Unraveling headlines: Trump, Hitler, Vanessa Guillen’s funeral

[Karah Rucker]

IT’S LATE OCTOBER – LESS THAN TWO WEEKS UNTIL ELECTION DAY.

ON TUESDAY –

TWO STORIES BROKE – WITH A SIMILAR THEME –

TRUMP PRAISING “THE KIND OF GENERALS THAT HITLER HAD.”

AND “WARNING TRUMP WOULD RULE LIKE A DICTATOR”.

THESE STORIES –

GENERATING EVEN MORE HEADLINES.

LEFT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS –

REPORTING ON CLAIMS FROM WITHIN THE ARTICLES.

“Trump Raged at Slain Soldier’s Funeral Bill: ‘$60K to Bury a F***ing Mexican’

“Trump Fits The ‘Definition Of Fascist’ And Said ‘Hitler Did Some Good Things’

WHILE RIGHT-LEANING NEWS OUTLETS –

ARE REPORTING ON THOSE REFUTING THE CLAIMS..

“The Atlantic report alleging Trump disparaged slain Army private blasted by family and others as ‘Absolutely false’

“Vanessa Guillen’s sister and family attorney slam Atlantic editor for claiming Trump dissed murdered Army servicewoman: ‘He outright LIED’

HEADLINES LIKE THESE UNDERSCORE THE PARTISAN AND POLARIZING DIVIDE BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT LEANING NEWS OUTLETS WHEN IT COMES TO COVERING CERTAIN TOPICS.WE’RE GOING TO SHOW YOU BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY –

STARTING WITH THE ATLANTIC’S CLAIMS OVER TRUMP’S INVOLVEMENT IN THE BURIAL OF ARMY SOLDIER VANESSA GUILLEN.

GUILLEN WAS KILLED BY A FELLOW SOLDIER. HER DEATH – BROUGHT REFORMS IN MILITARY POLICIES REGARDING SEXUAL ASSAULT AND HARASSMENT.

GUILLEN’S FAMILY MET WITH TRUMP AT THE WHITE HOUSE IN 2020. 

ACCORDING TO THE ATLANTIC– TRUMP SAID “IF I CAN HELP YOU OUT WITH THE FUNERAL, I’LL HELP.”

MONTHS LATER – THE ATLANTIC REPORTS – TRUMP ASKED “DID THEY BILL US FOR THE FUNERAL? WHAT DID IT COST?”

“AN AIDE ANSWERED” YES, WE RECEIVED A BILL: THE FUNERAL COST $60,000.”

“TRUMP BECAME ANGRY. “IT DOESN’T COST 60 THOUSAND BUCKS TO BURY A F**KING MEXICAN! HE TURNED TO HIS CHIEF OF STAFF, MARK MEADOWS, AND ISSUED AN ORDER “DON’T PAY IT!”

THE ATLANTIC CITED MULTIPLE “ATTENDEES” WHO REMAINED ANONYMOUS – AND NOTES TAKEN AT THE MEETING BY A “PARTICIPANT”.

BUT GUILLEN’S SISTER, THE FAMILY’S ATTORNEY, AND MARK MEADOWS ARE REFUTING THE PUBLISHED CLAIMS.

MEADOWS SAYS HE “WAS IN THE DISCUSSIONS FEATURED IN THE ATLANTIC’S HIT PIECE AGAINST TRUMP.”

AND “ANY SUGGESTION THAT TRUMP DISPARAGED MS. GUILLEN OR REFUSED TO PAY FOR HER FUNERAL EXPENSES IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE.”

THE FAMILY’S ATTORNEY SAYING THE EDITOR IN CHIEF OF THE ATLANTIC – JEFFREY GOLDBERG – WHO WROTE THE STORY – “USED AND EXPLOITED” HER CLIENTS, AND VANESSA GUILLEN’S MURDER FOR CHEAP POLITICAL GAIN.”

GUILLEN’S SISTER MAYRA CALLED THE PIECE “HURTFUL AND DISRESPECTFUL TO THE IMPORTANT CHANGES her sister MADE FOR SERVICE MEMBERS.” saying “TRUMP DID NOTHING BUT SHOW RESPECT TO MY FAMILY AND VANESSA.

THE PART OF THE ATLANTIC’S STORY GARNERING THE MOST ATTENTION –

IS TESTIMONY COMING FROM JOHN KELLY – TRUMP’S FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF.

GOLDBERG WROTE “TRUMP ASKED JOHN KELLY “WHY CAN’T YOU BE LIKE THE GERMAN GENERALS?”  

“I asked Kelly about their exchange. He told me that when Trump raised the subject of “German generals,” Kelly responded by asking, “‘Do you mean Bismarck’s generals?’”  Surely you can’t mean Hitler’s generals? And he said, ‘Yeah, yeah, Hitler’s generals.’

CNN INTERVIEWED GOLDBERG ABOUT THE CLAIMS MADE IN HIS ARTICLE.

“We’ve never had a president of the united states or a major party candidate, who has expressed such admiration for the leadership style of adolf hitler. I think among the many things john kelly was shocked at when working at the white house, the idea that trump would regularly tell him how much he admired hitler. 

KELLY ALSO INTERVIEWED WITH THE NEW YORK TIMES FOR THEIR PIECE OUT THIS WEEK – AND DOUBLED DOWN.

The former president is in the far-right area, certainly an authoritarian, admires people who are dictators, he has said that, so he certainly falls into the category of a fascist for sure.”

A TRUMP CAMPAIGN SPOKESPERSON SAYS KELLY’S CLAIMS ARE ABSOLUTELY FALSE –

AND SAYS “TRUMP HAS ALWAYS HONORED THE SERVICE AND SACRIFICE OF MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN.”

WHILE KELLY’S REMARKS ARE BEING RENEWED IN THE HEADLINES 13 DAYS AWAY FROM THE ELECTION  –

THE ACCUSATIONS AREN’T NEW.

KELLY HAS BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF THE FORMER PRESIDENT –

HIS COMMENTS APPEARING IN THE NEW YORK TIMES IN 2022 –

“TRUMP ASKED AIDE WHY HIS GENERALS COULDN’T BE LIKE HITLER’S.”

AND IN THE WASHINGTON POST TWO YEARS AGO –

“TRUMP WANTED LOYAL GENERALS LIKE HITLER’S.”

THEN RENEWED AGAIN EARLY THIS YEAR IN MARCH –

“HE SAID HITLER DID SOME GOOD THINGS” EX-CHIEF OF STAFF SAYS TRUMP PRAISED HITLER.”

AND “EX-CHIEF OF STAFF CRITICIZES TRUMP FOR HITLER TALK.”

THANKS FOR WATCHING OUR NEWS UPDATE.

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FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS – I’M KARAH RUCKER.