Trump Compares His Sacrifices to Those of Fallen Troops in Self-Indulgent Memorial Day Rant

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Former President Donald Trump wished himself a happy Memorial Day on Monday in a self-indulgent Truth Social post comparing his sacrifices to those of fallen American troops.

“HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY TO ALL,” began Trump before identifying himself as especially worthy of such wishes:

BUT ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR THE COUNTRY THEY LOVE, AND TO THOSE IN LINE OF A VERY DIFFERENT, BUT EQUALLY DANGEROUS FIRE, STOPPING THE THREATS OF THE TERRORISTS, MISFITS AND LUNATIC THUGS WHO ARE WORKING FEVERISHLY FROM WITHIN TO OVERTURN AND DESTROY OUR ONCE GREAT COUNTRY, WHICH HAS NEVER BEEN IN GREATER PERIL THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW. WE MUST STOP THE COMMUNISTS, MARXISTS AND FASCIST “PIGS” AT EVERY TURN AND, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!

Memorial Day has been celebrated in various ways by various states and localities since at least 1868. It is meant to commemorate the loss of U.S. service members who died in uniform. It became a national holiday in 1971.

As unusual as the former president’s Memorial Day message might have been, it has some precedent thanks to a 2018 Trump tweet that included implicit praise for himself. It read:

Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 28, 2018

Trump hosted a tournament for the Saudi-backed LIV Golf league at Trump National Golf Club in Loudoun County, Virginia, over Memorial Day weekend, drawing criticism from those who lost family members on September 11, 2001, and in the wars that followed it.