Monday on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA) accused President Donald Trump of playing “patriot for a day.”
On Trump’s July 4 “Salute to America” speech, Moulton said, “It is hard to imagine a greater hypocrite. Donald Trump is a draft-dodger. He did not dodge the draft to try to end the war or to serve Peace Corps. He dodged it so someone else can go to his place in Vietnam, some American hero like one of the troops who he made stand out in the rain for his parade. The playing patriot for a day by bringing in a bunch of tanks and acting tough on stage does not make up for the fact that when his country asked him to serve, he refused and allowed someone to go in his place.”
He added, “The fact that he put this parade together to begin with shows just how out of touch he is with the troops. As someone who has fought in combat in the Marines, I can tell you I hate parades. I hate marching in parades and all the guys we served with felt the same way. We want things like better healthcare, mental healthcare. This is the president that made fun of troops who comes back with post-traumatic stress as I did and willing to share. Rather then get us the healthcare we need Trump is playing patriot for a day and pretending that makes up for his lack of service. I don’t think that’s lost on Americans or the troops he is supposed to lead.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN