Decoration Day Despot: Trump Disrespects Those Who Embody Valor and Integrity He Will Never Possess
Memorial Day Reflections
It is Memorial Day in the United States, when we honor those who gave their lives for the country. This holiday was originally known as Decoration Day, after the practice of adorning the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags. On this day, I am republishing an essay from Sept. 2024, which assesses why President Trump, who was then running for office, has habitually insulted the U.S. military.
In it, I argue that the reasons lie in his compulsion to engage in authoritarian bullying as a way of controlling everyone and everything around him; his desire, as an amoral autocrat, to destroy professionalism, honor, and other values and ideals that he finds threatening; and his alignment with autocrats who see the powerful U.S. military as an obstacle to their geopolitical aims.
“This need to discredit professionalism and honor means that members of the U.S. military, who risk their lives for our country, represent a huge threat. In general, the higher the price members of the military have paid for their patriotism and integrity, the more Trump is threatened by them and feels compelled to depict them in a negative light. Cue the cascade of insults and threats against U.S. service members of every rank, from former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, on down.”
We can consider the subsequent appointment of Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense in this light, since his past business and personal life behaviors did not exactly embody integrity and professionalism. In an essay written before Trump took office, I observed that Hegseth had other skills and beliefs that Trump appreciated. And indeed, Hegseth has lasted in the job: he is loyal to Trump and thus is the perfect person to lead the military into a new and more autocratic role.
We can also think about Trump’s choice to wear a MAGA campaign hat when speaking at West Point Military Academy’s commencement ceremonies. Bringing such a partisan and divisive object into the space of West Point speaks to Trump’s apparent disregard for the notion of an apolitical military, meaning a military loyal to the Constitution rather than the whims of a leader.
This should be no surprise, given that when asked recently by Meet the Press journalist Kristen Welker whether he would “uphold the Constitution,” Trump replied, “I don’t know,” speaking in his capacity as commander-in-chief as well as president.
On Memorial Day, we can give thanks to and honor those who thought differently and acted on their principles. We can remember those who put aside their personal political beliefs and private situations and served the country out of a sense of duty and integrity. This is a stark contrast with the venal and transactional values and behavior of our current president and those who collaborate with him.