(CNN) Memorial Day, for politicians, is a no-brainer. You express thanks to those who have served and condolences for those who have been lost. That's it. That's the statement.
President Donald Trump went in, um, another direction on Monday.
Here's his tweet:
"Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!"
Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!
This is a tweet about Trump masquerading as a tweet about Memorial Day. The remembrance of those who fell in service to the country is used here by Trump as simply a launching pad to tout accomplishments during his first 16 months in office.
Need evidence? Ask yourself if those who died for the country did so while thinking about the current unemployment rate. Or how a family mourning someone lost fighting for the United States today would react when the President ends a tweet allegedly honoring their service with this: "Nice!"
Compare Trump's tweet to how other politicians handled Memorial Day.
Here's South Carolina GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham's tweet : "On #MemorialDay we honor the American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our values and protecting our freedoms. We owe them a debt of gratitude we can never repay."
And here's what former President Barack Obama said via Twitter : "We can never truly repay the debt we owe our fallen heroes. But we can remember them, honor their sacrifice, and affirm in our own lives those enduring ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity for which generations of Americans have given that last full measure of devotion."
There are dozens (and dozens) more of these sorts of tweets and statements. And not one of them sounds anything like what Trump wrote.
Remember that phrase "There's a time and place for everything"? Trump seems not to have that gene in him -- or to listen to people who do. Anyone -- and I mean ANYONE -- who Trump ran that tweet by before sending it would tell him that it sounds incredibly self-serving, far too focused on himself and what he's done as opposed to what today means for the country.
But as the past 16 months has shown, Trump rarely consults with people before he tweets. He feels as though he innately understands Twitter -- that it is the medium best suited for him to communicate to the millions and millions of people who not only voted for him but also "get" him at some core level.
Maybe that group of core Trump supporters think today's tweet is a good idea, though it's difficult to see how.
The tweet seems reflective of a broader belief that has animated every moment of Trump's campaign and presidency: This is about him. Period.
"Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it," Trump said in accepting the Republican nomination back in 2016. I alone can fix it.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions' decision to recuse himself in the Russia probe? "Very unfair to the President," Trump told The New York Times last summer.
Me, I, me. I did this. I deserve credit. This is unfair to me. Soldiers fought and died so I could make the unemployment rate better. And so on.
Trump's total lack of understanding of how past presidents have prioritized the collective good of the country over their own personal aggrandizement or self -promotion represents one of the most consequential breaks with history embodied in Trump.
Trump is the "me" President, not the "we" President. And that is a profound change in how politicians -- Democrats and Republicans -- have conceived of the office they hold.
Memorial Day is here.
Think barbecues, lemonade. A precious three-day weekend full of sun, sales and slacking off. But this is The Root, and you know there’s another part of this story.
Little-known fact: African Americans created Memorial Day.
Rewind to the end of the Civil War. In 1865, Charleston, S.C., was in ruins, and many Union soldiers were being held prisoner in a converted racecourse. At least 257 of the captives died because of the horrific conditions, and their bodies were discarded in a mass grave.
Later, a group of black workmen dug up the bodies and reburied them to properly honor the fallen.
Advertisement
On May 1, 1865, over 10,000 people—recently freed slaves, black schoolchildren, colored soldiers and their allies—held what was the first Memorial Day parade.
“They paraded around the racetrack, and then they gathered as many as could fit into the cemetery compound; about three or four black preachers read from Scripture,” said David Blight, a professor of history at Yale and director of the Gilder Lehrman Center for the Study of Slavery. His research is responsible for bringing this little-known history to light. The historian says that the white South controlled much of the nation’s narrative, which explains why this heroic story was practically erased.
“Can one imagine that someday children will grow up learning this story, instead of Paul Revere’s ride, or Lincoln at Gettysburg?” Blight told The Root.
Advertisement
See the entire video above.
On Memorial Day, Trump Honors Fallen Soldiers; Draws Criticism Over Tweet
Enlarge this image toggle caption Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images
President Trump joined Americans on Memorial Day in paying respect to those who gave their lives for the country, laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
"Our fallen heroes have not only written our history, they have shaped our destiny," Trump said, speaking at the cemetery's Memorial Ampitheater. "They inspired their communities and uplifted their country and provided the best example of courage, virtue and valor the world will ever know. They fought and bled and died so that America would forever remain safe and strong and free."
CNN YouTube
"They came from every generation — from towering cities and windswept prairies, from privilege and from poverty," he said. "They were generals and privates, captains and corporals of every race, color and of every creed. But they were all brothers and sisters in arms. And they were all united then, as they are united now, forever, by their undying love of our great country."
Hours earlier, the president had used the day's themes to praise the current state of the nation in a comment on Twitter that drew criticism from some.
"Happy Memorial Day! Those who died for our great country would be very happy and proud at how well our country is doing today. Best economy in decades, lowest unemployment numbers for Blacks and Hispanics EVER (& women in 18years), rebuilding our Military and so much more. Nice!" he tweeted.
The tweet struck some as self-serving.
"This is one of the most inappropriate, ignorant and tone-deaf things our Commander-in-Chief could have said on a day like today," tweeted John Kirby, a State Department spokesman during the Obama administration.
Retired Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff under Obama, seemed to chastise Trump in a tweet of his own.
"This day, of all days of the year, should not be about any one of us," he wrote. "No matter how prestigious or powerful, no matter how successful we perceive ourselves to be. Rather, this day should be about those who gave their lives so that we could live ours in freedom."
Meanwhile, the president's family members focused on remembrance.
"On #MemorialDay we honor the many Americans who laid down their lives for our great country," Melania Trump tweeted. "As one nation under God, we come together to remember that freedom isn't free. Thank you to all the service members & their families who sacrifice so much to keep us safe."
"As we remember our fallen servicemen and women, our hearts are filled with gratitude for their sacrifice and awe of their courage," Ivanka Trump tweeted.
Memorial Day 2018
It has turned into a day for grilling, beach parties, backyards and mattress sales, but Memorial Day is so much more than a day off from work.
It’s time for final thoughts.
WATCH: Dale Earnhardt's Grandson Honors America's Fallen at Memorial Day NASCAR Race
Tomi Lahren on New NFL Anthem Policy: Americans Used Their Remotes and Made a Difference
I hope you’re enjoying Memorial Day with your friends and family. But please take a moment in the midst of your fun and relaxation to remember what this day is all about.
Memorial Day is a day to remember those who died in active military service. Without their service and sacrifice, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy all the things we enjoy today, or any day.
I want to use my “Final Thoughts” to pay tribute to those who have paid the ultimate price. Specifically, I want to recognize the members of our armed forces who have been killed in action so far in 2018.
Today is your day.
Specialist Gabriel David Conde
Here's one more of our fallen heroes in Colorado: 22-year-old Gabriel Conde. His remains were brought home this month after he was killed in action in Afghanistan. Don't forget to take some time to reflect on the true meaning of Memorial Day this weekend. @DenverChannel pic.twitter.com/P1BsXovfSs — Meghan Lopez (@Meghan_Lopez) May 25, 2018
Died April 30th in Afghanistan. He was 22.
Master Sergeant Jonathan Dunbar
.@CJTFOIR mourns the loss of @Coalition warriors MSGT Jonathan Dunbar and SGT Matt Tonroe, killed near #Manbij, Syria, 29 March. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, friends, and fellow troopers. Rest easy. pic.twitter.com/ond4T4Dx7E — OIR Spokesman (@OIRSpox) April 1, 2018
Died March 30th in Syria. He was 36.
We lost Staff Sergeant Dashan Briggs, Staff Sergeant Carl Enis, Captain Andreas O’Keeffe, Master Sergeant, William Posch, Master Sergeant Christopher Raguso, Captain Mark Weber, and Captain Christopher Zanetis in a helicopter crash on March 15th in western Iraq.
Final respects paid to Staff Sgt. Carl Enis of the @920thRescueWing - https://t.co/jzIX1z2vna — Air Force Reserve (@USAFReserve) May 21, 2018
RIP US AIR FORCE Captain Andreas B. O'Keeffe, 37, of Center Moriches, New York; died March 15 when an HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed in western Iraq. pic.twitter.com/ycwL3936J5 — The Fallen (@War_Casualties) April 1, 2018
1) Let us Honor USAF Master Sergeant William R. Posch, 36 of Indialantic, Florida, assigned to the 308th Rescue Squadron, Air Force Reserve, Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, died (March 15, 2018) in a HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crash in Iraq. pic.twitter.com/WXy01XYDV7 — Terry (@TerranceCreamer) March 23, 2018
.@Smatz88 remembers New York Air National Guard Master Sergeant Christopher Raguso who also was a Lieutenant in the @FDNY. #MemorialDayWeekend #MemorialDay pic.twitter.com/Mlm2nuiHNQ — New York Mets (@Mets) May 26, 2018
Bartonville native Capt. Mark Weber's public memorial service will be held today. Please use caution when traveling along FM 407 today between 5 and 6 pm. More: https://t.co/3SmsfWxWFa pic.twitter.com/sAmlViW2sF — Town of Flower Mound (@flower_mound) March 29, 2018
He was a person willing to help, step up, always do the right thing, and always put others before himself -#FDNY Fire Marshal Tom Sabella remembers Fire Marshal Christopher “Tripp” Zanetis. Read more https://t.co/zZi6AxVTsP pic.twitter.com/1MpUbI6N22 — FDNY (@FDNY) March 21, 2018
Sergeant First Class Maitland D. Wilson
DIED IN GERMANY 3/7/18 Army SFC MAITLAND D WILSON of Brooklyn NY 595TransBrigade Bahrain Died of an unidentified cause in a non-combat related incident in Landstuhl, Germany See https://t.co/kyBu47Br8p pic.twitter.com/iJ0WcqzNu0 — jerrygenesio (@jerrygenesio) March 10, 2018
Died on March 9th in Germany. He was 38.
Sergeant Christina Schoenecker
Honoring United States Army Sergeant Christina Marie Schoenecker, 26 of Arlington, Kansas, assigned to the 89th Sustainment Brigade out of Wichita, Kansas, died (February 19, 2018) in Baghdad, Iraq. R.I.P. pic.twitter.com/uZCmMqP3W8 — Military Support (@MilitaryEarth) March 14, 2018
Died February 19th in Baghdad. She was 26.
Specialist Javion S. Sullivan
In memory...
Governor Henry McMaster ordered the flags atop the State Capitol Building
lowered to half-staff from sunup until sundown on
Friday, January 26, 2018, in tribute to Specialist
Javion S. Sullivan, United States Army, who lost his life in Anbar Province, Iraq, pic.twitter.com/vIavGluyxK — PickensCountySC (@PickensCountySC) January 27, 2018
Died January 8th in Iraq. He was 24.
And Sergeant First Class Mihail Golin
Sgt. 1st Class Mihail Golin, 34, moved to the United States in 2004 from Latvia, and joined the Army a few months later. He was on his fourth combat deployment when he was killed Monday in Afghanistan. RIP.https://t.co/UpN54VFjEp pic.twitter.com/6PWtFY2n5u — Dan Lamothe (@DanLamothe) January 3, 2018
Died January 1st in Afghanistan. He was 34.
We salute you: all 13 of you, along with your families, friends and loved ones. It’s because of you that we live in the greatest nation on Earth. You fought bravely to protect and defend all of us, even those who are too troubled to stand for the flag and anthem.
Rest in peace knowing millions of patriotic and grateful Americans will always stand for you, in your memory, and with the utmost respect for what you’ve done for us and the rest of the free world. A hero remembered, never dies.
Those are my final thoughts. From LA, God bless you, God bless America, and take care.
Tomi Lahren: 'Knee-Jerk Reactions' on Gun Control 'Never the Solution'
Tomi Lahren on Jerusalem Embassy Dedication: Trump 'Delivered on His Promise'
