‘They lie to you’: President Trump previously held private meetings with Navy SEALs to candidly discuss Afghanistan war

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https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-navy-seal-private-meetings-afghanistan-war-2019-12

‘They lie to you’: Trump previously held private meetings with Navy SEALs to candidly discuss Afghanistan war

By: David Choi, Business Insider, Dec 23, 2019:

  • In 2017, President Donald Trump began taking meetings with enlisted US service members who deployed to Afghanistan.
  • “I want to sit down with some enlisted guys that have been there,” Trump told advisers, according to the national security journalist Peter Bergen’s latest book, “Trump and His Generals: The Cost of Chaos.”
  • “I don’t want any generals in here. I don’t want any officers,” Trump added. “I just want enlisted guys.”
  • Among the first Afghanistan veterans said to have talked to Trump were US Navy SEALs who spoke critically of the war.
  • “It’s unwinnable. NATO’s a joke. Nobody knows what they’re doing,” the SEALs reportedly told Trump. “We don’t fight to win. The morale is terrible. It’s totally corrupt.”

Months after taking office in 2017 and hoping to get a better understanding of America’s longest war, President Donald Trump began taking meetings with enlisted US service members who deployed to Afghanistan.

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“I want to sit down with some enlisted guys that have been there,” Trump told advisers, according to the national security journalist Peter Bergen’s latest book, “Trump and His Generals: The Cost of Chaos.”

“I don’t want any generals in here. I don’t want any officers,” Trump added, according to Bergen’s book, which was sourced from dozens of interviews with current and former White House officials and military officers. “I just want enlisted guys.”

The meetings were intended for candid discussions about the war in Afghanistan, which was nearing its 16th year at the time, with US troops who served on the front lines.

Enlisted service members are typically viewed as the lifeline of the military — they are the men and women who conduct the specific tasks given to them by their officers, whose primary purpose is to lead. Compared with their commissioned counterparts, enlisted troops are also unencumbered by the day-to-day politics of the military and may have given an unfiltered assessment of the war in talks with their commander in chief.

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Dennis
Dennis
4 years ago

This is the kind of conduct I expected from Trump. Though I believe that determining policy requires first speaking to those experienced at the top of the food chain, while recognizing that those at that level may be dealing with their own pet prejudices which must be factored in; speaking directly with those in the field makes great sense when one needs to make monumental decisions. The fact that Trump manages this way is a major plus, and good reason to keep him in office for four more years.

felix1999
felix1999
4 years ago
Reply to  Dennis

Trump knows from his real estate days that people DOING the work are the ones that really know
what is going on.

stephen5970
stephen5970
4 years ago

This is what a true leader would do.

Just keep finding more and more things for which to respect him.

felix1999
felix1999
4 years ago
Reply to  stephen5970

He totally surpassed my highest expectations.
Pardon my French, but he has iron balls and a strong personal Constitution.
I think he has gotten used to being stabbed in the back and ridiculed globally ….it’s awful that is happening.

Trump is doing what he can about our horribly corrupt government.
comment image

TomSJr
TomSJr
4 years ago

PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP, the smartest man in America and the wisest so far. THAT is exactly what any wise person would do, SKIP THE GENERALS and go straight to the soldiers!

AWESOME AND WINNING!

Suresh
Suresh
4 years ago
Reply to  TomSJr

I used twitter to question Trump 8 months after he took over on why is he continuing the foolish afganistan policy and asked him why waste time and resources in afganistan ? He did try to reply (Rare instance) and I countered with reason why its not good idea.

Later he had meeting with the scumbag and dumb Mcmaster a pro-jihadi from Obama admin , McCain supported nutcase “General” . Trump was not convinced with the Lame excuse of “national security” .

That was beginning of the end of that scumbag Mc Master. I’m happy I exposed that scumbag to Trump as he was clueless about Mc Master and foolishly appointed him. Another bad apple was the DOJ who allowed
the demonrat gang to run the fake “Russian ” connection.

Note : I used a different Twitter name then what I use here.

santashandler
santashandler
4 years ago
Reply to  Suresh

One person CAN make a difference!

BigMG
BigMG
4 years ago
Reply to  TomSJr

Anyone who’s interested should visit, https://militarycorruption.com
This is what Trump has to unravel. It’ll take 50 years, he’s got 1/10th of that.
Pray for Donald J Trump, if anyone can do it he can.

tituspullo
tituspullo
4 years ago

i hope this is true. what i don’t understand is why trump hasn’t decimated the officer corp, a corrupt generation of brass who did whatever the bushes, clintons, and the muslim told them to, knowing that they were following orders that harmed america. they should have resigned rather than send men to their deaths to appease politicians

famouswolf
famouswolf
4 years ago
Reply to  tituspullo

I think a lot of them did resign.
The officer corps that President Trump inherited was too corrupt and incompetent for it to have been otherwise. The ‘presidents’ between Bush senior and the Donald make it a certainty. There have been exactly three Presidents I would have felt comfortable serving under in my lifetime…Ike, Ronny Raygun, and the Donald. (the commander in chief I got was Nixon..)

Sweetp Holt
Sweetp Holt
4 years ago
Reply to  famouswolf

https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2019/06/22/prosecution-suffers-massive-blows-navy-seal-eddie-gallagher/
Wanna see a list of Generals and officers Obama fired?
OK then here they are…..
List Of Military Elite Purged
And Fired Under Obama

Compiled By General Paul Vallely 3-17-14
Here is the list of our military elite who have been purged or fired under Obama:

famouswolf
famouswolf
4 years ago
Reply to  Sweetp Holt

Not really. It’s like beating a dead horse and getting enraged over it all over again, unnecessarily…one question, though…wasn’t there a naval admiral who got in a jam in the Med when he wanted to send help
during the fight at Benghazi and was ordered to stand down by obama and hillary? What is his name? (he was the one I had in mind before.).

Sweetp Holt
Sweetp Holt
4 years ago
Reply to  famouswolf

yes – marine stuck a pistol in his ear and told him he was relieved of command.
Africa command was also relieved.

santashandler
santashandler
4 years ago
Reply to  Sweetp Holt

Do you know how one could find more info on that?

Sweetp Holt
Sweetp Holt
4 years ago
Reply to  santashandler
Peter WF
Peter WF
4 years ago
Reply to  tituspullo

Consider – how does an officer grow their career? It happens in all the public services.
Prisons – they want more people in there.
Police – they want more crime.
Military – they want more conflict. Peace does not suit them.

How do muslims fit the above? Leave it to you to think about.

Search “world map average IQ”.
Search “world map marry first cousins”. Actually 1st cousins and closer.
Search “world map muslims”.
Note the 2 smartest nations do not have a jihadi problem.

tn_tea _ partyer_420
tn_tea _ partyer_420
4 years ago

Pull out of the middle east completely. Let the EU and China take care of the oil their countries need.

MAS
MAS
4 years ago

I’ll hold my applause until we are either out of there or prosecuting total war with the intent of unconditional surrender. History in the region indicates leaving as the wisest choice…

Michelle
Michelle
4 years ago

Finally someone in charge has worked out what is happening. It is Vietnam all over again with corruption and incompetence giving the left free reign to destroy the military. As someone said: “peacetimes generals are a joke in wartime as PC. duration of “service’, sycophancy and virtue signalling” do not win wars only experience and ability”. A brief look at Stalin’s generals in 1945 cf 1939 shows this. Peacetime generals are textbook generals and that should scare everyone and especially with leftist ROE.

Peter WF
Peter WF
4 years ago

Hope what I read is true. Go President Donald Trump!!!!

created4el
created4el
4 years ago

The war against Islam can’t be won by missiles and bombs… Trying to crush Islam is like trying to grab smoke. The issue is Islam is an ideology. You can easily beat Muslims in a battle. But until the ideology is crushed, Islam will keep coming back in nefarious ways. And that is what we keep seeing. One Islamic group gets crushed and another one forms. All known militant groups are busy being crushed and then the “lone” terrorist just happens to strike. They don’t need a central leader if they all know the objective. And if things look really bad, Islamic ideology is to “coexist” to buy time until they can regain their strength…. that is the only time Islam will call for peace but it is a peace that is requested while they are cursing you in their heart just as their tafsir ibn Kathir states regarding Quran 3:28.

For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda’ said, “We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them.” Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, “The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurrection.”

Rev. Roy
Rev. Roy
4 years ago
Reply to  created4el

Wow. Kinda like Democrat’s eh???

created4el
created4el
4 years ago
Reply to  Rev. Roy

Totally!

Like Islam, Democrats want rules enforced on others. Everybody must now agree to and even celebrate the “moral” values that they value. Or accept dhimmitude status paying fees for privileges they allow essentially showing you’ve submitted to their will. Call it “protection” money because it’s much like paying the mob.

And also like Islam, they play a long game. When they are in the minority, they love to “coexist” but once they taste power then they can’t help but to start flexing their muscle to start forcing conformity as they’re doing to Masterpiece Cake Shop in Colorado.

And like Islam they work themselves into positions of influence and power so that they can indoctrinate people with their propaganda and prevent people from objecting to their advancing objective.

Another similarity is both Islam and the Democrats always love to pretend they are victims. Even when they are bullying somebody, like a wife beater’s reasoning, it’s the wife’s fault for causing her beating.

And also like Islam, they might say they love God, when convenient, but they hate the God of the Christian Bible. That is why they reject the Bill of Rights, those unalienable rights from God that our founding fathers recognized as something that needs protection from government tyranny.

So yeah… the Democrats and Islam, though they have a moral value system that is utterly at odds against each other, they have a common enemy and objective. Their common enemy happens to be those who stand up against them and their objective is to overthrow our nation and replace it with their idea of utopia… but first things first being destroying our nation. Personally I think the Left will be in for a rude awakening if they win… they’ll find some among them will take the plunge into the new world order by being thrown off the roof of a building and their idea of utopia won’t actually be the one embraced… and they think Christianity is evil because Christians don’t embrace their worldview.

Worsethanitlooks
Worsethanitlooks
4 years ago
Reply to  created4el

Well said. The only pragmatic (and affordable) response to Islamic ideology is to keep these people out of the West. Trump gets this but the Europeans have welcomed these people with open arms. They will pay for for their awful decision.

There is no evidence that our never-ending war in Iraq and in Afghanistan has curtailed Islamo-nazi terror. In fact, that was never its objective. Both of these wars-for-profit were started by George W Bush for the benefit of defense contractors. After the 1990 Iraq-Kuwaiti War, the Bushs, the Pentagon, and the defense contractors came to the obvious conclusion that the war was too successful and too short. In their minds, the only thing better than victory is a highly profitable perpetual war with no clear victor. That was the real lesson of Vietnam.

created4el
created4el
4 years ago

The war against Islam can’t be won by missiles and bombs… Trying to crush Islam is like trying to grab smoke. The issue is Islam is an ideology. You can easily beat Muslims in a battle. But until the ideology is crushed, Islam will keep coming back in nefarious ways. And that is what we keep seeing. One Islamic group gets crushed and another one forms. All known militant groups are busy being crushed and then the “lone” terrorist just happens to strike. They don’t need a central leader if they all know the objective. And if things look really bad, Islamic ideology is to “coexist” to buy time until they can regain their strength…. that is the only time Islam will call for peace but it is a peace that is requested while they are cursing you in their heart just as their tafsir ibn Kathir states regarding Quran 3:28.

For instance, Al-Bukhari recorded that Abu Ad-Darda’ said, “We smile in the face of some people although our hearts curse them.” Al-Bukhari said that Al-Hasan said, “The Tuqyah is allowed until the Day of Resurrection.”

Laddyboy
Laddyboy
4 years ago

Old saying; “Information – – STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSE’S MOUTH!” If you want true information – – ask and talk to the HEROES (people) in the trenches!!!

AZ gal
AZ gal
4 years ago

So why hasn’t Trump pulled us out of there then?

notme123
notme123
4 years ago
Reply to  AZ gal

Just like everything Trump tries to do. Backlash caused by the MSM, dems and all those profiting(money) stir up the public against it by using Scare tactics.

felix1999
felix1999
4 years ago
Reply to  AZ gal

Hon, educate yourself…

Why the Swamp Is Going Bonkers Over Syria
posted by Premiere Networks – Oct 10, 2019

The email says, “Mr. Limbaugh, the swamp is universally and hysterically against the removal of troops from Syria by Trump. It’s almost like they all have some deal where they make millions if we stay in.” They do. And let me explain to you how this works. Now, again, I’m gonna give you theory. I think what I’m going describe for you does exist, but I can’t give you names of companies, conglomerates, or what have you.

But I firmly believe that war is one of the most profitable enterprises on the planet. That’s why there’s never gonna be an end to it. There’s never gonna be peace as peaceniks desire because there’s gobs of money in war. Because in war you make money doing both things. You actually make money four ways. You make money winning and losing, you make money destroying and rebuilding.

You know as well as I do that the Democrat Party has many people on the left that hate war, don’t want any part of it, hate the U.S. military, hate military success. We also know that the Democratic Party has numerous people in the upper echelons who love it and profit from it just like anybody else does. We also know this because when Democrats are in office, wars spread. The United States was at war longer and in more places under Barack Obama than any president recent history, including George W. Bush.

RUSH: That’s what we do here. We make the complex understandable. I’ll tell you something else, folks, about Trump pulling out of Syria. There’s something that doesn’t get said much about the U.S. military. There’s a lot of great things, don’t misunderstand. But the U.S. military is largely, not exclusively by no means, but largely comprised of people from our middle class.

They’re the ones that volunteer. They’re the ones who go to basic training, and they’re the ones that deploy. They and their families are the ones that pay the price. And the military deserves all the accolades it gets, but Washington has gone bonkers over this, and all Trump is saying here is that, his words, the toughest thing I do is sit here and realize American young men and women are dying, and I don’t know what for.

It’s largely the middle class that are making these sacrifices. And you know the middle class. The middle class are called average Americans, and they’re looked at as this gigantic blob of the population, not a bunch of individuals, but just a gigantic blob. They’re only the people who make the country work in practically every which way that matters, including volunteering for the U.S. military.

The Pentagon’s probably got people in there going bonkers today, can’t believe this, you don’t pull out, oh, my God. So forth and so on, because this is so out of the accepted norms. And it’s classic Trump in that sense.

https://news.iheart.com/featured/rush-limbaugh/content/2019-10-10-pn-rush-limbaugh-why-the-swamp-is-going-bonkers-over-syria/

SWAMP people only want to classes, The wealthy elites and the impoverished. A MIDDLE CLASS is a threat to the swamp and they certainly want them GONE.

santashandler
santashandler
4 years ago
Reply to  felix1999

Well said, Felix! The unseen hand is hard at work now than ever before.

John Acord
John Acord
4 years ago

Obama decimated the officer corp and the military academies are being stocked with filth. The future lies with a citizen army to replace the regular army.

notme123
notme123
4 years ago

The Generals just sit in their protected housing and tell the soldiers what to do. They aren’t out there fighting, they have know idea what it’s like. Just like any workplace, as the workers to get the truth.

tedlv
tedlv
4 years ago
Reply to  notme123

They don’t start out as generals. See DeusVult’s comment above (sorted by newest).

DaveM12
DaveM12
4 years ago

In Canada there were 130 generals and admirals as of January 2018 compared with 81 during same month in 2003 — a 60-per-cent increase over a period in which the rest of the military grew by less than 2 per cent. Defence chief Gen. Including reserves Canada has 40,000 personnel.

Canada’s former Chief of Staff General Hillier ran our military in Afghanistan and always complained that the Liberal politicians and Defence Staff interfered and micro managed every decision in the Stan. In the early days the politicians wanted to go to the Stan just to visit. The first one to go was killed by an IED, end of politicians clambering to go there.

Bonnie Pupowner
Bonnie Pupowner
4 years ago

I am completely disgusted with the Navy.

tedlv
tedlv
4 years ago

Why?

Bonnie Pupowner
Bonnie Pupowner
4 years ago
Reply to  tedlv

Let’s see, the navy seal pardoned, the lack of correction of the navigation system on the McCain Ship that killed so many, the fact that McCain was kept in the navy due to his Admiral dad, etc

CharlieSeattle
CharlieSeattle
4 years ago

……………bs

CharlieSeattle
CharlieSeattle
4 years ago

……….Congress is the enemy

Congress slashes funding for the Navy’s LCS sensors — again
By: David B. Larter December 19, 2019

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/12/19/congress-slashes-funding-for-the-navys-lcs-sensors-again/

…………………………Congress is the enemy

Amid heated aircraft carrier debate, the US Navy sees funding slashed for a next-generation fighter
By: David B. Larter December 22, 2019

https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/12/22/amid-a-heated-aircraft-carrier-debate-the-us-navy-sees-funding-slashed-for-a-next-generation-fighter/

The Navy’s budget request asked for $20.7 million, but Congress ultimately appropriated $7.1 million, a 66 percent cut. Congress sent the bill to the president Thursday, who was expected to sign it.

DeusVult
DeusVult
4 years ago

I don’t have an issue with the President taking time to hear how front line troops feel about the war. But with one caveat.
I spent 25 years in law enforcement (after 8 years service in the Army). The first four I was a regular “front line officer”. After that, I began promoting up the ranks. I couldn’t believe how much more complicated the decisions became when you started seeing the world from 30,000 feet, so to speak.
None of the generals running the show started out as generals. They started out as front line grunts….most as 2nd Lieutenants, and some even as enlisted men. I’m sure they thought their generals were out of touch just like these EMs feel the generals today are.
Bottom line: Careful when you’re slamming the decisions, tactics, and policies of others until you’ve humped a few miles in their boots. It might surprise you to find out what you don’t know.

Mike Kevins
Mike Kevins
4 years ago

Mobama got rid of all the real warrior Generals. Now we are mostly left with the lickspittle, political, lackey generals. They are useless in prosecuting a war. We are supposedly the most powerful country in the world, yet we have not won a war since 1945! We ceased fighting to win, that’s why.

santashandler
santashandler
4 years ago

That is BIG what Trump did. No doubt, there are Generals and Admirals at the Pentagon fuming at Trump for doing this. This is the only real way Trump is ever going to learn just what is happening on the ground in Afghanistan. Lets just hope those who did speak to him are not retaliated against and Trump put some safeguards in place if it does.

santashandler
santashandler
4 years ago

That is BIG what Trump did. No doubt, there are Generals and Admirals at the Pentagon fuming at Trump for doing this. This is the only real way Trump is ever going to learn just what is happening on the ground in Afghanistan. Lets just hope those who did speak to him are not retaliated against and Trump put some safeguards in place if it does.

CharlieSeattle
CharlieSeattle
4 years ago
Reply to  santashandler

3 years wasted and Trump does nothing. Glad you are happy with inaction.

santashandler
santashandler
4 years ago
Reply to  CharlieSeattle

You think Obama, Biden or any of the other worthless ones would have done any better?

CharlieSeattle
CharlieSeattle
4 years ago
Reply to  santashandler

They never did not ever will make a difference.

Trump is President for 5 more years and I expect more Twitter BS and little action.

linda goudsmit
linda goudsmit
4 years ago

Globalism is the enemy of Americanism and America’s national sovereignty. What makes President Donald Trump so extraordinary is that he is fully committed to an America-first agenda. Americanism makes President Trump the target of every globalist inside and outside the government here and abroad. POTUS approaches leadership as a businessman who fully intends to run a successful business for its shareholders – the American people. Militarily, economically, culturally, in every sphere of life at home and abroad President Trump is America-first! The never-Trumpers are doing everything they can to destroy POTUS in advance of the pivotal 2020 election because it will determine the future course of America. Will the United States of America remain a strong, free, independent, sovereign country? Or will we collapse under the mantle of globalism and the corrupt leadership of the deranged Democrats? America decides in 2020.

CharlieSeattle
CharlieSeattle
4 years ago

….and their very lucrative future ‘consultant’ positions with the MIC.

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