Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Pentagon sends stern message to White House over USS John McCain debacle
The Blaze ^ | June 2nd 2019 | Chris Enloe

Posted on 06/02/2019 1:46:13 PM PDT by Ennis85

The Pentagon sent a stern message to the White House over the weekend after it was confirmed officials directed the United States Navy to minimize the presence of the USS John McCain during President Donald Trump's recent visit to Japan.

What did the Pentagon say?

Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan directed his staff over the weekend to reaffirm that the U.S. military will not be "politicized," Reuters reported.

"Secretary Shanahan directed his chief of staff to speak with the White House military office and reaffirm his mandate that the Department of Defense will not be politicized," Pentagon spokesman Lt. Colonel Joe Buccino said. "The chief of staff reported that he did reinforce this message."

While traveling to Seoul on Sunday, Shanahan reaffirmed his message to reporters accompanying him on the trip.

"There is no room for politicizing the military," Shanahan said.

What is the background?

On Saturday, the U.S. Navy confirmed the White House requested the USS John McCain be moved during Trump's visit to Japan, NBC News reported.

"A request was made to the U.S. Navy to minimize the visibility of USS John S. McCain, however, all ships remained in their normal configuration during the President's visit," Rear Admiral Charlie Brown, chief of information, told NBC.

According to Reuters, the request originated in the White House military office. Apparently, staffers believed the optics would not be good for the president since McCain was one of his biggest political rivals.

However, as Brown confirmed, senior Navy leadership refused comply with the request.

What is the White House saying?

On Sunday, White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney downplayed the incident, calling the request "not ... unreasonable."

https://twitter.com/MeetThePress/status/1135176786873081857?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1135176786873081857%7Ctwgr%5E393039363b636f6e74726f6c&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theblaze.com%2Fres%2Fcommunity%2Ftwitter_embed%2F%3Fiframe_id%3Dtwitter-embed-1135176786873081857%26created_ts%3D1559482211.0%26screen_name%3DMeetThePress%26text%3DWATCH%253A%2BActing%2BWhite%2BHouse%2BChief%2Bof%2BStaff%2BMick%2BMulvaney%2Btells%2BChuck%2BTodd%2Bthat%2Bmoving%2Ba%2BNavy%2Bship%2Bout%2Bof%2Bsight%2Bfrom%2Bt%25E2%2580%25A6%2Bhttps%253A%252F%252Ft.co%252FW5ZvDSw0DM%26id%3D1135176786873081857%26name%3DMeet%2Bthe%2BPress


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: fake; johnmccain; navy; pentagon; trump
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-112 next last
To: bigbob

I don’t know, but re-christening a warship is considered a death sentence for the ship herself, meaning it will be destroyed/sunk in accidents/battle.

This happened in US history: WW2 the “Jeep” carrier USS Midway was re-christened the USS St. Lo and she was sunk during the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

Renaming a warship (within the same navy) is a serious no-no.


21 posted on 06/02/2019 2:01:57 PM PDT by txnativegop (The political left, Mankinds intellectual hemlock)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: gov_bean_ counter

It’s named after Admiral McCain and Admiral McCain. Not Senator McCain.

And why any of this hit the press is a good question. Someone needs to be demoted to the South Pole.


22 posted on 06/02/2019 2:02:03 PM PDT by petitfour (APPEAL TO HEAVEN)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85
According to Reuters, the request originated in the White House military office. Apparently, staffers believed the optics would not be good for the president since McCain was one of his biggest political rivals.

President Trump should ream these people a new one. The real "bad optics" is them doing this without an order from the President. God protect him from people like these who "want to help him".

23 posted on 06/02/2019 2:02:24 PM PDT by Oatka
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: gunsequalfreedom

No one


24 posted on 06/02/2019 2:02:24 PM PDT by petitfour (APPEAL TO HEAVEN)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: bigbob
I vote for renaming it the USS Donald J Trump!

McCain disrespected his Commander in Chief, subverted efforts to control the border, voted for Obamacare, criticized all efforts to support and defend the nation while in the US Senate. I doubt there could be any bad luck worse than calling a ship after the unmitigated disaster that was John McCain.

25 posted on 06/02/2019 2:02:35 PM PDT by Missouri gal
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85

Seems to me the MSM practices “Propaganda/Fake News”, and calls it journalism, and “The Blaze” practices what was once upon a time called “Yellow Journalism”.


26 posted on 06/02/2019 2:02:57 PM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists call 'em what you will they all have fairies livin' in their trees.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85

Didn’t Obama have the crucifix covered when he spoke at Georgetown?


27 posted on 06/02/2019 2:03:46 PM PDT by Mercat
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: rawcatslyentist

It was named for his grandfather, Adm. John S. McCain Sr., then his father, Adm. John S. McCain Jr. was added and only recently was Sen. John S. McCain III added.


28 posted on 06/02/2019 2:04:11 PM PDT by TigersEye (This is the age of the death of reason.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85

Tail wagging dog.


29 posted on 06/02/2019 2:05:04 PM PDT by Kalamata (Pt 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yC2EoEGl20&list=PLrCQerz2L0If_VT4tw73RjhG5tBjdZfZy&index=3)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bigbob
Yes, the media will really flip out when the Navy is forced to remove McCain's name from that ship.
30 posted on 06/02/2019 2:05:59 PM PDT by Major Matt Mason (Will the Democrats now accept the results of the 2016 election?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85

I want to know who in the White House thought this was a good idea in the first place. I can’t believe that Trump knew. He’s smart enough to know that the US Military is probably his strongest bloc of supporters an,d regardless of how her personally feels about the muchly unlamented Sen. John McCain, 1) the ship was named after that cretin’s father/grandfather, and 2) the sailors assigned to serve aboard her deserve as much recognition as any other squid in the Navy.


31 posted on 06/02/2019 2:06:22 PM PDT by Ronin (I need a new tagline...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85

This is such a big deal! Where are my pearls? I need to clutch them, and gasp at the horror!


32 posted on 06/02/2019 2:06:27 PM PDT by bk1000 (I stand with Trump)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85
"...Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan directed his staff over the weekend to reaffirm that the U.S. military will not be "politicized..."

Shanahan might want to rethink that one.

The US military has been among the leading components of political/social experimentation for most of the past 60 years.

33 posted on 06/02/2019 2:06:30 PM PDT by skimbell
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Ronin

No kidding. The staffers who did this need to be keel hauled.


34 posted on 06/02/2019 2:08:38 PM PDT by TigersEye (This is the age of the death of reason.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 31 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85

Stern warning my A$$. This if a BS fake new story if I ever heard one. No one in the military that values their job would even think about doing something like this.


35 posted on 06/02/2019 2:08:48 PM PDT by Newbomb Turk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: CondorFlight

> A tempest in a teapot.

Fake news by any other name is still fake news.
;)

IIRC, Benedict Arnold was a war hero, too.


36 posted on 06/02/2019 2:09:49 PM PDT by Westbrook (Children do not divide your love, they multiply it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: gov_bean_ counter
Please look up the USS John McCain before you embarass yourself anymore.
37 posted on 06/02/2019 2:10:30 PM PDT by Deaf Smith (When a Texan takes his chances, chances will be taken that's fore sure)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Ennis85

It is very easy to orient the stage so only things behind POTUS will be in the camera shot.


38 posted on 06/02/2019 2:11:15 PM PDT by Sgt_Schultze (When your business model depends on slave labor, you're always going to need more slaves.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: redfreedom

being stripped of their commissions for the good of the service would be a more appropriate punishment, imo.


39 posted on 06/02/2019 2:12:06 PM PDT by txnativegop (The political left, Mankinds intellectual hemlock)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 11 | View Replies]

To: robowombat

“Why cannot DJT find some retired general...”

I’m thinking of the admiral (?) who was going to defy orders to stand down and send help to the Benghazi fiasco and a junior somebody ratted him out and stopped the rescue. The the admiral (?) was fired.


40 posted on 06/02/2019 2:12:10 PM PDT by ryderann
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-112 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson