Donald Trump really is losing the military vote
Donald Trump likes to pretend that he’s a staunch supporter of the US military, even when he makes statements in public that reveal how he really feels about them. Things never really got any better after the 2016 campaign where he trashed John McCain’s war hero status and taunted the surviving members of a gold star family. If you didn’t like Trump from the beginning or you decided to distance yourself from him since he cheated his way into the Oval Office, you’ve probably realized that he likes the might of the armed forces and the illusion of having unconditional control over all of it – something he’s even said himself in so many words.
The latest video from Project Lincoln decided to drive this point home even further with a new ad drop on Monday – this one featuring Dan Barkhuff, a former Navy SEAL and ER doctor who skewered Donald Trump for his blatant disregard for the Constitution they both swore an oath to protect.
Barkhuff made it clear that Trump has lost his vote: “I’m an American combat veteran and a conservative. I don’t agree with Joe Biden on many issues. But One thing that we agree on is we are a nation of laws and the Constitution is a sacred document. It’s a document I fought for and some of my friends died for.”
As Barkhuff heads a group called Veterans for Responsible Leadership, it’s clear that he’s not alone in denouncing Donald Trump. The worst possible thing Trump could hear in a video clip came next, as Barkhuff stated it clearly: “Trump is weak,” full of idle authoritarian threats that he’s having a hard time pulling off.
The Trump campaign response couldn’t have been more tone deaf as they dismissed Barkhuff as being part of the swamp, conspiring against Donald Trump somehow, and pointing to Trump’s Republican support. This video is likely to seal the deal for a number of fence-sitters, making it too difficult to ignore Trump’s disdain of the armed forces. It could also pick off a few members of his base too, echoing the sentiment that Trump isn’t the strongman he claims to be. Just a few of them staying home could be crucial to Trump losing on November 3.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making