Politics
Column: Why Donald Trump's politicking at Arlington National Cemetery should disgust every American
![Column: Why Donald Trump's politicking at Arlington National Cemetery should disgust every American Column: Why Donald Trump's politicking at Arlington National Cemetery should disgust every American](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1322b4d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/5559x2918+0+394/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F49%2F75%2F63ba63f446a8983f80076f6909a8%2Ftrump-cementerio-de-arlington-36750.jpg)
Former President Trump did something breathtakingly cynical, certainly immoral and probably illegal the other day.
In other words, it was Monday.
Trump used an appearance on the hallowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, a resting place for many who honorably served their country, to make a campaign video.
Trump was ostensibly at Arlington to commemorate the third anniversary of the killing of 13 American service members by a suicide bomber during the chaotic American withdrawal from Afghanistan. He said the solidiers’ family members, some of whom disparaged President Biden at the Republican National Convention, invited him.
I have no doubt that’s true. But even the grieving families of fallen soldiers do not have a right to trash Arlington‘s protocols.
The Army, which oversees the cemetery, forbids any sort of political activities on the grounds. It is, as the Trump campaign was informed, against federal law and Defense Department policy. The Washington Post reported that Pentagon officials were “deeply concerned” that Trump would turn the visit into a campaign stop but also wanted to accommodate him.
During the visit, a cemetery official tried to enforce the rules against outside cameras in Section 60, the area devoted chiefly to soldiers killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Two Trump staffers physically pushed her out of the way, according to news reports.
The official declined to press charges because she feared retaliation from Trump supporters, according to an Army statement. Trump spokesman Steven Cheung promptly slimed her as “clearly suffering from a mental health episode.”
Trump had smiled broadly and given a jarring thumbs-up as he stood at the grave of Marine Staff Sgt. Darin Taylor Hoover, one of those killed in the bombing. He wasn’t there just to pay his respects; he was there to exploit the tragedy that occurred at Kabul airport’s Abbey Gate in 2021 by blaming it on Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, who has soared in recent polls.
The frenzied withdrawal and terrible loss of life occurred on Biden’s watch — as did the abandonment of at least 78,000 Afghans who worked for the U.S. government and continue to live there precariously. Nonetheless, Trump crassly ignores his own role in the debacle. A deal he himself struck with the Taliban locked the United States into a withdrawal timeline. Military intelligence was profoundly mistaken about the Afghan government’s ability to defend Kabul, which fell to the Taliban with lightning speed. There is enough blame to go around.
I called a dear friend whose parents are buried at Arlington. Her father was a Marine colonel and a veteran of World War II, Korea and Vietnam. At his funeral, he was given a 21-gun salute, and his procession included a riderless horse, empty boots in the stirrups facing backward to symbolize a final look back at his troops and his loved ones.
“My father was a conservative guy, but he would have thought Trump was a pig,” my friend told me. “He believed in honor, and if you are buried at Arlington, it is an honor. It is not something that should be … [messed] with.”
Trump has a history of demeaning military sacrifices and messing with honorable traditions. As president, he turned the White House into his personal political prop, using it as a backdrop for the launch of his failed 2020 reelection campaign.
Poor Ohio Sen. JD Vance, whose awkwardness on the campaign trail has turned him into a meme-worthy punch line. He has once again been put in the sorry position of trying to mop up after his running mate. At a campaign rally in Wisconsin on Wednesday, an indignant Vance excoriated the media.
“You’re acting like Donald Trump filmed a TV commercial at a grave site,” said Vance, a Marine veteran. “He was there providing emotional support to a lot of brave Americans who lost loved ones they never should have lost, and there happened to be a camera there, and someone gave them permission to have that camera there.”
As they say on social media, who’s gonna tell him?
That very day, the Trump campaign released a video showing the former president at Arlington, laying flowers at a grave and posing for photos with the Gold Star families.
In a voice-over, Trump says, “We didn’t lose one person in 18 months,” a self-regarding and entirely bogus claim he’s been making for the last few years. As Reuters reported in May 2022, if Trump was referring to the time period in which he negotiated the withdrawal agreement, 15 American troops suffered what the Defense Department called “hostile deaths” in Afghanistan. If he was referring to the last 18 months of his presidency, 12 members of the military died in Afghanistan. None of this is likely to dissuade Trump’s passionate supporters. But let’s hope his creepy stunt will persuade the last undecided voters that he is truly, deeply unfit to be this country’s commander in chief.
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Politics
Illegal immigrant who pleaded guilty in fatal Colorado crash faces just one year behind bars
![Illegal immigrant who pleaded guilty in fatal Colorado crash faces just one year behind bars Illegal immigrant who pleaded guilty in fatal Colorado crash faces just one year behind bars](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/06/Ignacio-Crash.png)
An illegal immigrant who pleaded guilty to causing a crash that killed a man in Colorado is facing a maximum of a year in jail when he is sentenced Friday, according to local reports.
Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza was charged with misdemeanor traffic violations, including one count of careless driving resulting in death, and he pleaded guilty in July, 9News reported. He faces one year in jail and some fines as a result when sentenced.
Fox reported earlier this year that Cruz-Mendoza was hauling a load of steel pipe on Hwy 285 when he lost control of the semi, sending it rolling onto its side as it veered off the road.
SEMI DRIVER IN DEADLY COLORADO HIGHWAY CRASH IS ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT WHO WAS DEPORTED FROM US MULTIPLE TIMES: ICE
L-R: Mugshot of Ignacio Cruz-Mendoza; wreckage from the deadly crash along US 285 in Colorado. (Colorado State Patrol; KDVR)
A load of pipe and angle iron spilled out of the semi and onto five other vehicles. One person was killed, and another was seriously injured, authorities said. A spokesperson for ICE confirmed that Cruz-Mendoza has a long history of removal to Mexico, stretching back more than two decades. ICE first became aware of Cruz-Mendoza in April 2002 when he was arrested on local charges in Jefferson County, Oregon, the ICE spokesperson said.
An immigration judge ordered Cruz-Mendoza removed to Mexico on May 29, 2002. Since then, he has been removed from the U.S. or voluntarily returned to Mexico 16 times, ICE said.
The widow of Scott Miller, the man killed in the crash, took aim at the district attorney for not bringing more charges.
“I’m mad that I’m not going to get justice for my husband, mad because … the most this man can get is a year for murdering my husband because the DA refused to charge him with more charges,” Deann Miller told 9News.
LAKEN RILEY MURDER: ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT SUSPECT IN GEORGIA COLLEGE STUDENT SLAYING ASKS TO HIDE CERTAIN EVIDENCE
“It makes me feel like they didn’t do their job,” Miller said. “They’re not doing their job. Who else is going to get these rogue truck drivers and these rogue trucking companies off the road if not the people we put in charge to make us safe?”
9News reported that the DA’s office was surprised that Cruz-Mendoza pleaded guilty in his arraignment on the misdemeanor, preventing further charges. The Jefferson County DA’s office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital but told 9News that they are looking into the trucking company involved in the crash.
Fox News’ Bradford Betz contributed to this report.
Politics
Harris says no regrets about defending Biden fitness for office
![Harris says no regrets about defending Biden fitness for office Harris says no regrets about defending Biden fitness for office](https://static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/Joe-Biden-Kamala-Harris-Democratic-convention-Chicago-Aug-19-2024-e1725021013849.jpg)
Vice President Kamala Harris is standing by her previous comments defending President Joe Biden’s mental acuity — even now as she’s running to replace him.
The vice president and 2024 Democratic presidential candidate was asked by CNN whether she has any regrets about defending Biden’s mental acuity amid a firestorm of skepticism following the first presidential debate.
“No, not at all,” Harris told CNN reporter Dana Bash.
TOP 5 MOMENTS FROM KAMALA HARRIS’ FIRST INTERVIEW AS DEM NOMINEE: ‘I WILL NOT BAN FRACKING’
Kamala Harris is currently serving as Vice President of the United States for the Biden-Harris administration. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Harris rose to the top of the ticket after Biden dropped out of the race last month following his disastrous debate performance against former President Donald Trump in June.
The debate, which included Biden repeatedly tripping over his words and losing his train of thought, opened the floodgates to traditional Democratic allies of the president joining conservatives in sounding the alarm over Biden’s mental acuity and age.
The vice president publicly supported Biden throughout the media circus and secured his endorsement just minutes after his own campaign came to close.
CONSERVATIVES REACT TO KAMALA HARRIS’ LATEST ‘WORD SALAD’ ON CLIMATE CHANGE ‘DEADLINES’
![Tim Walz Kamala Harris](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/4779b089-GettyImages-2168154554-scaled-e1725020891971.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Democratic presidential candidate and Vice President Kamala Harris listens to her running mate, Gov. Tim Walz, speak during a visit with members of the marching band at Liberty County High School in Hinesville, Georgia. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Harris dodged the question of whether Biden initially endorsed her to run in his place when he called to announce his withdrawal from the election amid mounting concern over his mental faculties.
“What about the endorsement? Did you ask for it?” Bash asked Harris.
“He was very clear that he was gonna support me,” Harris responded.
“So, when he called to tell you, he said, ‘I’m pulling out of the race, and I’m gonna support you?,’” Bash pressed Harris.
“Well, my first thought was not about me, to be honest with you. My first thought was about him, to be honest. I think history is gonna show a number of things about Joe Biden’s presidency. I think history is gonna show that in so many ways, it was transformative, be it on what we have accomplished around finally investing in America’s infrastructure, investing in new economics, in new industries, what we have done to bring our allies back together, and have confidence in who we are as America, and grow that alliance, what we have done to stand true to our principles including the — the — one of the most important international rules and norms, which is the importance of sovereignty and territorial integrity,” she said.
![Biden vacation delaware](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/6d819dfe-GettyImages-2168124643-scaled-e1725020912495.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
President Biden sits on the beach in Cape Henlopen State Park, in Lewes, Delaware. (ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP via Getty Images)
The highly anticipated sit-down marked the first interview Harris has held in 39 days, since she became the presumptive nominee. She was joined by her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, for the pre-taped CNN interview that aired Thursday evening.
Harris has largely avoided the media since ascending the Democratic ticket, only rarely answering media questions while on the campaign trail and holding no press conferences.
Biden has spent the majority of the last two weeks on vacation at beach properties in California and Delaware.
Fox News’ Emma Colton and Matteo Cina contributed to this report.
Politics
Column: Trump asks why Harris hasn't done all she's promised. The answer: Because she's VICE president
![Column: Trump asks why Harris hasn't done all she's promised. The answer: Because she's VICE president Column: Trump asks why Harris hasn't done all she's promised. The answer: Because she's VICE president](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/96fa5fe/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x1575+0+213/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F2b%2Fc7%2Fbf47cc20439dae1dd2afa19814c3%2Fla-pol-harris-trump-diptych.jpg)
He’s called her Laffin’ Kamala and Lyin’ Kamala. Crazy Kamala and Comrade Kamala.
He’s described the vice president as lazy, dumb and antisemitic. (Even though her husband is Jewish, so maybe Donald Trump should throw in masochistic as well?)
Ever since Kamala Harris became his opponent, an obviously flummoxed Trump has grappled with how to run against a Democrat who doesn’t share his gender, flesh tone or senior status.
Test marketing, he’s fastened onto one line of attack that is particularly noteworthy. Not because it hasn’t sprung from a sandbox, but because it’s such a facile and specious argument: Why, Trump demands, hasn’t Harris already accomplished all that she is promising on the campaign trail?
“She says she’s going to lower the cost of food and housing, starting on Day 1,” he said at a recent swing-state rally in Pennsylvania. “But Day 1 for Kamala was 3½ years ago. So why didn’t she do it then?”
Here’s why: Because she’s serving as vice president of these United States.
Go ahead, criticize the Biden administration and assail its record. Call it, if you’d like, the worst and most incompetent in the whole history of humankind.
But don’t pretend that Harris is the one in charge.
As vice president, “you’re in the room, but you’re not the decision-maker,” said Joel Goldstein, an emeritus law professor at St. Louis University who has written two books on the vice presidency. “You have a voice, but ultimately there’s one vote that counts, and you don’t have it.”
If the question is, “Why didn’t she do it?” Goldstein went on, “the answer is, ‘It wasn’t her administration.’”
The vice presidency has often served as the punch line in a long-running joke — that is, when the office and its occupant have gotten any attention at all. In the corpus of our political system, a vice president is like an appendix; it does some good, but you could easily live without one.
John Adams — the first to hold the position, under President Washington — once called the vice presidency the “most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived or his imagination conceived.”
Walter Mondale, who was President Carter’s understudy, described the vice presidency as “an awkward office.” It falls under two branches of government, the executive and legislative, where the vice president serves as tiebreaker in the Senate. (Last December, Harris set a record by casting the most tiebreaking votes ever.)
“Over most of its history,” Mondale noted, “neither branch wanted to see” the vice president.
But the nature of the job changed dramatically under Mondale, who worked out an arrangement with Carter to function as more than a potted plant. Mondale became the first vice president to have an office in the White House, met regularly with the president and carved out a meaningful advisory role in Carter’s administration, a precedent that has been followed in Washington ever since.
One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the inherently subordinate nature of the vice presidency.
“You step into a role where, by definition, you’re not supposed to lead,” said Christopher Devine, an associate political science professor at the University of Dayton and the author of books on vice presidential candidates. “You’re supposed to take a step back and serve in the shadow of the president.”
That led to a huge expectation gap for Harris — who made history as America’s first female, Black and Asian American vice president — which, in turn, led to a lot of whatever-happened-to questions as she settled into semi-anonymity and the customary role of deferring to the president and carrying out his vision.
It was only a few weeks ago that Harris began fully emerging in her own right, after President Biden stepped aside and the vice president stepped up to replace him as the Democratic nominee.
Since then, polls suggest most voters have little clue what exactly Harris has been up to these last 3½ years, which, from a political standpoint, is one of those good-and-bad things.
Blueprint, a Democratic polling and research organization, said a recent survey found “the general public does not give Harris credit for many of the Biden administration’s popular policies — but that she also won’t have to carry the president’s baggage on issues like inflation.”
In a Washington Post/ABC/Ipsos poll, nearly 6 in 10 respondents said they believe Harris had “just some” or “very little” influence on the administration’s immigration policies, and more than 6 in 10 said she had limited influence on Biden’s economic policies.
(Both surveys were completed before last week’s Democratic National Convention, which devoted four days to wreathing Harris’ in Biden’s successes while ignoring the administration’s failings.)
There are legitimate questions about the counsel Harris has given the president, which would speak to the judgment she’d exercise in the Oval Office. Harris said, for instance, she was “the last person in the room” before Biden launched the deadly and chaotic withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan. (Trump, of course, can’t help but exaggerate, asserting the vice president had “the final vote … the final say” in the matter.)
Exactly what kind of counsel Harris has offered Biden — and the extent to which the president has paid heed — is unknowable for now.
“It’s always confidential, always behind closed doors,” Goldstein noted. “The vice president can’t say, ‘The president was about to screw up and I told him don’t do that and the sun came out the next day.’”
If only.
What can be said is that it’s absurd to suggest that Harris wielded the power to stem inflation, secure the border, fix the country’s housing shortage and solve the myriad other problems Trump lays at her feet.
There’s a reason President Truman famously kept on his desk — and not the vice president’s — a sign reading “The Buck Stops Here.”
Surely Trump appreciates that pecking order, even if the alpha-obsessed ex-president doesn’t let on.
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