves a good air show! So Happy Independence Day and, apparently, Veteran’s Day.
5
As a Democrat, I have something to say to Democrats: Ignore Trump, stop divisive identity politics, address the problems this country has right now. It is because of your lack of character and unrealistic idealism instead of courage to face reality the reason why we have disgusting uneducated ungentlemanly Republicans in charge. You Democrats are the reason why they are in charge. You let them win. You have done nothing.
19
@ART
Not another pro-Trump comment that begins with the words “as a Democrat”!
1
The Times ceases to fail when it comes to the President. This guy can’t win in this media source. The bias is blatant. It’s an oldie, but a goodie: if Trump walked on water, I’d be sure to see the headline in the Times, “Trump Can’t Swim!”
You keep on poking this bear. Please stop. Write a neutral article every once in a while.
11
Perhaps the bias is in your view?
2
@FFS
They do write neutral articles. If they call him an idiot, it's because he IS an idiot. "Who would have thought health care would be so complicated?" he asked.
4
Perhaps trump should stop doing antagonistic things.
Bad week for Liberals. All those flags, all those jobs. Must be hard to be a Liberal right now.
12
But it's always worth it in the end. It's nice to be on the right side of history. And reality.
4
@Robery James
I love it when east coast elites tell me how I’m supposed to feel about a fascist takeover of the country I love.
3
I'm sick and tired of trumpsters assuming liberals hate America. We lo e our country just as much as you do. We want to make America great too. It's just that we want to do it for all Americans. Not just old wealthy white males!
3
Great news on Jobs today. Almost a quarter million more of our fellow Americans have found work and dignity. The long history of over 200 years was narrated appropriately by our president yesterday. Having lived close to the Nation's capital in the last century and watching the fireworks and some rock concerts on 4th of July at the Mall and around the Washington monument, watching the parade and the glamorous presidential salute to history and the people of USA on You tube was worthwhile. The new events seemed to be welcomed by large crowds. The world's largest democracy, India celebrates its Republic day with an extravagant parade and many major countries in the world do similar themed parades on the first of May or their independence day. It must have taken a considerable effort to make our national capital alive in a big way with the president narrating 200+ years of history, remembering our fallen soldiers and honoring the current ones. It was not a campaign rally and president did not try to promote his accomplishments. For the benefit of those unable to watch the 4th of July at the steps of Lincoln memorial. Salute to America was well deserved, elegantly delivered and welcome addition to the 4th of July festivities in the nation's capital. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci15wxwva3Y
9
Yep, Americans will likely get their fast food up to a minute quicker with all these new jobs filled.
(slow clap)
Trump spoke in mumble-jumble. He has brought nothing but turmoil, corruption, incompetence, bigotry, and hatred on this country. He is an illegitimate President and will be again if he has his way with Putin.
21
How many deferments for bone spurs?
18
This man is an imposter, a charlatan, illegitimately installed by Putin. I will never recognize him as president. Never.
32
You forgot to mention how boring his speech was to listen to for those of us not in DC. The best celebration ever??? Horrible.
13
There once was the Sermon on the Mount.....
And now this --
Trump's Sermon on the Mall.......
Be very careful America as politics is rife with false gods and prophets.....
19
For me one of the most mysterious thing never solved by humans is the fact that so many people are eager to follow blindly an idiot who would eventually ruin their lives for decades to come.
33
“Patriotism, the last refuge of a scoundrel..”
Fits Mr Trump to a tee
21
Unity if you are a member of the cult
Otherwise you are a non entity
10
The purpose of Independence Day is to celebrate the document that let King George and everyone else know why the colonists were mad as hell and weren’t going to put up with his autocratic rule.
I mention this because this celebration is NOT about the military! We already have two holidays for that: Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day. It was designed to celebrate the creation of a new and independent country that guaranteed its citizens the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
And while I have the utmost respect and gratitude for those who serve and those who have died to protect those freedoms, it angers me that our current president saw fit to turn the celebration into a display of military might simply to gratify his desire for a spectacle that would rival the one he witnessed in France. It angers me that members of the military were politicized in an unseemly way yesterday. And it angers me that, although his speech was not overtly political, tickets to the event were issued only to his supporters, rather than to Democrats as well. This was not a show of unity, not a celebration of the birth of our nation, but the wolf of a political rally disguised in sheep’s clothing.
20
NYTimes: why no mention of the warped history proclaimed by Trump and his speech writers? Ignoring those mistakes makes DJT look/sound better than he and his enabling staff are. What’s the deal, NYTimes?
15
@Mary Frances Schjonberg In any other democratic country Trump would be mocked endlessly by all reporters for his shambling incompetence, his turgid monotone when reading from the teleprompter, his ludicrous and astonishing historical blunders, and the entire farrago of yesterday's multi-million dollar self indulgence.
Unfortunately even the 'serious' press seem so desperate to have an admirable president that they portray him as normal and buy into his pitiful performance and his administration's ludicrous claims with barely a question.
Trump's performance yesterday was laughable; the whole world recognises that the US president is a drug-addled, corrupt, imbecile, but the NY Times (& most of the US press) reports on him as if he's an actual statesman. It's not a good look.
There was no reason to try and hijack our country's Fourth of July celebration. And wasting money using our military planes and tanks makes me think more of a dictatorship (think Nazi Germany or North Korea) than anything associated with our fine country. No, Mr. Trump. You have it wrong again. This president has proven time and again he cares for nothing but his own selfish wants. He is not the people's president. And since he refused to serve his country when he could have; he is and will always be a draft dodger.
16
@sailmelody And he has the nerve to tell young people to join the military!
@robert west I know it.
What a revolting scene.
9
"calling" for unity is an empty gesture, a rhetorical trope. how about first demonstrating consistent conciliatory behavior? might is not right -- and actions speak louder than words.
12
It's telling—and alarming—that he believes that the 4th of July has something to do with the military rather than with the then-new political idea of the US.
He conflates greatness with bullying and dominance by force. He has no idea of the greatness of the ideas and goals enshrined in the Declaration of Independence and Constitution. (He doesn't have much in the way of ideas, period.)
Is no one alarmed that he equates the greatness and celebration of our country with brute force, and that—after years of lies and insults about others—he uses that as a backdrop to his calls for "unity"?
17
On July 4,2019 the US Military lost all credibility and became the fourth and final piece of Trump’s destruction of America
This event must be paid from the pentagon budget, RNC and Trump re-election and the military must be reduced by this amount next year
10
And $2.5 million was taken from National park fees.
Actions speak louder than Trump's droning someone else's empty words. To see tanks flanking the Lincoln Memorial was pathetic. Where was the tribute to the people who make this nation tick? The people who serve their steaks, maintain their golf courses and properties, clean their rooms, clean their clothes and make minimum wage? All people should be respected and honored as citizens. Trump's spectacle is what causes a wedge agsinst the military, as if the remainder of us aren't up to snuff. Maybe that's his game plan for a future coup
7
Trump calling for unity? If he were capable, he would lead that call by example but he only knows how to be divisive. He should have let the troops have the day off so the could spend the holiday picnicking with their families.
6
Our country can do better. The whole event smacked of poor planning. Maybe it was pulled together in just a few days, not leaving enough time to fact check the speech (how far is NYC from DC?), set up the shield so raindrops wouldn’t dribble down it, and put together a truly spectacular air show. Oh well.
2
Another Trump "victory" on many levels.
This all was supposed to be a disaster like that awful speech he was expected to give in Normandy. The speech in Normandy was a good one. And I noticed most of the critics went silent.
July 4 did not turn out to be the equivalent of a May Day parade in the old Soviet Union as Trump critics had predicted and hoped.
Even though it was absurd theater on many levels the world did not end as we know it. It's now July 5.
4
I never liked reality tv, and now that it's real, it's even worse.
13
All of this -- the Blue Angels, M1A1 tanks, Bradley armored vehicles -- from a man who not only is so terrified of conflict that he invented a malady to avoid the draft, but also manifestly reluctant to use military force even when it is justified (i.e., a response to Iran's downing of a $130 million drone over international waters).
Lots more grist for the psychological mil.
4
Military families, of course, have a right to chant Trump slogans. But if military people in uniform were doing so; they should at least be spoken to so it doesn't happen again.
6
The use of the word "troops" implies active duty military. I did not see any on the TV coverage and agree that it would be a cause for discipline.
The Vietnam Veterans Memorial is, appropriately, near the Lincoln Memorial. The angle of one of the walls of the VVM points, also appropriately, directly to the Washington Monument. My children recently gave me a trip to Washington, D. C., to visit the VVM. (I'm a Vietnam vet--U.S.M.C.) It was unconscionable for Donald Trump publicly to position himself in the shadow of Abraham Lincoln and so close to the Memorial to Americans who lost their lives in a conflict he cheated to avoid. And it is unconscionable for living Americans to accept this bizarre, eccentric behavior. I now hold the position that Donald Trump is more than an attention-driven narcissist, more than a wannabe strongman, more than an amoral buffoon, more than an incompetent poseur. He is a cult figure; and Trump-ism--his 'base' and enablers--is the collective desire of the thoughtless to be part of a cult. Viktor Frankl wrote that "every age has its own collective neurosis, and every age needs its own psychotherapy to cope with it." Trump-Trumpism, I fear, is ours. Whether or not we as a society will be able to rise above Trump is, I also fear, an open question. We simply seem to have lost our therapeutic way; and it is unconscionable.
15
I'm 73 years old and have celebrated many times on the 4th of July. When I was a kid it was at the Orange Show grounds in San Bernardino. When I was older it was at Mission Bay in San Diego. Then I moved to New Hampshire where I celebrated with my town at Memorial Field. In all those years I never thought or cared about what kind of celebration was taking place in Washington D.C. That was until this year. Then President Trump, as he always does, found a way to interject himself into our national celebration and turn it into politics. So now, all of a sudden, like a bright new shiny object, everyone was talking about the celebration in Washington. This morning when I grabbed by NY Times there were the pictures on the front page. Millions of dollars of free political advertising given to Trump by our news media. Meanwhile 4 Democratic candidates and one Republican candidate walked among the parades and celebrations in NH. Not a word from our media.
11
An obscene spectacle, bread & circuses, and couldn't the $92 million plus have been better spent? This is not America. . .
6
"President Trump on Thursday used the Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop for a tribute to the country’s armed forces and a call for unity..."
You first, Trump.
(You can start by cancelling the Twitter account and giving up the cell phone.)
10
I was not aware, as Trump pronounced, that this was a celebration of the military, other special days have been set aside for the brave men and women who served this country, not July 4th. And you always learn something new about history, informed by this erudite genius and probably advised by Newt Gingrich , I never new there were airports back in those early days of the country - an obvious flaw in my loser education - but I bet all those grinning MAGA hat wearing folks will agree about the airports... yep, its true POTUS said it so it must be true.
9
The War of 1812. When Dolly Madison saved George Washington’s portrait...right before the British bombed the White House & Capitol with their short-range stealth bombers from aircraft carriers stationed on the Potomac. Of course this was shortly after the British had captured Washington National and BWI airports. Thank goodness we kept Hartsfield-Atlanta safe, which at that time (early 19th Century) was the third busiest airport in world. That’s why we eventually won that war.
Good lord.
14
I wish you had been completely honest, and reported on the president's mistakes during his speech, which happened even though he was reading from a teleprompter. For him to refer to Air Force One as Aircraft One, or to state that the Continental Army took airports during the Revolutionary War, and other strange things, speaks to his cognitive health. That is part of the story too.
22
Who knew that there were airports in 1776 and possibly Bradly tanks and Angel Navy jets and Lincoln Memorial. Trump forgot to insert himself that he was one George Washington's general, despite his bone spur.
10
Learned about the battle of LGA last night.
8
NOW he asks for "unity"?
While children are locked in cages, he asks for unity?
His words are smoke and mirrors. A 45-minute speech does not make up for the 2-1/2 years of incompetent and potentially criminal activity his Presidency has wrought . . . And it will probably not make up for the next 1-1/2 years of the same.
7
This was a very feeble attempt by President Trump for unity employing a 6th grade course in military history.
10
Too dismissive of 6th graders.
It was a grand night, but was the crowd in attendance for Trump or for the usual July 4th Mall entertainment. It is comfortable knowing our Republic is in, I hope, the hands of competent people.
Does citizen #1 really have control? At times it appears he listens to his family, Hannity, Fox News, etc not to any other first line men/women.
1
I genuinely enjoyed learning that American Revolutionaries seized the airports, and that the War of Independence didn't end until 1814 after the bombardment of Ft. McHenry.
It reminded me of an old Firesign Theatre recording in the 1970's, in which FDR interrupted a popular radio show to announce the Pearl Harbor attack, ending it with unconditional US surrender, and a quick return to this exciting episode of the radio show.
9
Despite the messenger, yesterday's ceremony was a celebration of our country. It displayed a show of support for the armed forces and just exactly why I am so proud to be an American.
7
I watched the Fourth of July celebration on TV yesterday and was amazed at the large crowds in attendance. There were thousands upon thousands at this event and the enthusiasm was overwhelming. The people were so excited to be part of this wonderful display of patriotism that was so important for so many Americans. It was so encouraging to see the crowds and the joy on their faces. Families with children were there as were young and older men and women. It was wonderful.
This celebration did not disappoint and I thought President Trump was outstanding in saluting our troops and the various branches of the armed services. He was very sincere in his support and dedication and it was a joy to watch. I only wish I could have been there in person. I was so proud to be an American and to live in this great country of ours. And yesterday's event made me even prouder. President Trump's celebration was excellent and I cannot wait until he is reelected in 2020. What a great fourth!
9
@KMW In all my years as an American citizen, I never thought of July 4th as a day to celebrate the military. We have Veteran's Day and Memorial Day for that purpose.
No -- the Revolution was against monarchical tyranny. And it is monarchical tyranny that this POTUS wants, and which you seem to have bought: hook, line, and sinker.
I cannot give this POTUS any credit for distracting Americans with a show of force -- Has Trump gone out of his way to support the Armed Forced by paying his fair share of taxes? This is a guy for whom avoiding AIDS was his 'Vietnam.' Give me a break.
11
Many military families who received invitations to a V.I.P. section close to the president’s stage appeared to all but ignore the usual understanding that members of the armed forces should not engage in partisan political activity. Many wore Trump’s MAGA hats and openly campaigned for Trump’s re-election, chanting, “Four more years.” NYTimes 07/05/2019.
19
Interesting to watch Trump thrill to a military he never served in and tear up over a war he never fought.
33
The Donald loves to spend lots money on glossy meaningless stuff. This is how he sells his products to glossy meaningless people who buy into it until maybe.....they realize its glossy and meaningless. Or not.
26
it was appropriate that the last shot of the video showing excerpts from the July 4th rally - was that of our president turning his back on the people that were there to listen to him. Make no mistake, this rally was always about him - has nothing to do with American Values. VOTE!!!!!
25
There are a lot of decent people in this country, tump is clearly not one of them.
When he goes there will be some awfully small shoes to fill.
A vain, pathetic little man filled with hot air, an inflated sense of self importance, no principles, no knowledge of history, democracy or why we celebrate our hard won freedoms and independence.
And his assets should be seized to pay for his campaign rally.
What a pathetic fraud. The rest of us need to do something.
20
Even more pathetic are his willfully ignorant cult ‘ base’
And of course the spineless party first GOP which should go financially bankrupt to match their moral bankruptcy
5
Even in the middle of great political theater there is no escaping the horrible stench of Trump and his criminal conduct prior to and during his term as an office holder.
He can pretend to lead our nation all he wants, but we know exactly what he is: a two bit thug all dressed up in fine clothing who is harboring some terrible secrets about himself and his victims.
17
We binge watched Stranger Things, which fortuitously dropped on July 4th, before Trump announced his self-celebratory spectacle. Truly we are in the upside down.
8
Democrats need to win. That means running a rational person for president. Stop with the ridiculous promises! Stop talking to us in Spanish. Health care for illegal immigrants is a priority? You'll never win with that. We can't afford medicare for all, free college, and child care for all. We need a realistic plan for climate change and cooperation with other nations, not a green new deal. Also, foreign policy still matters. Stop talking to Americans as if we are all gullible (only about a little less than half of us are). Networks, do a better job with the debates! What a joke. Stop talking over each other. Get rid of the losers on the ends of the debate stage. Candidates, stop trying to score big points with zingers. We can tell that most of you practiced your answers in the mirror.
306
@Matt Bowman Stop parroting the GOP line that 'we can't afford' things for regular people. This is presented as economic orthodoxy, when the wealth gap grows by astronomical proportions, and pay remains flat for everyone else. You don't think that we could afford better health care for all, or college, if corporations and the wealthy actually paid taxes? Amazon alone made over 11 billion -- and paid NO tax.
It's gullible to act as if the system isn't broken. And Dems do have plans on what to do -- IMO, Elizabeth Warren can talk real policy rings around anyone, Democrat or Republican.
69
@Matt Bowman
Well said! It's shameful right now not just to be a citizen of this country in decline of its ideals, but also a Democrat.
8
We can afford more than one thinks ( like a republican)
Get more money in taxes from those who can afford to pay their FAIR share
Enough of welfare for . the wealthy
Their free ride is over
The middle class is tired of getting the crumbs they toss at us
54
Tanks but no Tanks
Was it just me who thought, as Trump droned on with his uninspired, halting, half-hearted salute to the Military, stumbling over his words as though he was reading his prepared speech for the first time, that somebody began to play the music louder and louder as if to drown out the poor showing for a President that looked like he was suffering from indigestion.
Maybe, in true show business fashion they were playing off a floundering performer that was making the crowd restless.
The only thing that will come out of that 15 million Tank-extravaganza, This new trump holiday: Tanks-Giving, is that there are a lot of Trump people walking around sure as certain that Washington's revolutionary army stormed the airports of the British, somewhere Trump got his wars mixed up or the pages of the speech mixed up and the mixed up people who voted for him are now even more mixed up than usual.
Thank god for July 4th, it's a good reminder of how brave the founding fathers were, every signature on the declaration of independence was a death sentence if the rebellion failed. It puts all of us in a revolutionary mood. Down with all Tyrants and Kings...even those who just think their King.
13
I would say that #45 reads like a 3rd grader but that would be insulting all 3rd graders, so I won't. I live in community that has one of the largest infantry posts in the free world, and we are proud they are here everyday. Regarding yesterday's July 4th spectacle that #45 put on, sorry but it was all about him. I mean in the 2 1/2 years what hasn't been all about him. If this had been by done someone else who hasn't been so self absorbed maybe it would have been received better by the majority of Americans. I mean its the guy who sent out a tweet last weekend to Kim Jong-In, to have a photo op at the DMZ. No other President, Democrat or Republican would have done this, they would understood that a photo op with a murderous Dictator wouldn't look good on a future resume. If the White House had currently been held by a Democrat who had done and said the words #45 had, with the Republicans holding the majority in both houses of Congress, we wouldn't just be talking about Impeachment, it would have already been a done deal.
10
It's difficult to say what was the worst offense Trump committed yesterday, wasting money and resources or recounting history.
17
Did you know that America had airports in 1776? Wow, neither did I.
Apparently Trump did, another well-kept secret from his big brain. Here is the image
17
I can only hope there are lots more people like Jason Cullins in that crowd than I fear there are. God bless America and happy fourth everyone.
Troops in MAGA gear? Is that correct? I wish you ran pictures of that. And I wish you would pay more attention to the terrorist militias in Oregon. You're missing the boat.
14
@bill
The whole purpose of the phony crisis at the border is to distract attention from the militias training to overthrow the government.
Remember this folks. You left wingers and liberals and democrats too, Trump has done more for the military and veterans than any of his 4 predecessors. Unlike most democratic presidents, and a few republicans too, Trump doesn't reach into the shadows and bring out the military, dust it off and send it out to his bidding and then return them to the closet. Trump cares about the troops. I can write here endlessly about veteran issues that have stalled in the last 4 administrations that have been corrected by Trump - without fanfare. The Times would have us believe it it was they who helped the 4 air force personnel who were exposed to chemicals in Iraq - In a word, NONSENSE! Times. you need to step up and admit your error in judgment.
7
Specifically, what issues has he corrected? Truly curious.
5
@DEWaldron
As a vet tell me what he has done for vets instead of simply saying he has done more than any other administration. Like what? Just one thing.
7
@DEWaldron - you say you could “go on endlessly” about veterans issues that were ignored by the four previous administrations. Do tell. The rest of us would like to know more. Want to Make America Great Again? Impeach Trump.
Why doesn't this reporter mention all the historically inaccurate gaffs in Trump's speech.
28
... Really.. no big deal.. Just a 4th of July celebration..And people had fun..
4
Once again I am glad that I served decades ago. If this punk were my CIC then, I would not stand at attention, nor salute it. I would have been given an article 15 for insubordination. Yeah I hate him that much
20
@Hj
Amen from a former Marine.
8
Amen! Navy Vietnam era Vet.
3
Amen. RF4 pilot, Vietnam, 67-68.
Trump, fighting for unity”?
Hahahahahaha!
Whoever wrote that speech for Trump should be fired.
11
I am not halfway through this article and it is mentioned 3 times that many people were wearing MAGA hats. Bias emerges in many ways. Some to consider. Happy Birthday America!
3
You forgot to mention Trump's statement that our brave revolutionary soldiers defended our airports too. These guys were feel ahead of their times.
7
Where should I start? Donald J. Trump, the President of the United States, paid homage to the American Military, First Responders, Police Departments, and many others. A fitting and appropriate tribute. All without political discourse. However, the majority of opinions here are critical of this event as well as the President, purely due to their hatred for him. Had Obama done the same, Trump's critics would be dancing in the streets. How many of you criticize your local communities for spending money on your fireworks displays? It is all relative. And unfortunately, your hypocrisy rings true. Get on board for America. Donald Trump will be re-elected in a landslide. See you in 2024!
10
@Dan Micklos
Wrong on so many levels, Obama or any Democrat for that matter would not have held this spectacle in the first place. There is a time and place to honor our Vets it's called Veteran's Day and Memorial Day. Please look up the true meaning of Independence Day.
Hatred based on his daily rants and lies. And his sense of history was way off too. And apparently no money for soap, toothpaste or toothbrushes. And children in cages is OK with you too. Some value system you have.
@Margo ChanningJFK was a Democrat. Not only did he have a parade, it included missiles rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. The people in the immigration detainment camps are there serving as pawns for the democrats. Pelosi holds the key to correcting this. But she would rather snub the President than help the immigrants. The cages were built by the Obama team. And btw, when I travel I bring my own soap, toothpaste, and toothbrush!
@Margo ChanningJFK was a Democrat. Not only did he have a parade, it included missiles rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue. The people in the immigration detainment camps are there serving as pawns for the democrats. Pelosi holds the key to correcting this. But she would rather snub the President than help the immigrants.
You know what? If I was the President, I'd think it was pretty cool to gather a bunch of military toys and shoot 'em off like fireworks. I didn't vote for Trump, but I'm starting to think he does stuff like this partially for his own amusement but also to watch the bees' nest of his enemies turning red and blue and green in the face like Yosemite Sam when he drinks a drink full of nitro glycerin, rubbing alcohol and tabasco. It's better than a 4th of July celebration, the hand-wringing, tut-tutting and apoplexy.
And, hey, it's better than aiming them at some country, isn't it?
2
@Zellickson
But it's a complete waste of money, fuel and the time of the people having to do the flyovers and whatnot when they could be actually doing their jobs or spend time with their families. I think fewer people would protest if Trump had paid for all of those shenanigans out of his own pocket. Not the taxpayers' pockets. Nor the Pentagon's. If he's as rich as he claims, there's no problem, right?
8
@LG I don't think the men and women operating the tanks and planes that take months and years to learn how to safely operate would refer to what they did yesterday as "shenanigans" but they would also forgive you for your ignorance.
@Zellickson
It was Trump's "shenanigans." This was a total unnecessary waste of taxpayer money. Anybody who would do something like this for his own "amusement" suffers from arrested development and isn't fit to hold office, as is anyone who thinks it's "cool."
“Tanks aren’t props. They are weapons of war,” said Senator Jack Reed, a Rhode Island Democrat and West Point graduate who served in the 82nd Airborne Division.”
Apparently West Point doesn’t teach cadets that the 4th of July was the day the colonists declared war on Great Britain.
He also doesn’t understand that the fireworks are symbolic of rockets with their red glare and bombs bursting in air.
1
Greatness is not measured in the number of guns and bombs one has.
Adoration of the military is a sign of incipient dictatorship.
Insight into human motivation is a useful skill in evaluating the reason for things and their history.
Trump's vanity and bullying personality are as transparent as glass, but too many people have their eyes closed.
2
@Johannes - West Point doesn’t teach this because the Declaration of Independence didn’t declare war against England but declares the right of the colonies to become INDEPENDENT of England. You must have missed that word when you were learning about the battles to free the airports.
1
@Johannes de Silentio
The rockets red glare and bombs bursting in air were British weaponry.
2
Towards the end of Trump's speech, he reminded us that "We are all children of God". Yes, we are, but then why does he treat people seeking asylum and their children, locked up in CAGES, sleeping on concrete, with nothing more than a thin space blanket, no tooth brushes, no tooth paste, no soap, no showers, and having to drink water from toilets. Because CRUELTY is his point, this is his new UNAMERICAN WAY. Which is certainly not GODLY, or our AMERICAN WAY to treat people. Trump, save your dog and pony shows for your rallies. Don't stain the Lincoln Memorial with your Hypocrisy on the Birthday of our Nation, which was founded, built by and shed blood for, by immigrants from all over the World, please and thank you.
36
@Paul Piluso
He said what? We are children of God. Thank God I didn’t listen to his delusional speech. We are doomed.
27
@3Rs Most drugs come through ports of entry. And opioids? Why, from doctors! People are fleeing the Northern Triangle countries for a variety of reasons, and yet this administration recently cut aid to those countries. Aid that was proven to work to make conditionn there better. Want to solve the immigration crisis? Help the Northern Triangle countries with conditions at home so that people can stay.
55
@3Rs
Uh no. You are not well informed. Please get more info from various sources. The drugs coming into this country are a symptom of what has been happening for decades in Central America. A huge problem has been our country’s interferences in Central America destabilizing countries and installing puppets as heads of governments. What is going on at our southern border has come to fruition because of our meddling and now we see the consequences. Children taken away from their guardians and caged is WRONG. No ifs and or buts. Trump IS the villain for putting children in cages, not providing enough food, bathrooms and sleeping quarters is criminal and is what my father and his two brothers and numerous cousins were drafted and fought against during WWII. Its appalling that you think there is nothing wrong with what Trump is doing on the southern border. Wake up.
20
I will give him credit for not using his 45 minutes to blast Democrats, Mueller, and the media. That was a nice change of pace and I'm glad his handlers were able to keep him on point. I'm hoping that he paid the travel costs for the veterans he invited to the event.
However, this article leads me to believe that this was still more of a campaign event, than it was a non-partisan 4th of July celebration. I didn't watch the event, so I was hoping for clarification here. When you say that the troops were decked out in Trump 2020 paraphernalia; do you mean active military troops?
I want to be clear here, I have no objection to regular people showing up wearing whatever they want; whether in support of Trump or not. But active military, who are there as representatives of the armed forces, should remain non-political.
I would also love to know which big donors the RNC invited and how much in donations he collected yesterday. Lastly, I would like to know how much this extravaganza cost the taxpayers and how that compares to previous 4th of July celebrations.
21
President is not authentic and cannot be trusted however many patriotic and unity speeches he delivers. This is nothing but a 2020 campaign rally made for TV using public funds.
10
‘Speaking to a rain soaked audience with troops decked out in ‘make America great again’ and ‘Trump 2020’ paraphernalia.” So this was officially a campaign rally with US troops required to effectively campaign for Trump? That seems to be both disgusting and probably illegal. Military uniforms don’t normally inline campaign slogans. I understand that members of the military can like any one else vote for whomever they choose but they represent America as a whole not the 30% who consider Trump to be an acceptable CIC. What next, Kim Jong Un wearing a MAGA cap as he struts down the Mall arm in arm with Trump?
8
You can't be the biggest divider this Country has ever seen since before the Civil War and then beg for unity. Doesn't work that way.
15
To miss the absolute desecration of The Lincoln Memorial and the Great Emancipator by an avowed white racist is not to understand history and the symbolism of a modern-day Jefferson Davis calling for "unity" in his version of America where people of color, Muslims, and women are once-again second-class citizens. There was a "coup" alright; and it happened yesterday for all to see if only they opened their eyes, their history books, and their minds. God help us all that 154 years after Apppomattox that "government of the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the earth."
8
How could the Times have reported on Trump's recounting of this country's military achievements with no mention of the president's celebration of the airports being well managed at the time of the Revolutionary War? This reporting is remiss!
16
Whaaatttt????? Are our American troops now being forced to wear MAGA hats? This politicization of our armed forces is grounds by itself for impeachment. What a travesty and what a waste of taxpayers' money that would have been far better spent on homes for homeless veterans. As for Trump's unity call, too little too late. He should have done it on inauguration day.
10
Those were empty words from Trump lacking personal significance or meaning, the narcissist that he is. He can boast all he wants about the great power of the U.S., the weapons and the military but the greatest threat to our country and democracy is Trump and complicit followers. To those in the audience wearing the MAGA hats and blindly cheering a demagogue and dictator want to be …..were they celebrating the birth of our country or the fall of the Nation from what it used to be?
8
The most divisive POTUS in history is asking for unity?
10
@Drew
He just read a speech written by someone else. Unity is an alien word to trump and his toadies.
1
I am left with the somewhat cold comfort of having the world's most formidable (and expensive) military. I do want to be protected from the evils of the modern day, but to parade it around smacks of weakness, not strength.
8
Donald Trump aside, what was misplaced about his Fourth-of-July “tribute” is that Independence Day is not primarily about the military. Independence Day is about the birth of Democracy and the celebration of our democratic institutions. Certainly the military has protected and preserved democracy from foreign threats, but we should celebrate those in all branches of government, our legislators, and their staffs and our judges and those who support our judicial system. We should celebrate those who serve in state, county and city government as they too dedicate themselves to democratic processes. We should also celebrate our neighbors in National Guard units who better represent those who fought to separate from the British. July Fourth celebrations should more about active citizen participation in democratic processes and our collective devotion to democratic principles than another Memorial Day or Veterans’ Day with a focus on military might.
8
The flyovers looked wonderful on TV. I can only imagine that they were even better in person. Were they appropriate? In the circumstances, no. Maybe on Veterans or Memorial Day. I have no quibble honoring our military forces and their sacrifice but in America displays of weaponry are not necessary to speak our power.
Trump got what he wanted. With military personnel and machines surrounding him, the picture of "HIS military" and "MY generals" is complete and ready for use in the 2020 campaign. Cadet Bone Spurs has bought a legitimacy that he could never achieve on his own.
I thought the speech was boring. It was delivered by a bored man who loved the spectacle but understood too little of the words about our history. He did not go off script most likely to avoid the event being completely a rally and therefore having to maybe pay for it himself.
The real question this morning is "Will Trump be happy with the crowd size?" He got his pictures for 2020 so his branding exercise was a success. He should leave it at that.
6
Unity?
Trump's idea of unity, is that everybody unites to tell him how great he is.
Yesterday, Trump read a prepared speech off of the teleprompter, that was written by his speechwriters.
That is something, that any third grader in America can do.
The millions and millions of Tax Payer Tax Dollars that Trump spent on his "props", doesn't unite the country.
It just drives us farther apart.
10
Ironically, our attention stays focused on a man whose words, behavior and life serves as a warning to others on what not to do. Perhaps we should use our energies to understand why he attracts so many people. Surely we would not take kindly to our own beliefs being summarily dismissed. Yet we are doing the same to large groups of people who perceive themselves to be at the bottom of whatever measure is being used. Democrats profess to represent the working class. But you can’t represent persons you don’t understand.
2
"President Trump on Thursday used the Lincoln Memorial as the backdrop for a tribute to the country’s armed forces and a call for unity that has been largely absent during his divisive presidency."
I wish reporters would label Trump's "call for unity" what it is: submission, unquestioning obedience, blind loyalty, the complete abandonment of citizen responsibility to hold politicians to account for their mistakes and bad behavior.
The only time I remember more strife between neighbors was during the Viet Nam War in Nixon's presidency. Juxtapose military authoritarianism with political demands for "unity" in the US, and a whole lot of unintended consequences usually result, not all of them useful or appropriate.
4
It was supposed to be Happy Birthday America. Not happy birther trump.
The great majority of Americans, conservative and liberal are very proud of our military. But even the military brass didn’t like like being politicized by trump.
6
I will freely admit I did not watch the spectacle. I don't listen to much of what the President says these days. It strikes me this would have been a wonderful opportunity to read The Gettysburg Address.
7
Trump goes into sing-song mode whenever he’s constrained to read from a TelePrompTer. Annoying. Coupled with the musical accompaniments that came in at random times I was reminded of the old Andy Kaufmann routine where he sits quietly listening to the Mickey Mouse theme on a phonograph and then stands up to mouth “Here I come to save the day.”
6
Yes, it is annoying. Our politicians are not legendary orators. What happened? Obama would sound like a preacher. Thank goodness only paying people have to hear a Clinton (either of them). I could go on but where are the great speechwriters? That's a start.
@Robert - it was Mighty Mouse. Although with Trump it was more likely Mighty Mouth.
Is there nothing about this great nation that Donald Trump cannot turn into a cheap mockery of itself?
Does he really think we cannot see through his phony facade?
King Donald will eventually go down, and his presidential library will contain not a single book.
12
I'm not surprised that the Failing New York Times did not acknowledge the brilliance of Trump's speech. It was possibly the best delivered by any American President ever. President Trump - living up to his key promise of transparency for the American people - revealed, for the first time ever, that American troops had managed to seize key airports during the Revolutionary War.
9
Yo - So it was better than Washington’s inaugural speech, Washington’s farewell address, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, FDR’s inaugural speech (“Nothing to Fear but fear itself...”). It’s a shame schools don’t require kids to read and recite these really great speeches so people like you can learn what a really great Presidential speech is.
Reread, please, and note the sarcasm.
I was born, raised and lived in the States into my mid-40s, and yesterday I drove 100 miles to officially submit my application for British citizenship. The patriotic irony of doing so on the Fourth of July was not lost on me.
Though I'll have the advantage of dual nationality, I admit that my decision was also made easier by feeling it somewhat distances me from the populist horrors inflicted by the current occupant of the White House. (Not that the chaos of Brexit is any easier to stomach over here!)
6
What makes America great are Americans, not the military. The military protects the country from foreign enemies. Seeing tanks pointed toward the Lincoln Memorial makes me sick. I hope as that photo flashes around the world, it is not misinterpreted.
7
Meanwhile, back at the farm, American patriotism has fallen after a Gallup poll reported that fewer than half (45%) of U.S. adults are "extremely" proud to be Americans.
The Gallup report points to the polarization of today's political climate as a possible cause for the decrease in overall pride.
Without a significant national event to rally Americans from both sides of the political spectrum, "these historically low readings on American pride are likely to continue until (President Donald) Trump is no longer in office," the report says.
4
I briefly watched Trump's multi-million dollar spectacle and it was as vulgar and unexciting as the President himself. Think of all the toothpaste and blankets that money could buy to ease the pain of children in the American concentration camps!
Then I switched to the Macy's Fourth of July fireworks display and was touched to the core with the beauty of the music, the incredible fireworks and the sense of unity and love of country expressed by audience members. Thank you Macys.
31
Trump has usurped Independence Day as Donald Trump Day. No wonder many people are not celebrating.
17
How can your article synopsis describe Trump’s speech as a “rare call for unity”? Because he didn’t call Democrats “losers” or chant about locking Hillary Clinton up? I saw nothing in that speech that offered a praiseworthy statement to Democrats..i.e. we are all Americans, despite our differences, Democrats love this country too...you know, something unifying? The absence of gross slander in a totally non Trump written speech does not qualify as a “rare call for unity” in my book.
32
Being proud of our military history and those who serve is one thing, but to parade weaponry is something a weak nation does. Celebrations of the fourth should go beyond the military victories, and focus on the ideals being upheld.
Also, I expect he was able to stay on message once he learned that his campaign would need to pay for the event if it became too political.
17
@ML
" to parade weaponry is something a weak nation does. "
I saw a Bastille Day military parade in Paris in the 1970s. As all the weaponry passed by, I remembered my European history and how in the last 150 year France has either lost every war or had to be bailed out by other nations. Franco-Prussian War, World Wars I and II, Algeria, Vietnam.
Nationalism is worse than a rogue president. Be ye careful for you know not what you really support when you attend an event like this.
16
I had a wonderful July 4th NOT watching this corrupt and criminal president's spectacle. I spent time with my family and watched an old movie from the 1970's, had a picnic dinner and in the evening watched the amazing Macy's Fireworks which were spectacular this year especially the musical performances and Americans telling their story. It is sad that this president has chosen to follow the lead of dictators and despots around the world and like most rich powerful people think the only way to have fun is to spend millions and millions of dollars - money they have taken from the hard working backs of American taxpayers. Now we are trillions of dollars more in debt due to this president's mismanagement of the US treasury and a glutton for extravagant purchases for things we don't need or want. SAD.
25
@Fred
at least if Clinton were in the White House we wouldn't be suffering at the hands of a narcissistic sadistic psychopath obsessed with money and power.
6
as borowitz recently pointed out, it’s past time to “Make America Great Britain Again”. the 240-year-old experiment in democracy has taken a catastrophic nosedive. as the bone-spurs-in-chief demonstrates on a daily basis, and especially on Independence Day, the experiment has clearly failed. thankfully, the Queen doesn’t hold a grudge re that whole war of independence thing, and is willing to take us back!
https://www.newyorker.com/humor/borowitz-report/queen-offers-to-restore-british-rule-over-united-states
11
As any classroom history teacher will tell you first make sure of your facts. Secondly, when you speak about soldiers in combat you are speaking of blood and sacrifice. You do it with passion and emotion, not a monotone delivery and robotic step back to wait for the overhead audio visuals. Trump seems only to show passion when he's spewing insults. If he was going to make what was a Veteran's Day or Memorial Day speech on the 4th of July, as wrong as that was, he failed at both. There is a long tradition of July 4th oratory by many dynamic speakers. Trump gave us Ferris Bueller's teacher.
29
@Diz Moore
One has to think that when Trump declared that Washington’s Continental Army took over the airports and prevailed at a Fort McHenry getting the facts right wasn’t paramount for him, whoever wrote the speech or anyone else in his administration. Same as always.
9
Trump's relatively moderate performance was yet another shrewd ploy. Particularly given the reaction to his spectacle and the coming election, he knows it's time to appear to move toward the center.
5
We know that won’t last.
2
“It’s amazing, I can’t even believe it. I’ve been so lucky in terms of that whole world, it is a dangerous world out there. It’s like Vietnam, sort of. It is my personal Vietnam. I feel like a great and very brave solider
President Donald Trump discussing avoiding STDs in the 80s
21
The only thing that impressed me..and, yes, I watched it on Fox out of curiosity...was that he maintained his discipline long enough to read the whole speech, obviously written by Stephen Miller or another minion. I suppose he had been adequately warned that if he spoke one word off script and turned it too political it could cost him a boat load of cash. I was bummed not to hear the end of the Battle Hymn of the Republic. Thanks Fox....couldn't quite get it right!
6
The media lied to us once again claiming he was
@Matt, Trump couldn't be truthful if his tongue came notorized and Jesus, himself was looking him in the eye. But go ahead blame the media for Trump being a pathological liar...10k lies and counting...
4
The optics were very strange. The rain-streaked plexi-glass behind which Trump stoically plowed through a poorly rehearsed speech written by committee. A few helicopters clunkily chopping and jets occasionally streaking beneath thick rain clouds as snippets of service songs without words fell in the thick air. If there was a metaphor to how dreary four more years would be, this was it.
44
I hope to celebrate independence from trump and his cohort of corruption.
Any day is ok. It doesn’t have to be The 4th of July.
I’ll set off fireworks and make a bonfire of newspapers with the stories of his depravity. Well, I’ll recycle the newspapers.
26
Hopefully the one thing America can do is end this presidency in 2020 and repair the damage. Also learn from this outrageous and idolatrous love of money and self.
23
He provided a 6th grade history lesson in his speech...probably never studied it himself! He filled the stands with his cronies. Wasted $2.5 million fornothisg. This is a very unamerican president who has robbed from the poor to give to the rich.
26
The real highlight of the speech was when our brilliant Commander in chief said 'the Revolutionary Army took over the airports' He also referenced Francis Scott Key & The Star Spangled Banner during the Revolutionary War, & called Ft McKenry, Fort McKendry. This is all over twitter & other news sites. Should be at the top of the page. Why isn't it?
I know it hilarious & and there's plenty of great jokes already. But what it really shows is this man is a complete moron. Doesn't even know 1st grade history. The first airplane flight was 1903. That's an awfully big gaffe. The SS Banner was written during the War Of 1812.. basic stuff. Do you really think he read the Iran Agreement or NAFTA, or any important policy? This is the man who is leading this country & 60 million voted for. Aren't they proud? .. it also shows that he doesn't care about U.S. History, the military, founding fathers, none of it. He's a complete & dangerous phony. ... I know they will come out & say he couldn't read the teleprompter through the rain soaked bulletproof glass, or something just as stupid.
And yet this paper & most of the media keep taking his idiotic utterances seriously.
64
American dictator, cozying up with his base. This man emulating Russian and The North Korean strong men. Watching him on his stage, reminds me of the Roman Emperor giving the start signal for the chariot’s race in Ben Hur’s 1959 version. The arrogance, the entitlement resembles Nero’s face in that movie. Trump’s administration has been the worst thing that happened to the American worker in the last 100 years. He has polarized this country to a point of no return.
21
Didn't watch or listen to any part of him. Instead had a wonderful dinner with family and watched my favorite flick "Yankee Doodle Dandy". Did read his gaffes though, something about rebels overtaking the airports during the Revolutionary War. What a hoot.
21
Maybe I haven't been paying a lot of attention to changes in the 4th of July over the years. Maybe it's because I am rapidly approaching three score and ten years in age. This year I find myself really wondering what the 4th of July commemorates. Military might? Authority? human values? the freedom to dominate "the other"? Maybe I should just look forward to escaping this endless cycle of samsara. Freedom.
19
Unfortunately, those that support Trump, including the Republicans elected to Congress, have no problem with what Trump represents. Have no problem with this administration's policies of separating children from their families or the other human right's abuses happening at the border. The contradictory policy of tariffs that directly effect Americans and then bailing them out with what Republicans call "entitlements" nor the policies dismantling women's and LBGTQ protections, rights that allow for full participation in our country's "greatness". Trump supporters are hostile to the notion that our country has a racist legacy and instead of confronting it with our heads and hearts, Trump has nurtured his white supremacist base. Trump supporters agree with him and his tactics, calling the "press the enemy of the people". Unfortunately for us, it apparently is a significant number that support him. Not mentioning the Russia and collusion thing!
10
If ever there was a sad acknowledgement that America's time has passed, this was it. The President, shielded by the (necessary) bullet-proof but rain-dampened screen, gave a jingoistic account of American "heroes" from his military academy days. Gen. McArthur was removed from his command by President Truman for subordination; Betsy Ross was mentioned as a bone to the alt-right given today's Nike controversy. The tanks couldn't be driven down the streets of DC. What do they do (or did they do) to the infrastructure when they were deployed? The flyovers were ominous rather than celebratory (as at sporting events, when they have colorful jet trails). We have an aging President, an aging infrastructure, problems like immigration and climate change that the military cannot solve.... it did not look or sound as though the best days are ahead of us.
21
I do not think that Mr. Trump wrote down the words that he spoke: I do think that he controlled his impulses rather well.
Do I think that he genuinely believes what he was coached to say? No.
Do I think that my father, who was a tank mechanic in North Africa, then Italy, and then supervised -grateful - prisoners of war in England during WWII would take this man at his word? No.
I can't speak for the young member of my family who passed up a fourth deployment to the middle east to attend training that cost 1.6 million dollars per person so that they can defend our country from those who would destroy it from without. But I can speak for myself and say that I think about the soft power we have as citizens to defend our country from threats within.
10
I don't care who hosts an event like this, republican or democrat, you want to celebrate the military? Spend the money instead on housing and mental health services for veterans because they need this much more than a parade of tanks and fireworks.
1059
Where was this comment when Obama had U2?
3
@Matt
Um, U2 is not tanks and fireworks.
36
Mr. Obama wasn’t spending money on a vulgar display of military might. Why do you insist on a false equivalency?
40
So, when will Americans find out how much this fiasco cost? And, more importantly, who will pay for it?
13
@Acey
You know who's going to pay for it. Trump, whose business model is not to pay his creditors, and his GOP cronies will ensure that the taxpayer foots this bill too.
Congress.....due diligence is required here. The money for this fiasco was stolen from our Parks system.
2
Not sure how many commenters actually saw the presentation. I thought it was a very appropriate tribute to our armed forces and our nation on the 4th. The well-played patriotic music and impressive flyovers were highly entertaining. I would be saying the same thing if it had been "MC'd" by Barack Obama or even Hilary Clinton. But I guess a large percentage of people today can't separate politics, and anti-Trump sentiment from any event.
5
@ATF
It was a political rally held in competition with the traditional celebration at the other end of the mall. A disgraceful display of military campaigning, too. I hope the joint chiefs remind the troops that wearing MAGA hats, etc. is not appropriate. I'd like to think they would defend Democrats, too.
1
@ATF
The Armed Forces have their day, Veterans' Day, where this kind of military show would have been entirely appropriate. Independence Day is to celebrate our freedom from tyranny....a freedom we seem to be losing on a day to day basis.
1
@ATF
The Dems would not have had any such presentations. Sorry to burst your Fox bubble. I thought it ironic that a draft dodger wanted a military parade.
1
I think the adulation of president bone spurs has its origin in the protests of the Vietnam war. Speaking in generalities, which is always problematic, the people who support bone spurs are the same who fought it and their families, supported it and or benefited from it.
The reason I conclude this is that the protesters of the day generally made a point of blaming us, the troops who fought it. The people who profited form it had a dog in the hunt. That would be RMK/BRJ which made huge sums, possibly the most. LBJ had a piece of that.
Hence their disdain for the so called elite, i.e. college educated, who have been and are opposed to president bone spurs. The fly in my theory is that they ignore his draft dodging. Then again that is much like the evangelical Christians who seem to ignore his transgressions of the their tenets. Another words the end justifies the means. See also the republican party.
5
Under our hometown fireworks display last evening, I told my wife that I no longer want to be an American, that I am disgusted with the way things are going in the other Washington and the people who get their way by controlling us with their money. I don't feel at home here any more, I told her, and I want to live someplace where the people are as progressive as we need to be to confront the challenges ahead. It was a little chilly where we were, on the edge of a harbor in Puget Sound, and she was leaning against me to find a bit of shelter from the breeze coming off the water. She snuggled in closer, put her arm around me, and said "Yes, I know, I hate it as well, but you can't leave. What you have to do is stay here and fix it."
13
@Greg Wessel - When can you be ready to move? I'll help pay for your ticket out!
3
@DEWaldron — “America, love it or leave it,” eh? Nope. I prefer “Never surrender.”
3
@DEWaldron I should add that despite your generosity, I'll be staying here to fix it. See you at the ballot box.
3
trump hijacks our Fourth of July commemoration with a restricted seating area for "VIPs" (inside chain link fences, oh the irony) a pitiful display of 2 tanks - hidden behind Lincoln's Memorial - and 2 APCs and a flyover akin to any top tier NFL game.
Hateful and ignorant tweets out,as usual, in the AM.
The embarrassment continues.
12
So we had powered flight during the Revolution?
Yeah...it’s funny for about two seconds, until you consider that Trump apparently didn’t rehearse the speech before he gave it, meaning that he had no idea what he was saying; someone on the speechwriting team decided to pull a fast one to see if anyone was listening; he lacks basic comprehension skills; or he will say whatever is put in front of him without reading, or blurt out whatever pops into his head.
Not exactly confidence inspiring. Yes, I realize that not everyone is a talented public speaker and slips of the tongue do happen. But those are not really good excuses for a President of the United States — indeed, that’s why it’s even more crucial for him to take a little more care with his remarks before he takes the podium to speak on the U.S.’s behalf, especially when he’s presiding over an authoritarian sideshow like this. It’s fairly innocuous and a little embarrassing this time —but the next? Do we need something akin to a “we begin bombing in 15 minutes” gaffe, from a man who is not joking?
Words matter, facts matter — whatever the situation or context. Carelessness has consequences. That is still a lesson this president has not yet learned and most likely never will.
It’s the little details like this that should concern anyone who is paying attention. To quote an old Jefferson Starship lyric, “How can you tell the truth from the lies?” That question is relevant now more than ever.
5
The event is over. Everybody can make of it what they will. Give it a rest.
4