This Sign by David Shoemaker, of the East End of Portland, Shows How Trump Worships Putin and is The First Place Winner in the MHN.COM Competition at the March 28, NO KINGS 3 Protest, in Portland.
“Welcome home – Dude 44. Job well done,” said General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the conclusion of his brief remarks at almost 2:00 pm. on the rescue of the second pilot shot down over Iran last week at a press conference this afternoon. Although his presentation lacked any specific details about the pilot also called the “Backseater”, General Caine’s description was organized and easy to follow unlike those who spoke before him. The General said that “the will to survive, to recover by the pilot made this a successful rescue.” The injured pilot, a Colonel, had to climb up thousands of feet to reach a crevice in a mountain where he hid from the Iranians and was able to communicate with US officials. He said that 50 hours after the start of the process to bring both pilots home, both “dudes” returned home. Pilots know that we will always work to get them home. “You will not be left behind. People are more important than hardware,” said the General.
Prior to his remarks, Secretary of Defense Hegseth said that Iran’s military is “embarrassed and ashamed as it should be. Iranians are wondering how the Americans pulled this rescue off.” Then he tried to tie this rescue to his religious beliefs, although Pope Leo has poopoohed that connection. His remarks focused on the great leadership of President Trump taking risks to do something that no other President would dare to do – ad nauseum. No other past president was stupid enough to embark on such a foolhardy mission.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said that on Saturday night as Easter broke over the sky, Dude 44, was rescued from the moutain crevice in Iran where he’d been hiding from Iranians who were on his trail since Friday – the day the F-15 Fighter was shot down. Ratcliffe said he was grateful to the President for not being “afraid to take this on. We leave no one behind. We will come for you,” he said.
President Trump began the press conference at 1:00 pm on a positive note. He described many of the incredulous details that went into rescuing the colonel. There were 155 aircraft involved in the rescue and hundeds of people; however, General Caine would not state exactly how many that incuded.
But Trump’s dialogue quickly deteriorated into a diatribe composed of his best known grievances. The press was at the top of his list. Some leaker revealed to a newspaper that the first pilot had been captured and one remained missing. Trump said that action was a national security threat. He told the leaker to “give it up or go to jail.” Trump will find out who leaked this information he warned the press. Despite criticism from many, Trump said it was good that he had voided the agreement between President Obama and Iran. Otherwise, Iran would be on our doorstep with nuclear bombs – which is not true.
The press conference continued well past 2:00 pm, although this blogger only watched snippets of it from time to time. During these snippets it was clear that Trump was recycling some of his most offensive lies of the past.
Ret. General Barry Mcaffrey said following the elongated press conference that Trump appeared to him to be “unhinged.” That’s because he jumped from one subject to another. The Ret. General said he had attended numerous meetings during his career and he had never seen such “groveling” of the leader as he witnessed at today’s press conference.
To this blogger, Trump has retreated into his own childish world where there is no room for realty.