Remember when Trump…

attacked John McCain repeatedly for voting against Obamacare repeal?

Trump railed against Senator John McCain for being the deciding vote against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Even after McCain’s death, Trump called his behavior “disgraceful,” among other remarks:

We needed 60 votes, and we had 51 votes. And sometimes, you know, we had a little hard time with a couple of them, right? Fortunately, they’re gone now. They’ve gone on to greener pastures—or perhaps far less green pastures. But they’re gone. They’re gone, Bill. I’m very happy they’re gone.

Trump and McCain had a long and mutual animosity. Trump infamously said he didn’t consider the former Vietnam pilot and Viet Cong prisoner a war hero because he was captured.

After the failure to repeal Obamacare without any Republican alternative, Trump remarked that “nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated.” He later claimed that he “saved Pre-Existing Conditions,” even though that was a landmark provision of the legislation that he sought to repeal.

The Hill – Trump attacks John McCain over Obamacare repeal
USA Today – President Donald Trump on the late Sen. John McCain: ‘He did the nation a tremendous disservice’
The New York Times – Trump Again Attacks a Dead Senator: ‘I Never Will Be’ a Fan of John McCain

claimed that he “saved Pre-Existing Conditions”?

Since the Affordable Care Act was instituted, also known as Obamacare, insurance companies have been prohibited from refusing coverage on the basis of pre-existing conditions. Trump has railed against Obamacare since his campaign, and has tried to weaken its provisions since taking office. He repeatedly attacked John McCain for being the deciding vote in preventing the repeal of the ACA. Despite this, Trump tried to claim via tweet that he was the person who saved the pre-existing conditions provision, and promised to protect it.

Trump’s confusion regarding healthcare is not a new phenomenon, as he had previously remarked how “nobody knew that healthcare could be so complicated.”

Politico – Why McCain screwed the GOP on Obamacare repeal — again
The New York Times – To the Contrary, Trump Has Tried to Weaken Protections for Pre-existing Conditions
US News & World Report – AP FACT CHECK: No, Trump Didn’t Save Preexisting Conditions
Newsweek – TRUMP CLAIMS HE ‘SAVED’ PRE-EXISTING HEALTH CARE CONDITIONS, BUT HIS ADMINISTRATION WANTS TO KILL THEM

ended joint defense exercises between the US and South Korea at North Korea’s request?

In a major concession to North Korea, Trump said that he would be ending the “provocative” defensive joint exercises with South Korea. He also said that US soldiers stationed in South Korea should be withdrawn “at some point.” It was unclear what concessions and assurances North Korea offered in return. In response, Congress passed budget legislation prohibiting the reduction of US forces in South Korea below 22,000.

The move came after a summit between Trump and Kim Jong Un in Singapore, which featured an awkward moment where Trump saluted a North Korean officer. Trump had said he didn’t need to prepare or take notes for the historic meeting.

Trump gave his assurances that if he was wrong about trusting Kim Jong Un, he’d “find some kind of excuse.”

The New York Times – Pentagon and Seoul Surprised by Trump Pledge to Halt Military Exercises
Reuters – Trump surprises with pledge to end military exercises in South Korea
ABC News – Trump’s pledge to stop ‘war games’ with South Korea throws critical exercises into question
Time – ‘Think of It From a Real Estate Perspective’: The Most Memorable Quotes From the Trump-Kim Summit Press Conference
The Hill – Bipartisan House group introduces bills to stall Syria, South Korea troop withdrawals
WIkipedia – 2018 North Korea–United States Singapore Summit

said he didn’t need preparation or notes for a summit with Kim Jong-Un?

Trump explained that he didn’t need to prepare much for an upcoming summit with North Korea in Singapore, a first between the two nations. Instead, he explained that it was all about “attitude.”

He also said that he didn’t need notes from the meeting, due to having “one of the great memories of all time,” a claim Trump has repeated elsewhere.

After the meeting, Trump declared he would end “provocative” joint defense exercises in South Korea.

Boomberg – Trump Says He Doesn’t Need to ‘Prepare Very Much’ for Kim Summit
Politico – Trump says Kim meeting will be about ‘attitude,’ not prep work
ABC News – Trump says he doesn’t need to ‘prepare very much’ for North Korea summit, ‘it’s about attitude’
The Hill – Trump on lack of notes from Kim meeting: ‘I have one of the great memories of all time’

said the US should prevent forest fires by “raking and cleaning and doing things”?

Trump left many confused when he discussed how Finland prevented widespread forest fires, and how the United States should emulate them. He recalled a conversation with the leader of Finland, saying, “They spend a lot of time on raking and cleaning and doing things.” He explained, “We’ve got to take care of the floors, you know the floors of the forest, very important. You look at other countries where they do it differently and it’s a whole different story.

The Finnish President said that “raking” never came up in their conversation. Trump was likely referring to methods of clearing brush, which are in fact key methods of preventing and minimizing fires, and are employed in California and elsewhere.

Trump made the remarks while visiting Paradise, California, a town that had been devastated by forest fires. He later threatened to withhold funding to California for managing fires and disaster relief.

Newsweek – TRUMP SUGGESTS NOT RAKING LEAVES IS BIGGER CAUSE OF CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES THAN CLIMATE CHANGE
Independent – Trump leaves Finland bewildered by claiming country stops wildfires by ‘raking and cleaning’

said that his tweets are sufficient notice to Congress for military strikes?

After a senior Iranian official was killed by drone strike, Congressional members balked at how the White House had failed to brief them on the attack. Trump said via tweet that no notice is required (in direct contradiction with the 1973 War Powers Act), but that his Twitter posts would serve as notice to Congress.

He has similarly failed to brief Congress for strikes, including when he told Russia and Turkey of an impending attack on an ISIS leader before anyone in Congress.

Business Insider – Trump claims his ‘Media Posts’ on Twitter now count as official notification to Congress about any plans to attack Iran
Stars and Stripes – Trump claims his tweets are sufficient notice to Congress that US might strike Iran

got five draft deferments during Vietnam?

Trump received five draft deferments during the Vietnam War. Four were for college, but a fifth was for bone spurs on his foot that allegedly made him ineligible to serve. There had been no medical history of spurs during medical examinations prior, and Trump claimed that they later healed on their own.

Despite having not served, Trump has called dodging STDs his “personal Vietnam,” said John McCain wasn’t a war hero because he was captured, and has attacked Gold Star families.

Business Insider – Donald Trump avoided the military draft 5 times, but it wasn’t uncommon for young men from influential families to do so during the Vietnam War
Military Times – Trump made up injury to dodge Vietnam service, his former lawyer testifies
USA Today – Podiatrist’s daughters say bone spur diagnosis that helped Trump avoid Vietnam draft was ‘favor’

said that he would impose torture techniques “a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding?”

During a Republican primary debate, Trump said,

In the Middle East we have people chopping the heads off Christians, We have people chopping the heads off many other people. We have things that we have never seen before as a group, we have never seen before…

I would bring back waterboarding. And I would bring back a hell of a lot worse than waterboarding.

In another instance, Trump said that the US should “take out” the families of terrorists.

The Hill – Trump calls for ‘hell of a lot worse than waterboarding’
Chicago Tribune – GOP debate: Trump calls for a lot worse than waterboarding against terrorists
The Wall Street Journal – Trump Reaffirms Support for ‘Worse Than Waterboarding’

More assuredly to come soon

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