Retired US General Wesley Clark Warns Democrats Not to Underestimate Donald Trump

[Social Media]

 

Retired senior US general and former Democratic presidential candidate Wesley Clark has issued a stark warning to Democrats, urging them not to underestimate former President Donald Trump. Speaking on the One Decision podcast, hosted by journalist Julia Macfarlane and Sir Richard Dearlove, a former head of British intelligence service MI6, Clark emphasized the persistent influence and appeal Trump holds among the American public, despite widespread disdain from those who have worked closely with him.

 

“I don’t think anybody who works for Trump has ever recommended him,” Clark remarked. “Not John Bolton, not John Kelly, the retired marines general who was [White House] chief of staff … not [retired marines general] Jim Mattis, who resigned as secretary of defense under Trump. I don’t think people who work for him have any respect for his ability.” However, Clark acknowledged Trump's unique qualities that resonate with a significant portion of the electorate. “But here’s the thing about Trump. He works really hard. He’s very clever.

 

He is charismatic. He can be very charming. And so Democrats and people who are on the outside have a tendency to underestimate him, because he has misspellings in his tweets and he’s very emotional and he doesn’t know anything about policies. But he does touch a chord in the American public.”

 

Clark, who served as NATO's supreme allied commander in Europe before retiring in 2000, highlighted Trump's ability to connect with voters on a "chord of grievance," particularly regarding foreign wars. Reflecting on his own experiences during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Clark noted that Trump successfully tapped into a deep-seated distrust that dates back to the aftermath of the Vietnam War. “Trump, he said, tapped into a distrust fed by those conflicts but which goes back really to the aftermath of the war in Vietnam, which he didn’t fight in, by the way, which he escaped with a spurious bone spur [note] from a doctor.”

 

Despite Trump's contentious reputation and numerous controversies, Clark stressed the importance of not underestimating his political prowess. “But the point is, [Trump is] not to be underestimated as a politician. And I think a lot of the problems that President Biden had are traceable to Donald Trump, in foreign policy.”

 

Clark cited the chaotic US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021 as an example of the lasting impact of Trump’s policies. “The US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, after Trump reached an agreement with the Taliban, but left Biden to end a 20-year US military presence with a chaotic evacuation.”

 

As the 2024 presidential election looms, with Vice President Kamala Harris now the Democratic nominee following President Joe Biden's decision to step aside, Clark outlined the significant challenges the next president might face. He emphasized the importance of managing international relations, particularly with China, Europe, NATO, and Iran. “For presidents, foreign policy almost always produces a crisis within the first year,” Clark said. “Iran is going to be nuclear within a year, for sure. They could be nuclear right now. Some of my friends tell me they’ve already got five or six nuclear weapons. They’re just waiting to test … and so this is going to be probably the first crisis that a President Kamala Harris has to face when she comes into office.”

 

In the political arena, Harris and her yet-to-be-named running mate face a formidable challenge against Trump and his vice-presidential pick, JD Vance, a 39-year-old former marine turned hard-right Ohio senator. Clark discussed Trump’s appeal to military veterans and voters, despite numerous reports of his disparaging remarks about service and sacrifice. “I think Trump comes in with an advantage for the veterans vote simply because he’s masculine,”

 

Clark said. “He … talks tough, and so a certain number of people will like that. [But] I can tell you support among the senior officer corps is maybe 5%, or maybe less, because people have seen him and worked for him up close. I have no respect for him whatsoever. He doesn’t care about the facts, doesn’t care about the concepts, doesn’t learn, doesn’t listen. [He’s] not somebody who can be trusted with national security secrets. He’s a security threat, etc, etc.”

 

Clark also addressed the potential reception of Kamala Harris as a female commander-in-chief by the US military. Asked if he thought the military was ready to accept Harris, Clark responded confidently: “Sure. There’s no problem there.”

 

Credit: The Guardian  2024-08-02

 

 

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[Tug]

Spot on general and thank you for using your voice to speak truth.flush the albatross enough!

[Skipalongcassidy]

9 minutes ago, Tug said:

Spot on general and thank you for using your voice to speak truth.flush the albatross enough!

official definition of mental disorder, the DSM-5 states that "a mental disorder is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior…mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress in social, occupational, or other important activities."

Many have argued that some people have been seriously disturbed and distressed by the policies, speech, behavior, and tweets of President Trump, so much so that it has affected their cognitive, affective, and behavioral functioning. Such people may need mental health support. As such, further research is necessary to investigate the extreme reactions toward President Trump, in the same way that researchers investigate other extreme social phenomena, such as Beatlemania or the like. This will shed light on the reality of this emerging folk category that has been labelled by many as "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

[Jingthing]

He's not fit to be a manager of a flippin' donut shop.

Definitely don't underestimate his skills as a demagogue.

He's cornered now and more dangerous than ever.

He has nothing to lose by trying anything to come back to power.

He has no respect for the constitution and rule of law whatsover.

[thaipo7]

7 hours ago, Tug said:

Spot on general and thank you for using your voice to speak truth.flush the albatross enough!

What??

[spidermike007]

Always refreshing when somebody speaks truth to power. Alot of what he says is true, Trump should not be underestimated, he is not a good leader, he's a terrible campaigner, an even worse orator, he's not particularly intelligent and he's a terrible negotiator, however his true genius lies in his ability to pull the wool over his supporters eyes, get away with being a charlatan and huckster, and get them to believe in something that they want to believe in, but something that is entirely made up, which is the promise of a great Trump presidency. 

[Nickcage49]

How could anybody underestimate Trump at this point? We all did it in 2016, but never again. 

[newbee2022]

Blabla only. 

No news.

I think he feels lonely now retired.

[RichardColeman]

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

“I don’t think anybody who works for Trump has ever recommended him,”

as opposed to the 92% of VP (and the puppet candidate) Harris's staff that have left in the last three years ? Only 4 of her original staff are left. Horrible woman.

[impulse]

So, warmongers and the MIC are anti-Trump.

 

Good to know.

 

[transam]

41 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

Blabla only. 

No news.

I think he feels lonely now retired.

Is that your experience......?  🤔

[transam]

10 minutes ago, RichardColeman said:

as opposed to the 92% of VP (and the puppet candidate) Harris's staff that have left in the last three years ? Only 4 of her original staff are left. Horrible woman.

Let us know why her staff were moved on, tell all, you must know......?.........😳

[mfd101]

10 hours ago, Social Media said:

“Iran is going to be nuclear within a year, for sure. They could be nuclear right now. Some of my friends tell me they’ve already got five or six nuclear weapons. They’re just waiting to test … and so this is going to be probably the first crisis that a President Kamala Harris has to face when she comes into office.”

Send in the Israelis, they'll fix it. Probably working on it this very minute.

[nauseus]

7 hours ago, Jingthing said:

He's not fit to be a manager of a flippin' donut shop.

Definitely don't underestimate his skills as a demagogue.

He's cornered now and more dangerous than ever.

He has nothing to lose by trying anything to come back to power.

He has no respect for the constitution and rule of law whatsover.

 

Only 5 lines of rantitus?

[Jingthing]

3 minutes ago, nauseus said:

 

Only 5 lines of rantitus?

What goes on with my tus ain't none of your damn bidness.

Edited August 2 by Jingthing

[nauseus]

I always had a lot of respect for this General but it looks like he thinks the Democrat Party is as it was in the JFK days. I just listened to this podcast and I've never heard praise for Biden like it from anyone - a bit of a worry but he is 79.  

[nauseus]

14 minutes ago, Jingthing said:

What goes on with my tus ain't none of your damn bidness.

 

Yes. I must be more thankful.

[gargamon]

8 minutes ago, nauseus said:

I always had a lot of respect for this General but it looks like he thinks the Democrat Party is as it was in the JFK days. I just listened to this podcast and I've never heard praise for Biden like it from anyone - a bit of a worry but he is 79.  

He was in the Republican presidential primaries maybe 20 years ago. At the time I thought he was their best choice.

[Lacessit]

Most educated people know Trump for what he is. His talent lies in appealing to a socio-economic group with a sense of grievance, who want to belong. In effect, it's the personality cult of Trump, just like there has been with Stalin, Mao, Hitler and the Kims. He tells his followers what he knows they want to hear. Science, logic and facts are irrelevant.

 

What makes Trump so dangerous is his narcissism, which means he always thinks he is the smartest guy in the room. Frequently, he's not.

 

 

[nauseus]

1 minute ago, gargamon said:

He was in the Republican presidential primaries maybe 20 years ago. At the time I thought he was their best choice.

 

Democrat, I think, but withdrew early. I agree best choice then, maybe even now? 

[nauseus]

2 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

Most educated people know Trump for what he is. His talent lies in appealing to a socio-economic group with a sense of grievance, who want to belong. In effect, it's the personality cult of Trump, just like there has been with Stalin, Mao, Hitler and the Kims. He tells his followers what he knows they want to hear. Science, logic and facts are irrelevant.

 

What makes Trump so dangerous is his narcissism, which means he always thinks he is the smartest guy in the room. Frequently, he's not.

 

 

 

Trump narcissism? Yes, plus a lot more turn-offs.

 

But still prefer him to the alternatives, who seem determined to destabilize and ruin the U.S. .

 

[gargamon]

10 minutes ago, nauseus said:

 

Democrat, I think, but withdrew early. I agree best choice then, maybe even now? 

Yes, you're correct. At least I got the 20 years right. It was 2004. He would have done better than Bush I suspect.

[riclag]

Whats his agenda?

Does he represent the military complex that makes tons of money off the USA.

 

http://wesleykclark.com/about/

 

 

 

[RocketDog]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

Most educated people know Trump for what he is. His talent lies in appealing to a socio-economic group with a sense of grievance, who want to belong. In effect, it's the personality cult of Trump, just like there has been with Stalin, Mao, Hitler and the Kims. He tells his followers what he knows they want to hear. Science, logic and facts are irrelevant.

 

What makes Trump so dangerous is his narcissism, which means he always thinks he is the smartest guy in the room. Frequently, he's not.

 

 

Between trump and a bag of hammers, trump is clearly more intelligent; but only because he can move his lips. He's actually significantly less useful however.

[frank83628]

why can Iran not have nukes? i don't see them waging illegal wars around the world like the USA, and the US are the only ones to have used them in the world to date..twice!

everyone knows of the MAD result if nukes are fired, 

[transam]

Just now, frank83628 said:

why can Iran not have nukes? i don't see them waging illegal wars around the world like the USA, and the US are the only ones to have used them in the world to date..twice!

everyone knows of the MAD result if nukes are fired, 

Oh, dear........................

It seems they are amongst us......................

[Lacessit]

11 minutes ago, frank83628 said:

why can Iran not have nukes? i don't see them waging illegal wars around the world like the USA, and the US are the only ones to have used them in the world to date..twice!

everyone knows of the MAD result if nukes are fired, 

Perhaps you have not considered the fact religious extremism and nuclear weapons are not a good mix.

[Tug]

1 hour ago, RocketDog said:

Between trump and a bag of hammers, trump is clearly more intelligent; but only because he can move his lips. He's actually significantly less useful however.

You are mistaken trump is putins greatest asset he’s worth at least 2 divisions minimum he’s also useful to anyone who wants to destroy American democracy he’s dangerous just like the general says.

[transam]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

Perhaps you have not considered the fact religious extremism and nuclear weapons are not a good mix.

He probably doesn't even know Iran provides terrorist organisations with kit...😱

[Deputy7]

What a ridiculous statement! Generals are appointed by politicians in the US. So they all kiss up to the politicians to get promoted? Can you really imagine Harris in charge of anything? She hasn’t accomplished one single thing in her short career! She has no experience and would have world warIII started within months. She would be Americas last pick! Want to get the truth about what’s going on watch FOX news and get the truth!