# Trump considers those who served in the military "losers" and "suckers" **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [September 4, 2020, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799 "2020-09-04T12:39:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/1 "2020-09-04T12:39:31Z")
> **[Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’](https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2020/09/trump-americans-who-died-at-war-are-losers-and-suckers/615997/)** > > The president has repeatedly disparaged the intelligence of service members, and asked that wounded veterans be kept out of military parades, multiple sources tell The Atlantic. This isn’t exactly entirely new – Trump famously insisted John McCain wasn’t a hero, and repeatedly called him a loser, because he was captured in Vietnam. But it’s still very interesting. Most interesting is (and will be) how his supporters justify and/or ignore his disparagement of military service. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/2 "2020-09-04T12:46:21Z")
As a contrast, here’s Joe Biden in 2012 addressing a group of family survivors of fallen military members: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/GwZ6UfXm410/maxresdefault.jpg "Vice President Biden Discusses Grief at TAPS") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwZ6UfXm410) ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/3 "2020-09-04T12:47:27Z")
Fake news! I didn’t say that! The Deep State and their lies! Here, watch me hump this flag to prove how much I love America! ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/4 "2020-09-04T13:06:07Z")
Can you imagine the outrage if any Democrat had said 1/10 of what Donald said? They’d be run out of town on a rail after being tarred and feathered. Of course, The Cult will not abandon him over this. What might help would be if the sources for this article would come forward and verify it publicly. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/5 "2020-09-04T13:13:54Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Can you imagine the outrage if any Democrat had said 1/10 of what Donald said? 1/100,000 ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/6 "2020-09-04T13:26:19Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Can you imagine the outrage if any Democrat had said 1/10 of what Donald said? Obama didn’t have to say anything offensive at all for the twerps who now support the toilet smear (those are orange, right?) to try to de-legitimize not only Obama’s presidency, but also Obama as a citizen, as a scholar, hell, even as a man. ---
**Author:** ![MoonMoon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moonmoon/32/2959_2.png) [@MoonMoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MoonMoon)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/7 "2020-09-04T13:30:10Z")
The cult will not, but it would be nice if this could significantly dent the support he has among the enlisted. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/8 "2020-09-04T13:54:40Z")
According to military news outlets I’ve read, his support among the enlisted military is plummeting, which is a good sign. Could be one more reason why he hates the idea of mail-in voting. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/9 "2020-09-04T14:15:41Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Most interesting is (and will be) how his supporters justify and/or ignore his disparagement of military service. > [@RitterSport](#): > > Fake news! I didn’t say that! The Deep State and their lies! Here, watch me hump this flag to prove how much I love America! Ya got it. It will be entirely dismissed as a slander and there will be a campaign to discredit and crush anyone who was around for any such conversation and turn the discussion into who was the rat and how much worse that is. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/10 "2020-09-04T14:19:13Z")
Trump firmly denies it, so of course I completely believe it. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/11 "2020-09-04T15:10:00Z")
The best part is that the burst of Twitterrhea where he denied the story included a denial that he’d ever called John McCain a “loser”. Pay no attention to the tape of him doing exactly that… ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/12 "2020-09-04T15:27:26Z")
I think he’s also reported to have said, in the presence of Rex Tillerson and military generals, that the generals were losers and idiots or something to that effect. I’ve forgotten the details, but there’s an anecdote in which generals had to explain why Trump couldn’t do X, which prompted a rant about how the generals were shit and couldn’t win wars anymore. I only remember it at all because that’s apparently the episode which prompted Tillerson to refer to Trump as a ‘fucking moron’. ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/13 "2020-09-04T15:36:05Z")
To be honest some of that story pings my BS meter especially the line about the cemetery being full of losers. I am guessing the story is a somewhat exaggerated version of the truth. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/14 "2020-09-04T15:39:07Z")
How is any of it more extreme than anything else we have seen him say? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/15 "2020-09-04T15:39:24Z")
> [@Lantern2](#): > > To be honest some of that story pings my BS meter especially the line about the cemetery being full of losers. I am guessing the story is a somewhat exaggerated version of the truth. I used to underestimate how deplorable Trump was too. Nothing surprises me anymore. Disgusts me, sure. But no surprises. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/16 "2020-09-04T15:39:43Z")
> Belleau Wood is a consequential battle in American history, and the ground on which it was fought is venerated by the Marine Corps. America and its allies stopped the German advance toward Paris there in the spring of 1918. But Trump, on that same trip, asked aides, “Who were the good guys in this war?” He also said that he didn’t understand why the United States would intervene on the side of the Allies. Umm … did he accidentally ask a good question about the First World War? ---
**Author:** ![Lantern2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lantern2/32/3010_2.png) [@Lantern2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lantern2)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/17 "2020-09-04T15:42:06Z")
Has Trump ever said that soldiers in general are losers? Not as far as I know. ---
**Author:** ![FlikTheBlue](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fliktheblue/32/10972_2.png) [@FlikTheBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FlikTheBlue)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/18 "2020-09-04T15:55:46Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > Umm … did he accidentally ask a good question about the First World War? He may have, but I highly doubt it was for reasons of intellectual curiosity. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/19 "2020-09-04T15:56:14Z")
Yes. That’s what this thread is about. > **[Trump accused of describing war dead as 'losers' and 'suckers.' He denies...](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2020/09/04/trump-calls-military-dead-losers-he-denies-claim-atlantic/5714254002/)** > > An explosive Atlantic article says Trump called fallen soldiers "losers" and "suckers," claims the president denies. Here's what we know. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2020, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799/20 "2020-09-04T16:25:08Z")
It didn’t ping my BS meter at all. You have to understand that altruistic behavior is totally alien to Donald. He thinks everyone’s first, last, and only duty is to make oneself as rich as possible. The notion that young men would volunteer to serve their country in war is beyond his comprehension. The US helping European allies makes no sense to him. Self-sacrifice is simply not in his vocabulary. So these young men who died to help others makes them suckers in his view because they should have stayed home and looked out for themselves. This is totally in character for the guy who ridiculed John McCain and insulted a gold star family. I’m rather surprised the post count on this thread is not yet in four digits, I thought for sure when it broke last night that the hamsters would have to pull an all-nighter to catch up. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trump-considers-those-who-served-in-the-military-losers-and-suckers/919799.md?page=2)