Donald Trump just attacked one (other) American hero

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* “Trump made it possible for his father to have the longest funeral in the world, which he designed and arranged, though I was never, to put it mildly, a fan.”

* Trump noted that McCain was “near the end of his class in Annapolis.”

Note that Trump is talking about a man who spent many years in a North Vietnamese prison camp where he was repeatedly tortured. The damage he suffered while in captivity lasted for the rest of his life. (He could no longer raise his arm above his head.) After his release, McCain served in the House and then was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1986, where he served for more than three decades. He ran twice as president, winning the Republican nomination in 2008.

In other words, whatever you think of McCain’s politics, it was a man who spent most of his life serving his country in any way, shape or form. You may or may not like him personally-and politically-but there is no way to dispute that.

Which brings me back to Trump. That, despite the insistence that no one loves the military (and its commanders) more than him, has now openly despised the two military men who have been heavily decorated for the last five days.

The hypocrisy there is obvious. But of course, Trump won’t acknowledge it. That is simply Trump being Trump.

But what does this say about the party still led by Trump that allows this behavior to continue without any significant rebuke? Sure, you might see one or two senators tut-tut or say they would say otherwise. But there will not be any widespread condemnation of his swearing not only at the two American heroes but at the two men who, for a very long time, have been among the most admired people in the Republican Party.

And why? Well, for some elected officials-particularly those elected in Trump’s mold in the last few elections-they agree with the former president. They didn’t – and didn’t – like the politics of the likes of Powell and McCain and had no particular allegiance to the brand of conservatism that those men represented. (Whether they respect McCain and Powell’s service despite their political disagreements remains an open question.)

But for most Republicans, they remain silent because, well, they’re afraid to land on the wrong side of Trump – and what that could mean for their political careers.

The practical impact of avoiding calling Trump is that views like the ones he presented to McCain and Powell last week are seen as acceptable to a broad segment of Republican voters. Which is a remarkable thing given that, for decades, the Republican Party has positioned itself as pro-military zealously and attacks Democrats when even a breeze of criticism emerges about those who serve.

This is the Trump Republican Party in 2021. And it doesn’t look good.

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