Tapper Rips ‘Outrageous’ GOP Silence On Report Trump Called Soldiers ‘Suckers’ – Meanwhile, Obama Saluting Marine With Coffee ‘Was Fox News’s Banner Headlines For a Week’
CNN’s Jake Tapper excoriated conservatives over their largely muted response to confirmation of reports that former President Donald Trump demeaned U.S. service members. In doing so, Tapper contrasted it with one of the soldier-related “scandals” of the Obama administration.
On Monday, Ret. Gen. John Kelly – Trump’s former chief-of-staff – confirmed that the ex-president called soldiers “suckers” because “there is nothing in it for them.”
Kelly’s son was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan.
Tapper appeared on Thursday’s AC360 as a guest to discuss the subject.
“The thing that has, again, shocked, not surprised me, is the lack of response from Republicans,” host Anderson Cooper told his colleague. “I don’t know if privately you’re hearing from Republicans, something. But publicly, certainly, if any other politician – Democrat or Republican – had said anything like this, you would think there would be outrage.”
Tapper responded by recalling a largely-forgotten moment when as president, Barack Obama saluted a Marine while disembarking Marine One in 2014. Obama was holding a cup of coffee at the time. The fleeting gesture stirred unfathomable amounts of criticism in right-wing media – including multiple segments on Fox News – in what was dubbed “The Latte Salute.”
“When Barack Obama saluted a Marine as president while holding a cup of coffee in his hand, that was Fox News’s banner headlines for a week,” Tapper said for some Throwback Thursday. “Just because he held a coffee in his hand while he did a salute. So, correct. It’s outrageous.”
Tapper then noted Trump’s recent comments about former Ret. Gen. Mark Milley, who recently left his post as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The former president baselessly claimed Milley committed treason, stating that “in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH.”
Tapper said Trump’s missive was a “call for violence” against Milley. He then returned to Republicans’ silence.
“And I think that’s one of the things that’s so shocking about it is, other than the likes of the Kinzingers and the Cheneys and the Romneys of the world, where are the Republicans – including the Nikki Haleys and the Ron DeSantises and the Tim Scotts who are running against Trump?” Tapper asked. “Why are they not saying anything about this sort of thing?”
Watch above via CNN.
