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John Bolton Denies Claims Trump Disparaged Veterans
The Atlantic generated some buzz when it published a story claiming President Trump said some nasty things about U.S. veterans. However, one notable Trump critic, John Bolton, says it never happened.
Former National Security Advisor John Bolton isn’t shy about speaking out against the president. He also cited concerns from his time in the White House. However, in an interview with “The Story” on Monday, Bolton said the liberal rag was wrong about its claims that the president made disparaging remarks about soldiers buried in the cemetery ahead of a decision to call off a planned visit to the site. “I don't know who told the author that, but that was false,” said Bolton. He says the president never made those comments “or anything resembling them.”
The controversial Atlantic article included an outrageous unsubstantiated quote from a supposed inside source who claims Trump said the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in France is “filled with losers.” However, Bolton says the president canceled a planned trip to the cemetery for war-fallen U.S. soldiers due to inclement weather. He also said the decision in no way stemmed from disdain for America’s fallen warriors. “The main issue was whether or not weather conditions permitted the president to go out to the cemetery,” Bolton, who was present at the time of the alleged comments, recalled.
More People Defend Trump
John Bolton denies claim Trump disparaged fallen American soldiers in France: 'Simply false' Atlantic article is simply a media hit job regurgitating old claims and stories repackaged like the Russia dossier hoax for democrat benefithttps://t.co/zRJoI9LHND
— Dukes Defense (@DukesDefense) September 8, 2020
John Bolton isn’t the only former Trump cabinet member to come to the president’s defense over the comments. Former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Zach Fuentes also denied The Atlantic’s allegations. According to a report from Breitbart, Fuentes said he personally told President Trump about the worsening weather conditions ahead of the scheduled trip before it was canceled. Additionally, he never heard the president make any of the comments reported in the article.
In later comments to Fox News, Fuentes said he was in the room for all the conversations pertaining to the trip. He also mentioned that he knows first-hand what was said. “Honestly, do you think General Kelly would have stood by and let ANYONE call fallen Marines losers?” said Fuentes.
Bolton hasn’t hesitated to criticize the president in the past, and he is even attempting to publish a book relating to his experiences in the Trump White House. There’s no love lost between Bolton and Trump, so the fact that Bolton is willing to come to the president’s defense is notable.
However, Bolton didn’t let Trump off the hook entirely. “I can’t prove the negative that he never said those things,” Bolton said during his Monday interview. “The president has a habit of disparaging people. He ends up denigrating almost everybody that he comes in contact with whose last name is not Trump.”
Trump's Response
Exclusive: Zach Fuentes, Top Aide to John Kelly, Denies Atlantic Story About Trump https://t.co/RXrpKhdPb1 via @BreitbartNews Thanks Zach. Just more corrupt Fake News trying to change the course of our most important, ever, Election!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2020
Given the contentious relationship between Bolton and President Trump, it’s no surprise that Trump didn’t offer the former national security advisor any public gratitude. However, he expressed his thanks to Mr. Fuentes on Twitter. “Thanks Zach. Just more corrupt Fake News trying to change the course of our most important, ever, Election!” Trump tweeted along with a link to the Breitbart article.
White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere also took to Twitter to smash the Atlantic’s erroneous reporting. “Not a soul brave enough to put their name on any of these accusations. That's because they are false. Just another anonymously sourced story meant to tear down a Commander-in-Chief who loves our military and has delivered on the promises he's made. What a disgrace!”
Despite the overwhelming evidence of falsehood, The Atlantic stands by its report. However, the hard-left publication still won’t reveal its sources, and the source hasn’t stepped forward. At least two first-hand witnesses have come forward to deny this claim. However, the cowardly accusor won’t reveal themselves to the public.
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