Trump: 'I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier

[RandySF]

Without setting foot on a battlefield, Donald Trump said he received a Purple Heart medal on Tuesday at his rally in Ashburn, Virginia, from a retired lieutenant colonel and supporter.

“I said to him, 'Is that like the real one, or is that a copy?” the Republican nominee said moments after taking the stage at a local high school.

Trump recounted the exchange, remarking that the man, who he identified as retired Lt. Col. Louis Dorfman said, "That's my real Purple Heart. I have such confidence in you."

"And I said, 'Man, that’s like big stuff. I always wanted to get the Purple Heart," Trump said. "This was much easier.”


http://www.politico.com/story/2016/08/trump-purple-heart-226565#ixzz4GBz32uoU

[LakeVermilion]

1. What the...?

[Jopin Klobe]

45. What the ... ?

... indeed ...

[Hortensis]

2. Amusing in a sad way, but shocking that the selection process

for high rank would allow a man capable of such poor judgement to become a Lt. Colonel. He should have been weeded out at far lower level. What harm might he have done over the years?

It's also just plain sad that he would give such a meaningful honor to a man to whom it means literally nothing beyond a polish to his vanity.

[Cosmocat]

21. That isn't the issue here

people are people, and with age in particular you just can't account for someone doing what the person who gave it did ...

The issue here is, if this is for real, that Trump took it.

NO ONE takes someone's Purple Heart, that just is not right.

[Hortensis]

37. Oh, Trump's incapable of understanding such things.

That's a given, but I do see why that shocks people. With the lowest expectations for him, it's just that the colonel's shockingly bad judgement is what grabbed my attention. Is he going senile?

[anoNY42]

3. Oh Donald

we always wanted you to get a Purple Heart too! You still have time, though!

[Ms.Lib]

4. What a slap in the face to our honored recipients of the Purple Heart

[liberal N proud]

5. What a disgrace - that demnishes the spirit of that award

Sick! Sick, Sick!

[onecaliberal]

6. Does trump know how one gets a Purple Heart?

[whistler162]

10. Sure he watched the MASH episode

where Frank Burns got one!

[politicaljunkie41910]

19. Maybe he thinks he deserves one. After all, he is responsible for the Vietnam War Memorial

being built. Nothing is sacred as far as this guy goes.

http://www.politicususa.com/2016/07/30/trump-busted-huge-lie-helping-build-vietnam-war-memorial.html

[asiliveandbreathe]

7. I think Purple Heart recipients -

and rightly so - will have something to say about this - Purple Heart is sacred - so sad ....we are even having all this discussion...

[tavernier]

16. Sacred for some, but not republicans.

I have vivid and angry memories of their convention against John Kerry when they plastered themselves with Purple Heart band aids, laughing and showing off, mocking Kerry and our troops.

[deurbano]

29. That was revolting.

[Cosmocat]

18. No sane person takes another person's Purple Heart

seriously ...

[asiliveandbreathe]

22. And that is the rest of the story..thank you!

[tblue37]

41. Trump didn't take it seriously. (Sorry, your phrasing was such a good straight line.)

[Stonepounder]

47. They do.

See http://www.democraticunderground.com/1017395194

[Hekate]

8. Benedict Donald...

[KittyWampus]

28. I thought this must be from The Onion...

[Quiet_Dem_Mom]

9. I swear I thought it was a joke when this first popped up on Twitter

[DemonGoddess]

11. Disgraceful

[True Dough]

12. Gotta be the least deserving Purple Heart in history

They should have awarded Drumpf the "Black Heart", as Khizr Khan suggested he possesses.

[riversedge]

13. Trumps response indicates it is all about him. Wonder if has ANY idea of what

these vets go through to be honored with a Purple Heart. Waiting to hear from McCain!

[auntpurl]

14. God. This man is SO hateful. nt

[tavernier]

15. It's a copy (see end of the story)

but the guy told Trump it was the real one.

Why does this sound like a set up to me? Trump's ppl put out word that they need a Purple Heart from one of the fans in the audience... just a copy will do... In exchange for lunch with Fingers and a glossy copy of Melania...

[Cosmocat]

17. If this is for real - you NEVER, NEVER take that ...

I can't fathom it ...

No person in their right mind takes a Purple Heart from someone.

[DinahMoeHum]

20. Here, let him have one of these. . .

Payback sucks, right?

[femmocrat]

23. What a low-life jackass.

He should have respectfully declined and said how honored he was, but he could not accept it.

If he "always wanted one," he should have served in VN.

[unitedwethrive]

50. Well said!

[Gothmog]

24. Trump accepting a purple heart is offensive

[nolabear]

25. First Gold Star Mothers and now Purple Heart recipients.

Possible jokes about Lucky Charms aside, this man is working to alienate the very people who have been snookered into supporting him so fast that it boggles the mind. I'd say it was on purpose but I truly think it's a sign of the utter non-reflective nature of his personality.

"Oh look! The veterans DO like me! I deserve this! See? That bad man isn't a representative of the people; THIS is what the people think of me! And it's because I'm great!"

My GOD. Anyone who understood the sacrifice made by someone who won a purple heart would NEVER accept one. He'd say "THANK you for having such faith in me. No matter what I do I'll never suffer the kind of thing that you did, and I'll remember you and everyone else in the work I do for you."

But he can't. He thinks that Purple Heart is in the hands of the right guy. I wouldn't be surprised if he hung it on his office wall next to his other "accolades."

[onecaliberal]

26. I really don't think anyone have it to him. I think he bought it so he could say

Someone gave it to him.

[tblue37]

42. It happened at a rally, in front of a bunch of people. nt

[jberryhill]

27. He wanted a purple one, but the only one he's earned is black

[TeamPooka]

35. boom

[mythology]

51. This

I mean technically he did say he wanted to get one. He very pointedly didn't say anything about earning one.

I'm kind of torn about him not understanding how offensive it is to be gifted one like that. It's good in terms of it is yet another thing that will undermine his credibility and standing in the public eye, but it's bad in that this guy is a major party nominee and he's making a joke out of something so serious.

[exboyfil]

30. A normal American

would tell the Lt. Col. I am immensely grateful for this gift and your service, but I cannot accept it because I did not earn it like you did. I never served in the military, but I have great respect for those in the armed services, and I am going to do my best to ensure that, if I put you in harm's way, that it is the interests of our country, and I will give you as much support as humanly possible.

That is the correct response from a normal American.

[Duckhunter935]

36. Indeed so

[WinstonSmith4740]

44. I think the operative word in your post is

"Normal". Nothing is "normal" about The Donald. Only he would think to ask "Is this real, or a copy?" of a man making such a touching (but unfortunately, unappreciated) gesture. I'm guessing he immediately regretted giving it to him. Trump is a total putz.

[stopbush]

31. Wow! How stupid is that?

No one chooses to get a Purple Heart. No one really does anything to earn one, outside of following orders that put you in harm's way.

The Purple Heart means you were wounded. It means you were probably inches or less away from being killed. It is pure happenstance that you were wounded and not killed, or not wounded at all, for that matter.

Trump looks at the Purple Heart as being an award on par with being named Businessman of the Year, or taking first place in a beauty contest.

"I always wanted to get the Purple Heart." What does that even MEAN? That Trump would have gone into battle, but only if he was assured that he wouldn't be killed, and that as a bonus, he may come out of it with a non-life-threatening wound that got him a Purple Heart?

[cynatnite]

32. Trump says not a word about the sacrifice of the veteran who offered it to him...

It's always about himself as usual.

[mindfulNJ]

33. OY

[TeamPooka]

34. A Purple Heart for the "bone spurs" that got him his Vietnam deferments. nt

[napkinz]

38. ...

[pinboy3niner]

40. I'd like to think that my volunteering for the draft spared someone else

I knew more than 60 guys on the Wall.

[KingCharlemagne]

49. That is so sad. I cannot even begin to imagine it. - nt

[heaven05]

39. geez

that Lt. Col is someone that tells me there are a lot of nazi lovers out there just chomping at the bit to put all those minorites in there place. Why in the hell are people so goddamn mean in this country? To vote for the NAZI you have to be mean, bigoted, hateful, mysogynistic and racist.

[jtuck004]

43. Odd. It's like a veteran spitting on himself. n/t

[TexasBushwhacker]

46. Yeah, it was much easier for the donor to get shot

I wonder if the guy gelt like taking it back when he said that.

[Feeling the Bern]

48. Is this any more insulting than the Purple Heart band aids they wore at the 2004 RNC

to slam Kerry's service and Purple Heart?

The GOP uses soldiers/veterans, the bible and children as great political props. . .and moron American voters fall for it all the time.