Trump Wanted to Shut Down Every U.S. Embassy in Africa, Former Defense Secretary Says
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
The revelations keep on coming from Mark Esper's new book about his time in the Trump administration. Politico on Monday morning published a new excerpt from A Sacred Oath, in which the former defense secretary expounds on the unhinged ideas Trump incessantly pushed and the efforts of those around him to convince the president to pursue more reasonable options. One such idea was to shut down the U.S. embassies in Africa.
"Shut down the embassies in Africa," Esper writes that Trump said said, noting that he did so regularly. "Bring our people [U.S. diplomats] home."
Trump hasn't exhibited very much much affection for Africa's 50-plus countries since entering politics. He famously described African nations as "shithole countries" during an immigration debate in 2018, drawing widespread condemnation. Michael Cohen, the former president's former attorney and fixer, alleged during testimony, as well as in his own memoir, that Trump had previously asked him if he could name a country run by a Black leader that wasn't a "shithole." Trump also, of course, largely launched his political career on the racist idea that Barack Obama was secretly born in Africa.
Esper writes the A Sacred Oath excerpt published by Politico on Monday that he tried to rebut this and other "outlandish" ideas with "facts, data and arguments," but that this only irritated Trump. He notes that Trump also wanted a "complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea," the nation that abuts the dictatorship run by Kim Jong-un, whom Trump has praised repeatedly.
Esper is in the middle of an extremely busy promotional tour for A Sacred Oath, which is out Tuesday. He recently sat down for an glossy interview with 60 Minutes during which he spoke at length about the "bad" and "dangerous" moves Trump was pushing ahead of the 2020 election, and how he and others in the Trump administration had to work to convince the president to reconsider. He listed Trump's desire to take military action against Venezuela, to strike Iran, and to blockade Cuba.
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"It seemed every few weeks something like this would come up and we would have to swat him down," Esper told 60 Minutes.
Mark Esper says that Cabinet members had to keep Trump from doing "bad things, terrible things" that would have taken the country in a "dark direction."pic.twitter.com/NOetdrsrpl
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) May 8, 2022
During his extended media tour, Esper has positioned himself as a check on Trump's excesses and madness. That may be true, but he could have spoken out about Trump well before the summer of 2020. It's also true that Esper willingly agreed to serve in the Trump administration despite the former president's history as an erratic racist with authoritarian ideas.
Speaking of which, The New York Times reported last week that Esper writes that Trump suggested in the summer of 2020 that Black Lives Matter protesters demonstrating outside the White House should be shot. The Times reported a few days later that Esper also wrote that Trump wanted to launch missiles into Mexico to destroy "drug labs."
60 Minutes sent a list of questions to Trump about Esper's claims. He responded to most of them by alleging "Fake News" and attacking Esper as a fake Republican who is "incapable of leading." He refrained from making any such allegations or attacks in his response the question about whether he suggested launching missiles into Mexico.
"No comment," the former president wrote.
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Hard to imagine a more blatant example of racism by a president.
He didn't want to support the white NATO countries either.
Show us something related to Trump wanting to close every US embassy in Europe.
Your wish is my command.
Sorry, leaving NATO is not the same thing as closing every embassy on a continent. An embassy is an official recognition that a country exists.
You sure do make a lot of excuses for this guy.
I'm not going to waste my time looking the rest of them up.
Don’t be sorry, you’re right, closing embassies isn’t the same thing as walking away from our largest military commitment to our oldest continuous Alliance.
Excuses?
What part of “He didn't want to support the white NATO countries either”, didn’t you understand?
I understand that every October 25, the people of Grenada celebrate Thanksgiving, as it marks the anniversary of the Reagan military liberation of 1983 in that country.
Grenada ... the setting for Eastwood's worst film.
You're right. Not in this world but possibly in some alternate existence.
You got that right, the Army blew it and wouldn’t support the script so a 82nd ABD story became a USMC one.
Huh?
No one recognizes Quebec and 'nous-de-chez-nous' make deals with everyone. We even let Donald park one of his planes here as a tax write-off.
I am, please help. I look forward to reading your clarification.
I'm not sure that you know it when you see it.
[Deleted]
You've probably been to busy, but when you find some time, I'll appreciate your clarification.
Thanks, at least you have time to edit if not to clarify.
You have many pet peeves, that explains why there is no time to clarify.
No, that would have been Space Cowboys or Firefox.
Trump also wanted a "complete withdrawal of U.S. forces from South Korea," the nation that abuts the dictatorship run by Kim Jong-un, whom Trump has praised repeatedly.
Trump wanted to give his lover a gift.
He had a thing for Lil’ Kim.
Esper indicated that Trump wanted to start a war to get re-elected.
From this seed:
He listed Trump's desire to take military action against Venezuela, to strike Iran, and to blockade Cuba.
He even wanted to launch missiles into Mexico.
I wonder if he thought Mexico would pay for the missiles?
I don’t think so because he thought that we could deny launching them and keep it a secret.