Maybe he just didn’t know what the word “is” means. As in Mach 1.2 “is” supersonic.
Cut your correspndents some slack and remember that by your argument Yeager and Glennis didn't go supersonic - the General would take offense.
From my limited knowledge of the Bone:
It's a maintenance nightmare.
Logistcs (parts) are a nightmare and a slow motion pain in the butt. (I'd guess that all the examples already in DM's boneyard are hollow shells.)
Like the A10 - AF would bury it if they didn't need it so badly.
It was reauthorized and redesigned to carry conventional weapons - therefore most missions would require subsonic (lower end of transonic) flight.
It may be the absolute most beautiful aircraft ever(!)
Carter was a jerk then and he is more of a jerk today.