MSNBC analyst Donny Deutsch on Friday urged the military to release an ad campaign against former President Donald Trump ahead of the upcoming presidential election.
Trump is beating President Joe Biden in the five crucial swing states of Nevada, Georgia, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, according to a May New York Times/Siena College survey. Deutsch suggested on “Morning Joe” that if former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, former Secretary of Defense James Mattis, former National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley release an ad campaign, it could help turn voters against Trump.
“Contrast is everything in this election,” Deutsch said. “And I think the military is the greatest example to show the contrast between two men. You see Donald Trump who, you know, got off, didn’t serve because of bunions and allegedly told John Kelly, his chief of staff … as they were in a cemetery looking at fallen heroes, ‘why would any person be a sucker and give their life for their country?’ And that’s all you need to know about Donald Trump.”
The Atlantic published a story in September 2020 citing anonymous sources claiming Trump canceled a 2018 visit to a cemetery in France where American troops are buried, saying that they were “suckers” and “losers,” but the credibility of the story has come under question. Former national security adviser John Bolton denied Trump made these remarks and said he did not visit because of weather and security reasons.
“I think the most compelling advertising campaign would be centered around the military,” he continued. “If we got Mattis, McMaster, Milley and Kelly, to go to screen and say, ‘look this country cannot stand Donald Trump. The defense of this country will not stand Donald Trump. We are great Americans. We believe in the country. We trust this country. We know this country. You can’t vote for Donald Trump.’ I think the military is the secret weapon in this election and I hope those ads come to fruition.”
