Families Of Navajo War Vets Floored By Trump 'Pocahontas' Remarks

[DonViejo]

Source: Associated Press




By FELICIA FONSECA and Laurie Kellman Published NOVEMBER 28, 2017 6:39 AM

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — Families of Navajo war veterans who were honored Monday at the White House say they were dumbfounded that President Donald Trump used the event to take a political jab at a Massachusetts senator, demeaning their work with an unbreakable code that helped the U.S. win World War II.

Trump turned to a nickname he often deployed for Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren during the 2016 presidential campaign: Pocahontas. He then told the three Navajo Code Talkers on stage that he had affection for them that he doesn’t have for Warren.

“It was uncalled for,” said Marty Thompson, whose great uncle was a Navajo Code Talker. “He can say what he wants when he’s out doing his presidential business among his people, but when it comes to honoring veterans or any kind of people, he needs to grow up and quit saying things like that.”

Pocahontas is a well-known historical figure who bridged her own Pamunkey Tribe in present-day Virginia with the British in the 1600s. But the National Congress of American Indians says Trump wrongly has flipped the name into a derogatory term, and the comment drew swift criticism from American Indians and politicians.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/families-navajo-war-vets-floored-trump-pocahontas-remarks

[marble falls]

1. But Sarah Huckleberry Sanders says she wasn't offended by it!

[MurrayDelph]

23. That's

mighty White of her.

[NastyRiffraff]

24. Well, that's okay then

As long as Sarah isn't offended, who cares what Native Americans think.

[Sneederbunk]

28. SHS is an arse in her own right.

[Rollo]

2. I just saw a news clip of Trump's meeting with the Navaho code talkers...

He had the ceremony take place under the portrait in the Oval Office of perhaps the most Native American unfriendly of all US presidents: Andrew Jackson.

Talk about tone deaf, if not outright racist.

[ginnyinWI]

5. I wish they all had shown the whole ceremony.

On the news last night, NBC only showed the offensive part. The code talker who spoke first said the words that any decent President would have, talking about how this country comes together in times of crisis (like WWII). Then the bozo got up and made foolish racist statements. The piece below includes the code talker's speech.

http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/gracious-navajo-vets-sidelined-by-trump-attacks-1104841283573

[kwalter66]

27. They Did

Lawrence showed the whole thing last night.

[riversedge]

31. cspan had the ceremony. plus one of the msnbc shows last night showe

several minutes of the Navajo vet speech before trump talked but I can not recall which one?

https://www.c-span.org/video/?437799-1/president-trump-honors-native-american-code-talkers

[ginnyinWI]

40. It was The Last Word, which is at the link I posted.

I think I'll go back and find the whole thing on cspan though. I so admire the Code Talkers.

[samnsara]

3. trump couldnt have done worse if he referred to them as 'redskins'

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

11. Or broken into a War Dance

[Sunlei]

4. I remember the Republican who lost vs Warren- doing the "tomahawk chop" football-SLUR at her.

Republican party enables and are responsible for their idiot presidents every word.

[Rollo]

15. A lot of Americans have family lore of partial Native American ancestry...

My family included. I have always gathered that because of the widespread decline of Native American populations, particularly in the Northeast, the lack of written records, and the wholesale disappearance of various tribes, means that proof of such ancestry can be very difficult to obtain, if not impossible, short of a DNA analysis.

That said, I've always been proud of my possible American Indian content, and it has guided me in my love of nature. And, whether racists like Trump like it or not, American Indian culture is an integral part of American culture and awareness. To mock that is ... deplorable.

[LiberalLovinLug]

38. I'd love to see actual proof emerge of Warren's partial Native American heritage.

But like you said, its almost impossible to prove.

But wouldn't that knock them off their rockers! Love to see that.

I don't understand the insult anyways. Why is this such a crime? Even to be mistaken about it. There is no proof either way. Its what she heard growing up, and so believed it. I'm trying to unpack this "insult". Why do Repubicans think it is so bad, so laughable?

Because she is presuming to be connected in a small way to Native Americans as a way to bolster her cred? That would mean that they admire Native Americans and are sensitive to any racial indignation. But they've proven that they care little about that. With their position on not changing the name "Redskins" for instance. And of course, their dear leader using "Pocahontas" in this instance.

So I am failing to see the teeth in that derision. Perhaps its just that "libtards" get upset about it. That seems to be the reason in the end for their blind applause to almost every deplorable action the orange baboon does.

[pangaia]

16. So true.

All these 'reasons' about why trump is president and not Clinton- russians, voter suppression, talk radio, fox, cyber attacks, etc etc etc.. - while all definitely true.. the REAL reason is greedy, selfish, unAmerican, or rather inhuman, republican politicians and hate-filled, stupid, ignorant, racist, bigoted, blind, republican voters..

These are horrible, ugly, sick human beings.. really really sick.......... In fact, they are no longer even human beings...





No more kid gloves with these assholes... they need to be either wiped out, rocketed to the Galaxy UDFj-39546284, or corralled and herded to a huge cave somewhere, where they can sit for eternity and watch their shadows on the walls while their hair and nails grow to unimaginable lengths... THAT would be their HELL.
ALL "euphemistically" speaking of course.. well, maybe except for the last one...

[mahatmakanejeeves]

6. "... they were dumbfounded that ... Trump used the event to take a political jab...."

With all due respect, where have they been? It's not as if Trump doesn't do this every single time he opens his mouth.

[Farmer-Rick]

7. So true

I would have just walked out if I had been there.

But I can understand how these older folks have not kept up with politics and were just speechless when he insulted both American Indians and women.

You just think he will act respectfully just this one time and then he has to throw out an insult.

[PJMcK]

8. This made me laugh out loud

Could anyone be more unobservant of Trump?

Marty Thompson, whose great uncle was a Navajo Code Talker. “...he needs to grow up and quit saying things like that.”

Really, Mr. Thompson? Why does anyone think that Trump will pivot or grow up or act presidential? He is who he has always been: a lying, cheating bigot who will insult and belittle nearly everyone.

[kwalter66]

32. I prefer

What the Black feet nation lawyer said last night on All in with Chris Hayes. "This filthy, nasty, deceitful lips liar doesn't deserve to utter the name Pocahontas." And " This dimwitted completely mush mouthed fool".

[PJMcK]

33. I'll watch Chris Hayes' show later

Thanks for the tip, kwalter66!

[red dog 1]

43. + 1

Welcome to DU!

[PennyK]

9. Boy, I can't wait until Chanukah!

I look forward to some "Reel Klassy" remarks about how great some of us Jewzz are.

[pangaia]

17. Why, my goodness, I actually used to date a Jewish girl.

And her name was PENNY !!!

[steve2470]

20. I'm sure, if he says anything, there will be a few code words in there

Out of respect to you, I won't even go there.

[DoubleAgentOrange]

10. Can't say I'm surprised by Albert Weinstein's comments...

Chief Shitting Bull has always been a master of painting with all the hot air of his wind.

[Rollo]

25. Who is Albert Weiinstein and what were his comments???

[DoubleAgentOrange]

46. Trump

Obviously, it's Trump.

He taught all the sex criminals in Hollywood and on Capitol Hill everything they know, hence he is Albert Weinstein.

[hadEnuf]

12. Trump is an asshole's asshole.

[L. Coyote]

13. And the haters are just adding to their bonfire with Twitter hatefest: #ElizabethWarrenIndianName

I'm reporting the worst of these assholes. Most are Trump bots, but some are real people whose employers should be informed too!

#ElizabethWarrenIndianName, a lot of racist white people using racial epithets against a white woman

Link to tweet

[turbinetree]

14. Dear Marty Thompson,

you are smarter than the malignant narcissistic psychopath.

Not only is he a disingenuous racist and bigot, that he doesn't realize when he looks at himself in the mirror every morning blathering to himself about how great he is, and how his ego is the most important aspect for him to go through each day to be that of a serial abuser, to keep and gain power, and the only way to keep that power is to try and force people into his realm of abusive reality, that he has no idea in that narcissistic head underneath that orange Bozo hair that in the Indigenous people and the culture of the woman, that we respect the woman, he needs to have someone like Russell Means explain it to him

[dlk]

18. Russell Means Wise Words About Patriarchy Trying to Destroy What They Fear

When we look at Trump and the GOP, they run on fear. That is the source of their seeming desire to destroy anything and everything that is not white and male.

[pangaia]

21. "If you don't know the forest, you will come to fear the forest.

And what you fear, you will want to destroy."

[ginnyinWI]

41. That's just it.

He's racist because he's afraid of people who are not like him. He doesn't understand how to deal with anyone who is not like him and not kow-towing.

[pangaia]

19. "Females live longer than men, DUH !!"

You tell us Russell.

[not fooled]

22. I have no doubt

that there was a deliberate undercurrent to the entire event that was a stage-managed dog whistle to appeal to dump's idiot followers. He wasn't under the Jackson portrait for nothing.

We live in an era of Nazi propaganda.

[RobinA]

29. I Can't Give Anyone

associated with this train wreck administration the benefit of believing that they know anymore about that portrait than that it's the dude on on the $20. If that. And it defies my belief that it would be a dog whistle to Trump followers, most of whom wouldn't know Andrew Jackson if he walked up to him on the street, and CERTAINLY wouldn't know anything about Jackson's relationship with Native Americans. Please. They are incompetent and ill-informed. Thinking that any of these glaring gaffes they make are intentional is giving them waaay too much credit.

[red dog 1]

45. I agree!

[RobinA]

26. Why Anyone

would get upset over what this idiot says is beyond me. Code Talker's work speaks for itself. It can't be diminished by one person's dumb words, no matter who he is. People need to stop lending Trump the credence to affect them one way or another.

[not fooled]

34. You are right

but there is something in human nature, apparently, that leads to a lot of people taking the bait and getting wrapped up in the insanity.

He says idiotic things to distract from the machinations and horrible actions of the pukes.

[Permanut]

30. And still some veterans and military support him..

unbelievable. K & R

[not fooled]

36. Oh, yes

It is unbelievable, especially as he moves to privatize the VA. The very people who support(ed) him get screwed the worst.

[Hekate]

35. To DUers who are criticizing the Code Talkers for not being obsessed news junkies like us...

Where have you been, yourselves? They fought in World War II, which means the survivors are at least 90 years old now.

Most human beings expect the president to act presidential. It's a pretty reasonable expectation. Most of us know what this one is. However -- cut the Elders some slack. He is the one at fault.

[Wellstone ruled]

37. Another day in the Shamful life of

Bone Spur Donnie.

[Kimchijeon]

39. Should be no surprise... C'mon this is what to expect nt

[red dog 1]

42. K&R

[sarcasmo]

44. Racist POS.