Defense Secretary Mark Esper on Friday defended President Donald Trump a day after an article alleged that the commander in chief disparaged the troops, but his statement stopped short of an outright denial of the article's explosive allegations.
"President Trump has the highest respect and admiration for our nation’s military members, veterans and families," Esper said in a statement. "That is why he has fought for greater pay and more funding for our armed forces.”, which also cited sources saying the president asked that disabled veterans be excluded from military parades.
Meanwhile, a former senior defense official told POLITICO that “not only had I never heard the president say a single derogatory word about our uniformed military, to the contrary, everything I heard was complimentary and laudatory with respect to our people in uniform and their families.” A second former senior defense official also denied hearing the president comment disrespectfully of the troops, noting that "I would never have thought the president would say anything like that."
Just another idiot who is defending the Liar In Chief .. His own Assistant stepped down after the bible op debacle
That's because Esper thinks America will go back to demanding some degree of honesty from political leaders, and he wants a political future.
Obama was a good talker but he took out the funds for the military. Trump spills the beans but he gave the necesary funds to the military and he keeps the troops safe. I choose Trump 😎👍
In defending Trumps anti-military “loser” And “sucker” comments, Esperanza himself subscribes to that view of our servicemen and women. To have a Secretary of Defense who feels like that about those who actually serve under him is unconscionable! We cannot continue to allow this
Esper is just saving his job by speaking out to support Trump. The soldiers and sailors know who Trump is. He is the one who knows more than all his generals! That was their first clue Trump is a weak commander-in-chief!
BREAKING: Hill Republicans suspect disputed anonymous story re Trump disrespecting fallen war vets was planted by Biden campaign: Biden used The Atlantic's Jeffrey Goldberg pal Rep Conor Lamb (D-PA, Marine major) to amplify story. Goal:blunting military absentee ballots for Trump
Just as a mind exercise paint Trump black and see how far he goes. Need I say more?
What kind of Sec of Defense defends calling the troops 'suckers and losers'? Esper should resign.
Esper is part of the trump cult...
Esper is a co conspirator
This is a lie
Well the question I would ask tRumpo is when you die would you want to be called a loser?
7 civilian MD’s subject to discriminating behavior by military at Fort Belvoir Hospital. Recent insult encompassing max effort for ALL COVID-19 patients to be managed exclusively by the above 7 MD’s while strategically excluding military providers who are predominately Caucasian.
realDonaldTrump is purely transactional. He will fire and assault anyone who he doesn’t see as loyal enough. It is not the least bit surprising that secdef is giving full throated support, He wants to keep his job TrumpHatesVets
I hope his boat doesn’t catch fire 😂
Did he really defend him?
Esper is nothing but a yes-man for the Orange Führer.
If John Bolton, who hates Trump as much as every war mongering republican or every commie loving liberal says Trump didn't say any of those things then Trump didn't say them. He claimed if Trump had he would've added an entire chapter to his book.
My Grandfather, Justice Hugo L. Black, World War 1 veteran, chose his own epitaph and tombstone. Speaks volumes.
I have no doubt that Trump has acted the role of CIC on occasion. He's a convincing con man. But he's also spoken disgustingly of the military in candid, unguarded moments. When was he more likely faking it?
Of course he did, he bought his position just like all the others in the Trump administration?
C’mon Mark, be a man ! And a patriot !
If realDonaldTrump wants to prove his patriotism and how much he loves our troops he should livestream a phone conversation with his buddy Vladimir Putin and demand in no uncertain terms he stops paying bounties for lives our troops and to stop meddling in elections! I'll wait.
“Loser” in chief !
No firsthand knowledge. Thanks for your input.
Why is everyone focusing on this article?Google the tape of Trump talking about McCain - in 2016.This article says NOTHING we didn't hear 4 years ago!
Esper also wants to cut $ 2.2 billion from military health care for both active and retirees. THIS does not get enough attention
Oh, cut the effing crap already!! You know Trump did it! 🤬 He did it to Gold Star families! He did it to John McCain! He's allowing Putin to hunt down our troops with a bounty! He's allowing Putin to aggressively pursue our troupes! Jesus!!
*Adds Esper to the Trash Humans list*
FFS. Just read the language- losers, suckers etc. Of course the POS trump said these things. He’s a dirtbag, with zero dignity, honour, any of it.
You mean YESper
Transactional...Trump believes he has bought loyalty and votes. “he has fought for greater pay and more funding for our armed forces.”
Mark Esper is Trump's 'mini-me', & he does what ever he's told to do. Just like the rest of Trump's administration of traitors & idiots! It's going to be the TV show in history when Trump loses to Joe Biden, & he has to leave the White House for the rest of his life! THANK GOD!🇺🇸
Unfortunately I don't really think SecDef is a reliable source on anything Trump related anyway. Remember this?
Doesn’t matter whether Esper defends him or not. 45 has a track record of denigrating decorates veterans...
Why would a president who disrespects our military put his own life in danger and go visit those troops in Afghanistan for Thanksgiving? Anyone with half a brain who has watched POTUS the last 4 years KNOWS this story is completely fabricated!
Right...the part he didn’t want to reveal is when he talks of “losers and suckers” he’s referring to mainstream media. You prove him right every day🤷🏻♀️ 😂 realDonaldTrump 🇺🇸Trump 2020🇺🇸
Did Esper ever get vetted by Congress or is he just another trump lackey, I mean appointee? DumpTrump VetsAgainstTrump GTCBlue
We can only imagine he feels the same the police and our nations fire fighters. He loathes any service to others if they’re no profit in it!
Those like Esper, Barr etc who have stayed with Trump have no real hope of redeeming themselves by turning on him now, so the best we can hope for is that they will skirt provable perjury
Nope, you can't laser-cat us off the real news: DENOUNCE THE RIOTING BY BLM AND ANTIFA
Let’s hear from Mattis!
Bolton was there, hates Trump, kept notes. Said it didn’t happen. DNCSmear UsefulIdiots
Was he present during this particular exchange? If not, his defense is meaningless...
He Can’t Defend realDonaldTrump
12 eye witnesses confirmed that Trump did NOT say those words, and an FOIA confirms the weather with the flight logs! So the Atlantic story was bogus!
An another Trump's dog. Poor thing.
.. Weather being a factor, unable to fly ‘Marine One,’ into France’s Aisne American Cemetery; it would be unsafe to drive on France’s roads to visit Cemetery. The SECURITY LOGISTICS would be PROHIBITIVE!
Too much 'coincidence' in this hit piece AND no attribution-just like so much of leftists media-ZERO credibility in our book.
I believe em, LMAO! He’s a lying coward No credibility in anything this psychopath says.
Trump did disparage troops, many attest to that. Trump will continue to deny but active service members will not vote for Trump. How could they when he says these things, and doesn’t say anything to Putin about the bounties on our servicemen’s heads.
No matter who defends & lies for him TrumpIsANationalDisgrace TrumpIsATraitor TrumpIsACoward TrumpIsACompleteFailure In my opinion TrumpIsTheWORSTPresidentEVER TrumpWillNeverGetMyVote for a long list of reasons & betrayal of our troops is 1 on that list NeverTrump
Trump has totally insulated himself with supplicates. Nobody doing the Constitutional duties. Just supporting Trump no matter what....
Another Russian sell out.
Don’t care what Secretary Yesper has to say.
Blah blah blah blah fake news.
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