The Manila Times

Trump ‘unfit’ for presidency – Biden

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WASHINGTON, D.C.: Democratic presidenti­al nominee Joe Biden declared PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP “UNfiT” FOR the presidency on friday (Sat”rday in Manila), deliverin“an impassione­d reaction to a report THAT TRUMP — WHO NEVER SERVED IN UNIFORM — alle“edly mocked American war dead.

The president and his allies have dismissed the report in The Atlantic as false.

The allegation­s, sourced anonymousl­y, describe multiple offensive

comments by the president toward fallen and captured US service members, including calling World War 1 dead at an American military cemetery in France “losers” and “suckers” in 2018.

The reported comments, many of which were confirmed independen­tly by The Associated Press, are shining a fresh light on Trump’s previous public disparagem­ent of American troops and military families. That opens a new political vulnerabil­ity for the president less than two months from Election Day.

Voice cracking, Biden told reporters that “you know in your gut” Trump’s comments, if true, are “deplorable.”

“I’ve just never been as disappoint­ed, in my whole career, with a leader that I’ve worked with, president or otherwise,” Biden added. “If the article is true — and it appears to be, based on other things he’s said — it is absolutely damning. It is a disgrace.”

He added that “the president should humbly apologize to every Gold Star mother and father, to every Blue Star family that he’s denigrated. ... Who the heck does he think he is?”

Trump, in the Oval Office, said no apology was necessary because it was a “fake story.”

Trump was alleged to have made the comments in November 2018 as he was set to visit the AisneMarne American Cemetery during a trip to France. The White House said the visit was scrubbed because foggy weather made the helicopter trip from Paris too risky and a 90minute drive was deemed infeasible.

Speaking Friday in the Oval Office, Trump denied ever uttering such comments: “It was a terrible thing that somebody could say these kinds of things — and especially to me ‘ cause I’ve done more for the military than almost anybody else.”

Biden’s critique was personal. The former vice president often speaks about his pride for his late son Beau’s service in the Delaware Army National Guard.

As he spoke, Biden grew angry, raising his voice to rebut Trump’s alleged comments that Marines who died in battle were “suckers” for getting killed.

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