Ludovic Marin / Pool Photo via AP
French President Emmanuel Macron’s wife, Brigitte Macron, center left, listens to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, center right, as they walk Sunday with other world leaders toward the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France, as part of the commemorations marking the 100th anniversary of the Nov. 11, 1918, armistice, ending World War I.
Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018 | 2 a.m.
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On a day to honor the sacrifice of soldiers as brave and selfless as any the world has ever seen, President Donald Trump once again revealed himself to be the most cowardly president in American history.
Given an opportunity to pay tribute to the millions of troops who fought and died in World War I, Trump instead backed out because of inclement weather.
Yes, we’ve reached this point: Our president won’t go out in a little rain to represent our country and respect our fallen. This is the same man who, on the same day of the Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting, talked about canceling a campaign event because the weather could mess up his hair.
There’s a pattern here. In Trump’s world, his hair and his physical comfort come first. His service to the nation comes a very distant second.
The troops he’d been expected to honor certainly didn’t have those same priorities. They fought in hellish conditions — slogging in muddy trenches, shelled night and day, gassed and machine-gunned — in the name of protecting freedom and defending the U.S. and its allies.
A little rain didn’t stop them from doing their duties.
But now comes this fair weather president, who picks and chooses whether to act as a patriot depending on whether it’s nice outside or it’s convenient for him. Or if there’s a parade in his honor.
This applies to other areas, as well.
He wants votes to stop being counted the instant his party is ahead in an election, showing he believes in democracy only when the political winds are blowing in his favor. He cries fraud on states run by Republicans when the vote turns against him.
He lies and demeans black female reporters in response to their uncomfortable questions, because he’s too weak to simply and honestly take the heat for his decisions.
Then, when duty calls for him to honor soldiers on a rainy day, he opts to stay dry and cozy.
Sure, the White House would have Americans believe that Trump was unable to attend because the weather grounded his helicopter, but only the most gullible or the most blindly loyal to Trump would buy that.
Presidents’ handlers make contingency travel plans. It’s simply inconceivable to think that there wouldn’t be alternate ways to move the president around on a rainy day, especially considering that the site of Trump’s appearance was only 50 miles from where he was staying.
As members of other administrations pointed out, a motorcade could have made the trip in less than an hour.
Meanwhile, other world leaders — who have an advantage over Trump in that they were born with spines — showed up for events outside Paris while Trump sat indoors. Those leaders included Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, who paid proper tribute to the soldiers and represented their nations’ citizens with honor.
Trump showed up for events the following day, and even — gasp! — went out in the rain. But true to his nature, he “joked” to others about “getting drenched” as light raindrops fell on him.
How disgraceful.
This is our weakling president. Our coward of a president. Our fair weather patriot who will never stand for bedrock American standards of fairness, justice, courage and faith in the greatness of our nation and its system of government.
