President Donald Trump announced Sunday morning from the White House that U.S. forces had killed Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the so-called “Islamic State,” or ISIS, saying Baghdadi had “died like a dog,” and had been “whimpering, and crying, and screaming all the way.”
Trump’s unusual vivid description of the battle at Baghdadi’s hideout — in which no U.S. or allied personnel were killed or even injured — sought to portray Baghdadi as a coward who “died like a dog,” evil to the very last.
Trump related Baghdadi’s final moments in an address to the nation:
He died after running into a dead-end tunnel “whimpering, and crying, and screaming all the way.
The compound had been cleared by this time, with people either surrendering, or being shot and killed. Eleven young children were moved out of the house, and are uninjured.
The only ones remaining were Baghdadi in the tunnel, and he had dragged three of his young children with him. They were led to certain death.
He reached the end of the tunnel, as our dogs chased him down.
He ignited his vest, killing himself and the three children.
His body was mutilated by the blast.
The tunnel had caved in on him, in addition.
…
The thug who tried to hard to intimidate others spent his last moments in utter fear, in total panic and dread, terrified of the American forces bearing down on him.
…
Baghdadi and the losers who worked for him — and losers they are — they had no idea what they were getting into …
He was a sick and depraved man, and now he’s gone. Baghdadi was vicious, and violent, and he died in a vicious and violent way, as a coward, running and crying.
…
A brutal killer, one who has caused so much hardship and death, has violently been eliminated. He will never again harm another innocent man, woman, or child.
He died like a dog. He died like a coward. The world is now a much safer place.
Trump noted the Americans and others whom ISIS had murdered graphically on videos released to the world.
He thanked Russia, Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Kurdish forces for their assistance. He also praised U.S. intelligence and military personnel.
Trump’s address contrasted somewhat with President Barack Obama’s matter-of-fact announcement in May 2011 that Al-Qeada leader Osama bin Laden had been killed.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He earned an A.B. in Social Studies and Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard College, and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.