Discussion: After Video Contradicts John Kelly, White House Doubles Down In Defense

TPM Article Topics
#141

Not sure if you watched Maddow’s show on 10/19, but she had a long opening segment trying to piece together this very puzzle. Chad’s troops apparently have a well-earned reputation for being the fiercest, most reliable anti-terrorist force in the region, and probably provided protection for US Special Forces on many occasions. Then the trump administration added Chad to the travel ban - although no one can explain why - and Chad withdrew from protecting us.

A week later, the ambush leaves 4 dead and many wounded, with only French and contract troops to evacuate our guys. And they left one behind for two days until he died.

Sure would like to know what the hell happened.

3 Likes
#142

Sanders’ statement continued: “As Gen. Kelly pointed
out, if you’re able to make a sacred act like honoring American heroes
about yourself, you’re an empty barrel.”
…
Two scoops in an empty barrel I guess is the solution.
But seriously, does trump never ever make anything he says not about himself and his greatness, his needs??

#143

Another reporter followed up Sarah’s insistence that Wilson was grandstanding by recounting trump’s first visit to the CIA where he bragged about his victory instead of honoring the fallen agents commemorated on the wall behind him.

She smirked and insisted they were completely different, convincing no one.

1 Like
#144

Yep. By this time it’s pretty obvious that trump will start a phony argument, make something perfectly normal become controversial, insult and bluster, to distract from some really really bad news about himself or his family.

Then the whole trumposphere is obliged to follow in lockstep, defending his lies and ridiculous assertions, coming up with ever more elaborate excuses, until the whole muddled episode dies of its own weight.

Classic propaganda technique.

1 Like
#145

We will but not from trump sources (Kelly, Sanders et. al.). Any White House statement is suspect from the get go. Now that it’s “accepted” practice to defend an obvious provable lie with another obvious lie in this White House I don’t see how anything they say can be trusted as verifiable fact. And that is a very very serious problem. Not just for us and our media but all of our allies as well. This group of lying cretins has cut us loose from our moorings. We are alone in a very dangerous world. Even if trump were removed tomorrow the damage has been done to American credibility. It will take decades to repair the damage, assuming we don’t end up in a serious shooting war complete with nukes because of the n00b in the Oval Office.

1 Like
#146

Yep. It checks all their boxes. And they’re getting better at it. Meanwhile much of the media, like 6-year olds on a soccer field, follow in a herd and feed off the stories being fed to them. It’s so much easier than actual journalism.

#147

And continued to compound the lies with outlandish assertions, then went on to defend trump’s self-congratulatory trip to the CIA. Really incredible what a slithery slimeball she’s become.

2 Likes
#148

“As Gen. Kelly pointed out, if you’re able to make a sacred act like honoring American heroes about yourself, you’re an empty barrel.”

Of course that’s exactly what Trump has done. In Trumpworld this story is all about how unfairly he’s treated by the press, and by those ungrateful Gold Star Families, who are a bunch of ingrates who should be falling on their knees thanking him for doing them the unbelievable honor of calling them, which as we all know, other Presidents never did.

1 Like
#149

So Sanders is calling Trump an “empty barrel”? He famously made his appearance in January at the CIA Wall of Honor all about him.

#150

Yes, I agree this is dangerous for us as a democracy. Who’s telling the truth? And if the truth becomes known, will the administration continue to deny it? Then what?

What I also find frightening is the power of RWNJ media to echo the lies and ultimately muddy the waters until most people are sick of it all and decide the truth is unknowable. We are in the grip of an administration that functions full time in propaganda mode. And it’s working.

By this time most foreign leaders have openly acknowledged that they don’t count on the US to follow its promises or alternatively, they count on being able to bribe the president to change his stance on anything.

Increasingly, I rely on long-time reliable media sources, but many of them are dependent on administration sources, albeit those who are fed up with trump and willing to betray him. Why does it seem as if the truth is ever harder to find?

#151

We do only to the wxtent that we accept it. I’m highly disappointed in both the press, and especially the Democratic party, for their relatively tepid reactions to Trump’s incessant lying.

Imagine the continued ear piercing howls from the GOP if this were Barack or Hillary.

2 Likes
#152

Sophie_Brown: I concur with your opinion of Kelly, certainly didn’t take long for him to accept the full cranial rectal inversion Trump offered him.

#153

Sanders’ statement continued: “As Gen. Kelly pointed out, if you’re able to make a sacred act like honoring American heroes about yourself, you’re an empty barrel.”

Huh? WTF? Did you go to Drumpf’s visit to the CIA in his first days in office?!?!? Seee the videos? Read the news accounts? This is the “I know you are, but what am I” school of politics, Sarah.

But Wilson did not make this presentation about herself. She briefly recounted her efforts to actually honor the fallen FBI agents, as well as the help of many others in getting this done.

2 Likes
#154

The Question: How did Chad end up on the Trumpian “Axis of Travel” Travel Ban, given that “Chad’s troops apparently have a well-earned reputation for being the fiercest, most reliable anti-terrorist force in the region, and probably provided protection for US Special Forces on many occasions.”

I CAN EXPLAIN: 1. The Trumpian Foreign-Policy brain trust needed more countries to add to the “Axis of Travel”, given that Iraq was taken off the list. Plus they needed non-Arab & not obviously Islamic countries (to help convince skeptical federal judges that this was something more substantive than “Muslim Ban 3.0”
2. The “Nambia” disaster; remember that?
3. Chad was chosen because it’s in sub-Saharan (Black) Africa, nobody in Trump-world knows much about it except that it’s not obviously Arab.
Best of all, Mr. Trump remembers a 60’s duo called “Chad & Jeremy” and is sure he can pronounce the name, “Chad”, reliably & reasonably well in speeches & interviews.

3 Likes
#155

The Question: How did Chad end up on the Trumpian “Axis of Travel” Travel Ban, given that “Chad’s troops apparently have a well-earned reputation for being the fiercest, most reliable anti-terrorist force in the region, and probably provided protection for US Special Forces on many occasions.”

They alledgely ran out of passport paper, so they didn’t provide a sample before deadline. ( No, Really! I have posted the link to the Guardian article in another thread)

1 Like
#156

Seriously doubt Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Huckabee Sanders ever actually carefully watched the video

1 Like
#157

Huckabee Sanders, who works for the Empty-Barrel-in-Chief, accuses Rep Wilson of calling attention to herself. Clearly the press secretary suffers from irony deficiency.

2 Likes
#158

FOLKS, it is time to get serious to save DEMOCRACY in AMERICA THE UNITED STATES!

The first step to moving in the direction to recapture OUR DEMOCRACY, it to first recognize that the Trump administration is what a FAILED US ADMINISTRATION LOOKS LIKE!

#159

They knew what they were getting themselves into, and John Cunt Coward Kelly and Sarah Shit Machine Sanders get wonderful joy in their hearts doing it.

#160

Now, triple down…quadruple down, quintuplel down…you will still be demonstrably lying and the general will be a man who gave it all to prop up an unworthy President.

2 Likes
Comments are now Members-Only
Join the discussion Free options available