Courtesy of Bastrop Advertiser
Oct. 28, 2021
By Bill McCann
A critic emailed me recently asking why I and others keep complaining about Donald Trump when he is no longer president and is out of the public eye. I responded as politely as I could that Trump continues to heave himself almost daily into the news with false claims about a “rigged” presidential election and with ongoing attacks on the free press and even on members of his own party.
Had I waited a few days to respond to the email, I would have included an excellent example of Trump’s ongoing lack of common decency when he issued a tasteless statement following the death of statesman and trail-blazing military hero Gen. Colin Powell.
Powell, 84, a longtime Republican who became a Trump critic, died Oct. 18 of COVID-19, amid a battle with cancer.
Showing his usual lack of class, Trump said the following: “Wonderful to see Colin Powell, who made big mistakes on Iraq and famously, so-called weapons of mass destruction, be treated in death so beautifully by the Fake News Media. Hope that happens to me someday. He was a classic RINO (Republican in name only), if even that, always being the first to attack other Republicans. He made plenty of mistakes, but anyway, may he rest in peace!”
Trump’s criticism of Powell was in stark contrast to the well-deserved praise Powell received from various political leaders, both Republicans and Democrats. Trump can hope all he wants, but he was such a horrible president I’m certain neither the legitimate news media nor historians will treat him “beautifully” after he dies.
Also, as he often does, Trump was really speaking about himself when he accused Powell of attacking other Republicans. Trump has trashed a long hit list of Republican leaders over the years, including former President George W. Bush, former House Speaker Paul Ryan, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Trump’s one-time Attorney General Jeff Sessions, and his Vice President Mike Pence, who wouldn’t kowtow to Trump’s blatant attempt to steal the election.
It’s not the first time Trump has insulted a hero. Remember when he belittled Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was a prisoner of war in Vietnam? Trump said McCain, who died in 2018, was no hero because he got captured. Remember when news outlets reported that Trump called America’s heroic war dead “losers” and “suckers.”
Trump is no match for Powell – intellectually, as a patriot or a human being. Powell served in the Army for 35 years. He was a Vietnam veteran, a four-star general, and the first Black Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton. He was secretary of state under George W. Bush from 2001 to 2005.
Trump is a draft dodger, failed businessman with multiple company bankruptcies, and a grifter who has conned millions of people into believing he is their political savior. Trump continues to collect millions of dollars in donations from supporters who believe his lies that Democrats cheated him out of the presidency. Even his statement disparaging Powell included a request for money.
Powell was man enough to regret his role in the invasion of Iraq, calling it a blot on his record. He considered the weapons of mass destruction fiasco “one of the worst intelligence failures in U.S. history.” Contrast that to Trump’s refusal to take responsibility for anything negative that occurred during his presidency, including his administration’s poor handling of the COVID-19 epidemic that so far has killed 750,000 Americans.
Colin Powell served our nation with grace and honor. He deserves our respect and gratitude. He certainly doesn’t deserve to be bad-mouthed in death by a petty, narcissistic fake patriot who couldn’t carry Powell’s well-worn combat boots.
McCann is a contributing columnist for the Advertiser. He is a retired journalist and may be reached at [email protected].
