It wasn’t “possibly illegal”, it was just plainly illegal.

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    266
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    Trump’s campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung flatly denied the physical confrontation allegation, saying his team was prepared to release footage to refute the “defamatory claims,”

    The claim is you were filming in Arlington, you dipshit. You’re going to refute that by… releasing the footage?

    • barsquid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      91
      ·
      3 months ago

      I wish Repubs were somehow forced to view Donald with the same lens as they viewed Obama’s salutes and whatever else.

      I mean, unfortunately they are, the lens is white supremacist theocratic fascism. But I think you all understand what I am trying to get at.

      • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        39
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        3 months ago

        Conservativism is not an ideology, it’s a social disease. It is codified narcissism, where the values and policies of the group are perpetually redefined to conform with whatever is best for the group. It’s malignant identity politics. They didn’t hate Obama because he did things they didn’t like. They hate him because he is their opponent. Obama is bad, so anything he does is automatically bad. Plenty of them are racist, but it isn’t necessarily racism. Ben Carson is OK because he’s on the inside of the line. He’s a member of the group, and as long as he is loyal, they will tolerate his existence as a minority.

        Trump is good, so therefore anything Trump does is good. Anything that helps Trump is good. Lying, cheating, stealing, killing, if it helps Trump, it is justified by the identity of the self.

        To deny Trump is good is to change the definition of the self. It won’t happen until another Conservative takes it away from him and makes him an outsider, or he dies and becomes a martyr. The former would be more satisfying, but I don’t know that there exists a Republican with the stones to achieve it.

        • Zombiepirate@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          3 months ago

          Well said.

          This is a reactionary movement who thinks Ayn Rand was an intellectual match for Karl Marx.

          They imitate the language and demeanor of the oppressed as a way to entrench their power and to deny freedoms to others.

          They want to control society; to return it to a past when there was no diversity, equity, or inclusion. They don’t intend to share power or negotiate.

          That’s not how reactionaries do things.

      • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        35
        ·
        3 months ago

        They already have the incident report. I don’t think anyone gets prosecuted for that sort of crime, though. It’s more of a “show some respect and basic human decency” thing to which Trump is immune.

          • CosmicTurtle0@lemmy.dbzer0.com
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            10
            ·
            3 months ago

            Yeah but this is Trump. He’s going to delay, delay, delay, delay until whomever is suing him runs out of money.

            Or he’ll settle and never pay.

            The only way we’re going to see Trump face any consequences is when our judiciary grows a fucking pair.

    • P1nkman@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      90
      ·
      3 months ago

      That’s a weird way to pose in a cemetery, unless you were happy the person is dead. Bunch of weirdos.

      • samus12345@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        edit-2
        3 months ago

        Since security will be tight around Trump’s grave, being a former president and all, happy expressions and poses is all people will have.

    • anon6789@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      38
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

      these sacred moments of remembrance were respectfully captured and so we can cherish these memories forever," the families’ new statement added. “We are deeply grateful to the president for taking the time to honor our children and for standing alongside us in our grief, offering his unwavering support during such a difficult time. His compassion and respect meant more than words can express.”

      So gross in so many ways.

      If this is supposed to be a shot at Biden/Harris for releasing the bomber, as they like to do with the previous “Bigrant Crime” initiative, the Dept of Defense seems to disagree:

      “With access to analysis from across the intelligence community, we were able to identify the Abbey Gate person-borne IED bomber as [Bomber], an [ISIS-K] member since 2016,” said one Army official on the 12-person, joint supplemental review team.

      [Bomber] was one of thousands of ISIS-K members the Taliban released from a pair of detention centers in mid-August 2021, according to another Army team official.

      The same official also pointed out that the supplemental review team determined ISIS-K would have still been able to conduct the attack regardless of whether [Bomber] had been released, because the terror organization already had multiple suicide bombers available.

      “This supports the conclusion that the attack at Abbey Gate was not preventable at the tactical level,” the official said.

      • Maggoty@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        25
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        3 months ago

        Yeah they’re just going to ignore that. And the fact that Trump obliterated any chance to maintain the Afghan government by cutting them out of the negotiations. The fact that Trump made no effort to remove local allies even though he was drawing forces down and knew we would leave within a few a years.

        The situation at Abbey Gate could not have been avoided by anything short of a divine act during Biden’s presidency. That stuff had to be done by Trump and it wasn’t.

    • Delusional@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      27
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      With 5 other people doing the thumbs up. America has a major cult problem. The founding fathers probably never imagined a cult taking over a major political party.

    • barsquid@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      26
      ·
      3 months ago

      Guy towards the left’s smile fading after he realized Donald didn’t want to be seen anywhere near him. Donald is truly despicable.

    • peopleproblems@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      28
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      3 months ago

      He’s a goddamn sociopath.

      I guarantee he thought to make sure they looked like they were having a good time meeting him and said “put a grin on and a thumbs up because your sheeple and if you don’t I’ll have my guys put their guns up your butt until you do.”

      • samus12345@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        20
        ·
        3 months ago

        If they’re the types of people who would willing pose with Trump by their dead family members’ graves, I guarantee they needed no coercing to do that. Except for the poor kids, of course.

      • stringere@sh.itjust.works
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        3 months ago

        Leg, too. Were I him I’d have offered the prosthetic for 45 to shake hands with me, and make sure someone got the pics of his revulsion.

    • Zaktor@sopuli.xyz
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      14
      ·
      3 months ago

      A lot of those thumbs ups are presumably the dead marine’s family too. Like, they get to decide how they grieve, but man.

    • jballs@sh.itjust.works
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      11
      ·
      3 months ago

      Slightly off topic, but doesn’t Trump claim to be 6’3"? Dude behind him on the left must be a fucking giant.

    • bradinutah@thelemmy.club
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      8
      ·
      3 months ago

      The man on the end at the far right is Utah Governor Spencer Cox-R.

      Claims to hang out for photo ops with Weird Convict 34 and not campaigning here. Rrrright. Cox must not know that campaigning is the only thing Sleepy DonOLD knows to do. Sad!

    • frezik@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      6
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      Besides the obvious problems, those are some weak ass thumbs up from everyone who has the poor taste to even try.

      Oh, and the guy off to the left who can’t give a thumbs up with his right hand anymore, even if he was so inclined.

      There’s just so much to this picture.

    • medgremlin@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      3 months ago

      Here’s a website to donate in support of the green beret in the grave on the left (whose family did not approve of the grave being photographed) that died by suicide in 2020. The family has come out saying that they never agreed to have his grave in the photos and that they want the photos taken down as his death is still very painful to them and they would like to be able to grieve in peace.

      https://greenberetfoundation.org/andys-fund/

    • paddirn@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      3 months ago

      I hope to do this on somebody’s grave site some day when they’ve died of natural causes. Potentially urinate too.

  • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    137
    arrow-down
    5
    ·
    3 months ago

    Trump’s campaign spokesman Stephen Cheung flatly denied the physical confrontation allegation, saying his team was prepared to release footage to refute the “defamatory claims,”

    “We have proof, but you can’t see it. Trust me bro”

    But it sounds like the families said they gave trump permission…

    Which does not change the law against literally using dead soldiers for campaigning.

    It doesn’t matter how many families say they’re ok with it, filming an election ad in an Army national cemetery is illegal

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    115
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    The former president and Republican nominee posed for photos and videos alongside the families of two service members killed in an August 2021 bombing attack, and many critics questioned why Trump posed with a grin plastered on his face and his customary thumbs-up gesture.

    What the actual fuck.

    A source with knowledge of the incident said the official tried to enforce a federal law prohibiting political campaigns or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, which Cheung insisted was an individual experiencing a “mental health episode.”

    Oh, that’s awesome. I’m a person with a diagnosed mental health issue (bi-polar). It’s really cool how you’re shitting on people like me and others who have similar issues. I bet a lot of soldiers have PTSD, which would also be a mental health issue. Fucking cool, right?

    • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      44
      ·
      3 months ago

      I doubt the guy had any mental health issues. That’s just the trump shithead trying to insult the employee for doing their job.

      • WordBox@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        13
        arrow-down
        5
        ·
        3 months ago

        Reread. Cheung said the guy trying to enforce the rules was having mental issues…

        No not only disrespecting dead military members but mocking conditions their military experience may leave them with.

        • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          19
          ·
          edit-2
          3 months ago

          I read it. I think he’s just a liar.

          It can’t possibly be that the Trump campaign were in the wrong, so the insults start. That asshole is always calling people names and blaming them for bullshit the Trump campaign pulls.

          • WordBox@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            10
            ·
            3 months ago

            I am confused on which way you mean any of that. Too many do’s and don’ts without specific subjects or enough context.

            • mosiacmango@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              9
              ·
              edit-2
              3 months ago

              What’s confusing? The government employee refused to let the Trump campaign break the law so the campaign made up a shitty lie about their mental health.

              The campaign basically called them “crazy” to make it seem like they were just being perfectly polite and it was the “other” that was “out of control.” The standard “blame, accuse and double down” when someone points out you fucked up that all of the GOP adopted from Trump.

              Its just more name calling from the name callers. I completely doubt the name calling comes from a place of authenticity.

            • luciferofastora@lemmy.zip
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              7
              ·
              3 months ago

              I believe Mango is saying that the Trump staffer is lying when he claims that the cemetery staffer had a mental health issue.

              The cemetery staffer was doing his duty, but if the Trump campaign admitted that, they would admit that assaulting him was wrong. So instead, the Trump staffer deflects that criticism by claiming that the cemetery staffer was having a mental health episode.

              So rather than blaming issues caused by service, the Trump staffer completely made up issues to justify their behaviour.

              It’s highly disrespectful to veterans either way, of course.

        • Madison420@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          3 months ago

          Trump doesn’t respect dead soldiers I don’t like mccain, never did and though McCain’s service record is straight up dog shit that would have landed literally anyone else in federal prison many times over Trump of all people don’t got a leg to stand on.

    • prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      25
      ·
      edit-2
      3 months ago

      Fascists gonna fascist.

      The average dumbass American probably doesn’t know that Hitler didn’t just kill Jews, and that their dumb, social-anxiety ridden ass will be one of the first against the wall.

  • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    96
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    The dad is as much of a moron, thinking that his family can personally authorize Trump to shoot a campaign video at a national cemetery.

    • style99@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      3
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

      Accessory to a crime, you mean. They should lock all those damn criminals away.

      • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        1
        ·
        3 months ago

        I think Trump belongs in prison for a long list of crimes, but I don’t think the penalty for disrespecting fallen soldiers by campaigning on their fresh graves is, or should be, jail time. Just to be clear.

  • Rapidcreek@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    52
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    And so, what we have here is a man who has made clear he has no use for dead soldiers, except when he can use them as political props (and even then, it can’t be raining). In my view, it does not matter one bit that some of these soldiers’ relatives are willing to be accessories to Trump’s performative “patriotism”

  • Burninator05@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    47
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    I’m sure it doesn’t occur to the families that Trump was the one who set the dominos that ultimately led to the bombing.

  • mojofrododojo@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    42
    ·
    edit-2
    3 months ago

    anyone who touched Arlington staff needs to be in cuffs facing charges.

    there are some things you don’t fuck with, and I’m pretty sure if you polled most conservatives with the prompt “would you support the execution of a draft dodger who defiled a veteran’s gravesite with a tacky photo op” before trump, they’d be volunteering to pull the lever.

    Frankly I’m amazed that Trump’s obviously crippling bone spurs never seem to catch up with him at the golf course.

  • Snapz@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    37
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    Cheung is a fucking sycophant nut job, not enough people tune in to him as the enforcer thug next to trump. Dangerous fucking piece of the shit puzzle, Randy.

    He’s like trump’s hate/strength translator now. Trump incoherently babbles and dog whistles weakly and then Chueng steps in with press and clarifies to, “People without both arms are cunts and they should be drown publicly. And you, reporter covering this, your mom fucks horses. Next stupid question!”

    • DragonTypeWyvern@midwest.social
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      15
      arrow-down
      1
      ·
      3 months ago

      Dodging the Vietnam draft because you thought the war and draft was wrong is based and patriotic.

      Doing it because you’re a spoiled coward and a chickenhawk fascist afterwards is the problem.

  • teft@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    35
    ·
    3 months ago

    His compassion and respect meant more than words can express

    I find it very hard to believe anyone described the turnip as “respectful and compassionate”.

    • qprimed@lemmy.ml
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      9
      ·
      3 months ago

      every word drips with “here - the campagn wrote this for you, now sign.”

  • bradinutah@thelemmy.club
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    30
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    3 months ago

    Let’s hear JD Vance fail in his next interview to defend this dispicable campaign stunt.

    I wouldn’t want to pose with this felon. Can Judge Merchan haul in Weird 34 to be thrown in jail now for violating the terms of his bail release, let alone being convicted?