People in the military quickly learn to be loyal to their superiors. It is a necessity in times of stress and strife. You must trust those above you or at the very least keep quiet about your doubts. Given that, it is remarkable how many of Trump’s military men would not stick up for him. This is even more remarkable because military members who did not know Trump well and often laud him.  But they don’t know him! Those who do know him, often do not laud him.

H.R. McMaster is the type of guy right wingers love. He was an admired retired United States Army lieutenant general who served under Trump as National Security Advisor from 2017 to 2018 and is widely respected for his roles in the Gulf War, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Iraqi Freedom, said Trump was a “dope” with the intelligence of a “kindergartner.”

McMaster also said this about Trump: “President Trump and other officials have repeatedly compromised our principles in pursuit of partisan advantage and personal gain.”

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis who Trump proudly introduced as Mad Dog Mattis when he nominated him, later said Trump had the understanding of “a fifth- or sixth-grader.”  When Trump questioned Mattis about why the government was spending money maintaining a military presence on the Korean peninsula he explained this was because that presence was necessary “in order to prevent World War III.” Mattis wrote after his resignation from Trump’s cabinet, that it came after “concrete solutions and strategic advice, especially keeping faith with our allies, no longer resonated.”

After Trump tried to fire up the white supremacist mobs, George Floyd was murdered in Minneapolis. After that  Mattis  said Trump was “the first president in my lifetime who does not try to unite the American people.” He added, “We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort. We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership.” Finally, in his statement he concluded, “We must reject and hold accountable those in office who would make a mockery of our Constitution,” his statement said.

Mattis also said this about Donald Trump: “He is more dangerous than anyone could ever imagine.”

Remember these criticisms came from his friends who had served him faithfully, until they couldn’t.

Trump’s Chief of staff John Kelly is a retired United States Marine Corps General who became Trump’s Secretary of Homeland Security and later Trump’s White House Chief of Staff who almost universally was believed to be the mature adult in the room with Trump who would keep Trump restrained, also said, Trump was unhinged and also an “idiot.’ And he did not qualify that by saying he was “a useful idiot”. He actually called him an idiot on multiple occasions. Kelly claimed he was the savior who had saved the country from Trump. And that might even be true!

The New York Times reported this about Kelly’s opinions of the former president:

“His former chief of staff John Kelly, a retired four-star Marine Corps general, described Mr. Trump as “a person who admires autocrats and murderous dictators. A person that has nothing but contempt for our democratic institutions, our Constitution and the rule of law.”

This was a pretty damning indictment of Trump and it came from someone Trump had personally chosen and by no means a woke lib.

After Trump was defeated and then ran again in 2023 Kelly was flabbergasted; He watched Trump dominate the Republican Primary “race” with increasing despair. “What’s going on in the country that a single person thinks this guy would still be a good president when he’s said the things he’s said and done the things he’s done?” Kelly said in a recent interview. “It’s beyond my comprehension he has the support he has.”