It will likely come as no surprise that Donald Trump wants absolute control and power over all others. On more than one occasion, Trump has been noted to wish for a dictator’s powers. This includes having those around him loyal to him and only him, even the military.
The Mary Sue have published many stories on the jibes Trump makes, the lies he tells, and the sheer craziness of many of his stunts. Underneath all the ridiculous pettiness and mind boggling stupidity, Trump is a dangerous man. When it comes to Trump, the words psychopath and sociopath have been thrown around by both laymen and experts in the field of mental health. He certainly fits much of the criteria for both. Trump exhibits little concern for the lives of others and seeing them as only a means to an end, similar to another infamous historical figure.
In a recently released article for The Atlantic, editor-in-chief Jeffery Goldberg dived into Trump’s relationship with the U.S. military. His meticulous findings, taken from those close to the former president during his time in office as well as from recent years, paint the picture of a man with little to no empathy for the lives of those who serve and a desire to utilize the military on his own whim.
Goldberg’s article includes quotes from the likes of former White House Chief of Staff, John Kelly, who served as a U.S. Marine Corps General and has lost a son, First Lieutenant Robert Michael Kelly, in combat as well as from other notable military and political figures.
“I need the kind of generals that Hitler had”
In his article, Goldberg writes that two unnamed individuals overheard Trump state in a private conversation, “I need the kind of generals that Hitler had, people who were totally loyal to him, that follow orders.” If true, this chilling statement should spark fear in everyone on earth, not just citizens of the Unites States.
On more than one occasion, Trump has brought up Hitler in a way that, rather than admonishing the evil he committed, aims to highlight his “good qualities.” In an interview for Jim Sciutto’s book, The Return of Great Powers, Kelly discussed a conversation he had with the then-President. Kelly recalled of Trump, “He said, ‘Well, but Hitler did some good things,’” with Kelly responding, “I said, ‘Well, what?’ And he said, ‘Well, (Hitler) rebuilt the economy.’ But what did he do with that rebuilt economy? He turned it against his people and against the world.” Kelly had to encourage Trump to “never say anything good about the guy.”
Goldberg’s article highlights how not only has Trump wished to use the military for his own needs, such as asking if the army could be deployed to shoot protestors during the George Floyd protests, but he has shown abhorrent disrespect to those captured, injured, or who have lost their lives while in active service. This can be most evident in his disdain for former Senator and Navy Officer John McCain. Though McCain is lauded by many as a war hero, Trump took the opposite view. In July of 2015, he said of McCain, “He’s not a war hero. He is a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
Trump’s views extend beyond McCain towards all who have been injured, captured, or died in service to their country. In 2020, Goldberg reported on Trump’s views in an article titled, Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’.
A man who wants to be “dictator for a day”
It’s no secret that Trump has admired the policies of powerful dictators such as Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping. He wishes he had what they had: a country ruled by fear and an army ready to quash anybody who challenges him. At the end of last year, Trump even admitted to wanting to be a dictator on the first day in office, granting him powers to close the borders and “drill, drill, drill.” Who here thinks that Trump would happily give up that power after one day?
Trump sees the military as an extension of his own power. Goldberg’s article shows that Trump believes the military should serve not the country but the whims of the commander-in-chief. If Trump were to win this presidential race, he would no doubt try to harness the power of the strongest military force on earth once again. If that were to happen, and we are praying it doesn’t, we can only hope there are enough people of sense around him to stop that from happening.
Published: Oct 23, 2024 01:16 am