First, the liberal media blasted Trump for not spending Christmas with the troops. Then when that became totally fake news, they decried how long it took him to do it. Now, they’re saying he should have never gone at all. At least that’s what CNN was hawking during Wednesday’ CNN Tonight were they dubbed President “the Grinch” who “stole Christmas” from the troops.
Host Don Lemon insisted he was “being honest” when he admitted he and his family “turned on CNN and we saw the President politicizing a Christmas message, it was like-- we kept saying, ‘he's like the Grinch.’ I'm being honest.”
Former Obama national security official and tried and true conspiracy theorist Samantha Vinograd chimed in and declared Trump “stole Christmas” with his visit to Al Asad Airbase in Iraq to celebrate the holiday with the troops.
Lemont then proceeded to rant about how Trump supposedly made the visit all about him (click “expand” to read):
Instead of being positive with the troops, saying, “this is about the troops, it's not about me. I'm here to thank you for your service,” whatever, even if reporters ask him questions. “This is not about me. This is about the troops, they serve out country well.” Maybe he should have said, “it's unfortunate that some of them are not getting paid and I wish they were. We'll come to an agreement and make sure everyone gets paid, the 42,000 members of the Coast Guard who are not getting paid. So, you know, let's be positive about Christmas.” The same thing during Christmas-- It was so negative and so -- you want positivity when it comes to Christmas. It is perplexing. Why would he visit the troops and do that?
“Well, Don, to be candid, I hope that this trip helped from a morale perspective. But from a national security perspective, for all the reasons that you just listed, the President should have stayed home,” Vinograd exclaimed.
Vinograd then misled viewers about the U.S. mission against ISIS by suggesting “they're not protecting another country.” While she was correct that ISIS had launched attacks against the U.S., she glossed over the fact that, under President Obama, the terrorist organization marched so far into Iraq that they were threatening Baghdad.
Continuing her rant against Trump, Vinograd described how “[t]hese visits that presidents undertake (…) are about the troops. They're about their mission, and they're there to tell the troops what they're doing matters. This trip was about President Trump trying ostensibly to score political points and to list his accomplishments instead of telling the troops that what they're doing matters and clearly outlining a mission for them going forward.”
Before Lemon and Vinograd started spouting off, Lemon spoke with retired Major General James “Spider” Marks about Trump’s trip. He too pushed a conspiracy theory, asserting: “The key thing, and albeit it's been, I think, contrived. The reason that he went now is that he couldn't go to Mar-a-Lago because the government was shut down.” From there, Marks lectured the President on what he should have done on his trip.
If this was Obama, they would be singing his praises for being brave enough to go to a war zone to see the troops for Christmas. Perhaps this panel take a vacation off the grid for a few weeks in hopes of ridding themselves of their severe Trump Derangement Syndrome. This is CNN.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
CNN Tonight
December 26, 2018
10:06:37 p.m. Eastern(…)
DON LEMON: Spider Marks, weigh in on that.
MAJ. GEN. JAMES MARKS: Well I think it's, as Mark indicated, it's wonderful that the President visited. The key thing, and albeit it's been, I think, contrived. The reason that he went now is that he couldn't go to Mar-a-Lago because the government was shut down. But let's put that aside, and let's be thankful that he's there. But I would say that the key thing is you need to be in the moment. When you're with the troops, soak up and marinate in the joy as Mark indicated. Look, you are the president of the United States. This is a big deal. They want to see you there. They want to be a part of your world. You're now enjoying the opportunity to be with them. Just kind of be in the moment. Just have a few opportunities to chat, pat some backs, drink some coffee, tell a few jokes. Be joyous that they're there defending America's freedom. It's the day after Christmas. They're deployed from their families. Make it about them. Don't put the spotlight on you. You really don't have to do that.
LEMON: It really was perplexing watching his message today, and then yesterday. I do have to tell you, I tried not to because I was with my family. But when we turned on CNN and we saw the President politicizing a Christmas message, it was like-- we kept saying, “he's like the Grinch.” I'm being honest.
SAMANTHA VINOGRAD: No, he stole Christmas.
LEMON: Instead of being positive with the troops, saying, “this is about the troops, it's not about me. I'm here to thank you for your service,” whatever, even if reporters ask him questions. “This is not about me. This is about the troops, they serve out country well.” Maybe he should have said, “it's unfortunate that some of them are not getting paid and I wish they were. We'll come to an agreement and make sure everyone gets paid, the 42,000 members of the Coast Guard who are not getting paid. So, you know, let's be positive about Christmas.” The same thing during Christmas-- It was so negative and so -- you want positivity when it comes to Christmas. It is perplexing. Why would he visit the troops and do that?
VINOGRAD: Well, Don, to be candid, I hope that this trip helped from a morale perspective. But from a national security perspective, for all the reasons that you just listed, the President should have stayed home! He traveled to Iraq where service members are defending our homeland. They're not protecting another country. They're defending our homeland from ISIS, an enemy that we know has attacked the United States. And he made this about himself.
These visits that presidents undertake -- I served for a year in Iraq. I helped execute some of President Obama's trips to Afghanistan and Iraq -- are about the troops. They're about their mission, and they're there to tell the troops what they're doing matters. This trip was about President Trump trying ostensibly to score political points and to list his accomplishments instead of telling the troops that what they're doing matters and clearly outlining a mission for them going forward.
(…)
