Around this time yesterday, Barack Obama issued a poignant statement in honor of Memorial Day. “One of the greatest honors of my life was the privilege of serving as commander-in-chief, and with pride also came sometimes heartbreak and loss,” the former president wrote. “And the sober recognition of the sacrifices that so many Americans and their families have made to preserve our freedom.
“On Memorial Day, we honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country,” the Democrat concluded. “We owe them so much, and their memories will never be forgotten.”
A couple of hours later, President Joe Biden spoke at Arlington National Cemetery and delivered sober remarks in recognition of the holiday and its importance. Celebrating the fallen, Biden explained that they are “bound by common commitment — not to a place, not to a person, not to a president, but to an idea unlike any idea in human history: the idea of the United States of America. Today, we bear witness to the price they paid.”
But in between Obama and Biden, another prominent American thought it’d be a good idea recognize the holiday in his own unique way. The New York Times summarized matters this way:
[Biden’s] somber message was a sharp contrast to that of former President Donald J. Trump, his challenger for re-election this year, who posted an angry and incendiary Memorial Day message on his social media site. “Happy Memorial Day to All, including the Human Scum that is working so hard to destroy our Once Great Country,” the former president wrote on Truth Social.
The Times added, “As has been the case for years, either as president or as a presidential candidate, Mr. Trump showed that he would not be held to the norms of behavior that guide the nation’s leaders on a somber national holiday.”
In theory, it’s tough for a politician to bungle Memorial Day. All he or she has to do is honor those who served their country and made the ultimate sacrifice, while lending support for their loved ones. Even Trump should find this relatively straightforward.
But the Republican apparently couldn’t help himself.
In an online rant spanning nearly 200 words, the presumptive GOP nominee, after condemning his perceived foes as “Human Scum,” lashed out at Judge Lewis Kaplan, writer E. Jean Carroll, CNN’s Anderson Cooper, and Judge Arthur Engoron, whom the former president described as a “wacko.”
At no point did Trump reference, even in passing, American servicemembers who perished. He instead apparently confused Memorial Day with Festivus and decided it was time for him to air some grievances.
There may be some broader consequences to the online statement: Trump arguably defamed Carroll again, and this did not go unnoticed by her lawyer.
But while we wait to see if those legal developments unfold, it’s worth pausing to imagine what the political world’s reaction would be if a presumptive Democratic presidential nominee issued a Memorial Day statement that (a) ignored fallen troops; (b) referred to his foes “human scum”; (c) and suggested he saw the national holiday as all about himself and his grievances.
It would likely be one of the dominant political stories of the year. The fact that this wasn’t the first time the Republican has recognized Memorial Day in an ugly and offensive way makes the story that much worse.
But because we’ve all grown accustomed to Trump’s madness, his offensive rant hasn’t generated a flood of coverage.
Trump has already earned a reputation for denigrating American troops, especially those who made the ultimate sacrifice. His latest fiasco adds insult to injury.
