Trump is trivializing military deaths

[Schwarzer Ritter]

I remember how ABC and Skippy Steponallofus used to post the deaths in the middle east when Bush was President. I sent off an email pointing out Bush would not be president forever. What would Skippy do when a democrat might be in office. Well, Obama won. Slowly, ABC stopped the casualty list. That is your liberal caring. Troops still dying but forgotten by the press.

[Yssup Rider]

Originally Posted by Schwarzer Ritter

I remember how ABC and Skippy Steponallofus used to post the deaths in the middle east when Bush was President. I sent off an email pointing out Bush would not be president forever. What would Skippy do when a democrat might be in office. Well, Obama won. Slowly, ABC stopped the casualty list. That is your liberal caring. Troops still dying but forgotten by the press.

Little oil and vinegar for that word salad, Schwarzer?

Only Trump cares that much about the press. After all, the free media is a threat to his regime.

And, of course, the fools who take his words as gospel.

[Precious_b]

Originally Posted by royamcr

The US is severely underreporting deaths in the region. With the amount of fire power being exchanged can we really believe only "5 or 6" US service members have died? The number is likely over 500 but we won't know for sure until families start reporting not being able to contact their family in the region.

Heard another one bit the dust.

And no end game given.
No objective clearly stated.
And no war declared by Congress.

Why are these troops dying?

Originally Posted by CPT Savajo

I concur. Shit they've stopped reporting on it altogether. If the truth gets out it'll make Trump look real bad and Rooster will be pissed off if he sees bombed out bases/tarmacs and embassies. So in that regard the media is doing a stellar job in covering up the truth that only 6 service members have payed the ultimate price so far. I'm not buying it.

And more to follow, which has happened.
Nobody seems concerned with the civilian death toll.
I seem to remember a certain republican constantly screeching how many civilians died from Obama signing off on strikes.

Originally Posted by elghund

Even Fox “News” agrees that Trump didn’t give a fuck about the fallen soldiers, since he was wearing a MAGAtard hat that is for sale in his online store. Fox showed old video of Trump without a hat on, under the guise of “news”, but was really an shabby attempt to make Trump look good.

He turned the solemn occasion into a political photo op.

Fox has tried another lie to the American public….and caught once again. When are MAGAtards gonna learn not to watch that trash that Fox puts out.


Fox News apologizes for showing old video of a hatless Donald Trump at a dignified transfer ceremony


https://thehill.com/homenews/media/f...sfer/?tbref=hp

That was disrespectful not removing that gawdy cover.

Originally Posted by Turner2099

This hat? The one he pretty much advertised at Dover?

https://www.trumpstore.com/usa-45-47-hat

U.S. ranks have their roots in British military traditions, with the president possessing ultimate authority, but no rank, maintaining a civilian status.

You're right. Civilians should remove their hats as a sign of respect for fallen soldiers.

They shouldn't salute enemy generals, either.



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powers...f%20the%20navy).
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...-salute-646248

Or fondle their balls.

Originally Posted by Schwarzer Ritter

I remember how ABC and Skippy Steponallofus used to post the deaths in the middle east when Bush was President. I sent off an email pointing out Bush would not be president forever. What would Skippy do when a democrat might be in office. Well, Obama won. Slowly, ABC stopped the casualty list. That is your liberal caring. Troops still dying but forgotten by the press.

Remember Charles Kuralt (sp) always giving the Vietnam body count on the morning news.

[Lantern2814]

Originally Posted by txdot-guy

And you have just fallen for the administration’s propaganda. It works like this.

The media covers the fallen troops.
The administration claims that the coverage is biased against Trump.
Now the media reports on the administration rather than the war.

This outrage from the administration is designed to keep the MAGA base focused on the media rather than concerned with the actual war and its consequences.

People not wanting our servicemen to be killed is "administration propaganda"? Obviously the point went right over your head and you respond with nothing but the usual TDS crying. Again, you lefties embarrass yourselves and make yourselves look worse than we could.

[txdot-guy]

Originally Posted by Lantern2814

People not wanting our servicemen to be killed is "administration propaganda"? Obviously the point went right over your head and you respond with nothing but the usual TDS crying. Again, you lefties embarrass yourselves and make yourselves look worse than we could.

No, claiming that the media’s reporting on the servicemen and women killed in action is “designed to make the president look bad” and is “fake news” is straight up propaganda.

Hegseth claims is what started this whole situation and is apparently working to change the narrative from the deaths of our servicemen and women to the Presidents claims that he’s being persecuted by the media. And the MAGA base is completely falling for it.

[Precious_b]

Originally Posted by Lantern2814

People not wanting our servicemen to be killed is "administration propaganda"? Obviously the point went right over your head and you respond with nothing but the usual TDS crying. Again, you lefties embarrass yourselves and make yourselves look worse than we could.

*I* would label the "administration propaganda" as no one in the donny crew being on the same page with what they caused.

[Lantern2814]

Originally Posted by txdot-guy

No, claiming that the media’s reporting on the servicemen and women killed in action is “designed to make the president look bad” and is “fake news” is straight up propaganda.

Hegseth claims is what started this whole situation and is apparently working to change the narrative from the deaths of our servicemen and women to the Presidents claims that he’s being persecuted by the media. And the MAGA base is completely falling for it.

You're just getting buried all over the forum today. Point out where I put any of what you're spewing all over your keyboard into my post. Pointing out that elg totally misrepresented what President Trump said and you immediately cry about propaganda. Nobody cares about your left wing "media" idiots anymore. But you lefties live in your own reality. Pretending you actually care about servicemen now. Just sad.

[txdot-guy]

Originally Posted by txdot-guy

And you have just fallen for the administration’s propaganda. It works like this.

The media covers the fallen troops.
The administration claims that the coverage is biased against Trump.
Now the media reports on the administration rather than the war.

This outrage from the administration is designed to keep the MAGA base focused on the media rather than concerned with the actual war and its consequences.

Originally Posted by Lantern2814

You're just getting buried all over the forum today. Point out where I put any of what you're spewing all over your keyboard into my post. Pointing out that elg totally misrepresented what President Trump said and you immediately cry about propaganda. Nobody cares about your left wing "media" idiots anymore. But you lefties live in your own reality. Pretending you actually care about servicemen now. Just sad.

It’s apparent to me that you didn’t read the articles linked in the OP.

It’s also apparent that you don’t understand the point that I am making.

Here is an excerpt from the first article linked in the OP.

CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins defended herself following a spat with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Wednesday over media coverage of the deaths of six U.S. service members as part of President Trump’s ongoing military operations in Iran.

“Needless to say, our coverage of Americans who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country is not about the president, and it’s not about CNN either,” Collins said on her nightly prime-time program on the channel. “It’s about the people that you’re looking at here. Capt. Cody Khork. Sgt. 1st Class Noah Tietjens. Sgt. 1st Class Nicole Amor. And Sgt. Declan Coady.”

“It’s also for those whose names the Pentagon just released tonight, the other two who were killed, Maj. Jeffrey O’Brien and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Robert Marzan,” she continued. “May they rest in peace, and may their memory be a blessing for their families, their loved ones and their nation.”

The host’s comments were first highlighted by Mediaite.

Collins had played for her audience a clip of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth blasting mainstream media coverage of the deaths, which he said was designed “make the president look bad” and argued the “fake news” should be focusing on the success of American operations in the Middle East.

Collins confronted Leavitt about Hegseth’s comments Wednesday, asking if the “press should not prominently cover the deaths of U.S. service members?”

“The press does only want to make the president look bad,” Leavitt responded. “That’s an objective fact. Especially you and especially CNN.”

Leavitt has increasingly attacked both mainstream and conservative media figures who have been critical of the president’s decision to launch military action in Iran.

As you can see it describes a spat between Kaitlan Collins of CNN and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt about the statement by Pete Hegseth claiming that the Mainstream Media was trying to make the President look bad and that the “Fake News” should focus not on the American troops killed but rather on something else that Hegseth thinks makes the military or the President look good.

It’s all right there in the links and this thread is proof that my point is true. The trump administration wants the public and the MAGA base talking about how the media is vilifying Trump rather than the actual dead soldiers who have died in the last few days by Iranian missiles and drones.

[Turner2099]

Originally Posted by txdot-guy

It’s all right there in the links and this thread is proof that my point is true. The trump administration wants the public and the MAGA base talking about how the media is vilifying Trump rather than the actual dead soldiers who have died in the last few days by Iranian missiles and drones.

I asked Claude.AI, "is vilifying the media a propaganda tactic?"

Here's the response:

Yes, vilifying the media is a well-documented propaganda tactic, and it appears consistently across historical and contemporary authoritarian and populist movements worldwide.

Why it works as a propaganda tactic

The core strategic logic is straightforward: if you can convince people that independent journalism is corrupt, biased, or actively hostile to them, you neutralize the primary institutional check on your own messaging. Once the audience distrusts outside information sources, they become more dependent on the propagandist's own narrative.

Specifically it achieves several goals:

-Preemptive discrediting — any negative reporting can be dismissed as proof of bias rather than evaluated on its merits

--Closed information loop — audiences retreat to trusted in-group sources, reducing exposure to contradicting facts

--Tribal identity reinforcement — "the media is lying to you, but we're telling you the truth" creates a powerful us-vs-them bond

--Erosion of shared reality — when people can't agree on basic facts, democratic deliberation breaks down

Bottom line

Vilifying the media — as distinct from criticizing it — is unambiguously a propaganda tactic with a well-documented history and measurable effects on democratic discourse. It has been employed by authoritarian regimes across the ideological spectrum. The key distinction is whether the goal is accountability and accuracy, or blanket delegitimization designed to insulate a leader or movement from scrutiny.