In the military, during basic training, instructors often speak harshly to recruits, going straight for the thing they know most bothers them. This is both a test of character and a lesson in discipline. You can’t “clap back” at a drill sergeant. You can only stand there and take it. Even though he never served in the military, a veterans political advocacy group’s new commercial does just that.
The 30-second spot from VoteVets.org–a nonpartisan group* meant to encourage Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans to get into politics–shows a wounded veteran lifting weights in the morning.
The voiceover says:
President Trump I hear you watch the morning shows. Here’s what I do every morning. Look, you lost the popular vote. You’re having trouble drawing a crowd, and your approval rating keeps sinking. But kicking thousands of my fellow veterans off of their health insurance by killing the Affordable Care Act and banning Muslims won’t help. That’s not the America I sacrificed for. You want to be a legitimate president, sir? Then act like one.
The group released the ad on Morning Joe on MSNBC and plans to air it on cable news channels. While it is a fundraising effort, the intended audience for this ad is an audience of one: President Donald Trump. They are calling him out, like he is some kind of buck private in need of toughening up, by mentioning his poll numbers, his popular vote loss, and the crowd line (which seems to be just a cheap shot).
“Since the White House comment line is down, and Donald Trump hasn’t set up that veterans hotline he promised, we’re going to go where we know Donald Trump is listening — Morning Joe, and the other shows that he obsesses over,” the group said in a statement.
A common misconception is that all veterans are eligible for healthcare from the Department of Veterans Affairs, however they must meet strict criteria to get that coverage.
What do you think? How will the president respond? Share your thoughts and reactions in the comments below.
*Author’s Note: This group has a history of leaning towards Democratic and liberal positions on issues. Naturally, this accusation will only get worse since they’ve challenged the president so explicitly.