SERVED AS A NAVY SEAL IN VIETNAM
AND A CAPTAIN IN THE MARINE
CORPS.
GENTLEMEN, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO
DO IS GET OUT OF THE WAY AND LET
YOU, WITH YOUR EXPERTISE,
RESPOND TO WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD
IN THIS REPORT BY JEFFREY
GOLDBERG.
AND, SETH, YOU KNOW THIS SHOW
HAS A BIAS FOR THE UNITED STATES
SENATE GOING FIRST.
SO WE’LL LET SENATOR KERRY START
US OFF.
>> WELL, LOOK, IT’S COMPLETELY
CONSISTENT.
THERE IS NOTHING SURPRISING
ABOUT THE PRESIDENT’S ATTITUDE
TOWARDS PEOPLE WHO CHOOSE TO
SERVE THEIR COUNTRY.
WHAT CONCERNS ME, LAWRENCE, WE
HAVE A HIGHER FRACTION OF MEN
AND WOMEN WHO SERVED IN THE
MILITARY WHO ARE COMMITTING
SUICIDE.
AND OFTENTIMES THEY FEEL LIKE
THEY’RE LOSERS.
THEY FEEL LIKE THEY’RE SUCKERS,
ESPECIALLY THOSE OF US WHO ARE
INJURED.
WE DO FEEL THAT WE MIGHT MAKE
PEOPLE UNCOMFORTABLE WHEN
THEY’RE AROUND US.
AND I JUST SAY TO THOSE MEN AND
WOMEN WHO SERVED, YOU ARE NOT
LOSERS.
YOU ARE NOT SUCKERS.
YOU SERVED YOUR COUNTRY, AND WE
VALUE THAT SERVICE.
YOU HAVE GIVEN US MORE THAN WE
HAVE A RIGHT TO EXPECT, FRANKLY.
AND DON’T BE CONCERNED THAT THE
PRESIDENT DOESN’T UNDERSTAND
SERVICE BECAUSE ALL OF US WHO
HAVE SERVED DO UNDERSTAND AND
WE’RE VERY GRATEFUL TO YOU,
SETH, AND OTHERS WHO HAVE
STEPPED TO THE PLATE AND SERVED
IN TWO WARS AT THAT TIME THAT
WERE VERY UNPOPULAR, VERY MUCH
LIKE VIETNAM.
>> WELL, SENATOR, YOU SET AN
INSPIRING EXAMPLE FOR MANY
AMERICANS, MYSELF INCLUDED.
I MEAN, LOOK, THIS ISN’T
SURPRISING.
DONALD TRUMP IS THE MOST SELFISH
PERSON IN PUBLIC SERVICE IN
AMERICAN HISTORY.
AND YET TONIGHT MIGHT BE THE
FIRST TIME THAT I ACTUALLY FEEL
SAD FOR DONALD TRUMP, BECAUSE
THIS IS JUST SO PATHETIC.
I MEAN, HE’S CLEARLY SICK.
HE’S CLEARLY ILL.
AND I FEEL SAD FOR THE AMERICAN
TROOPS WHO ARE UNDER HIS COMMAND
AS OUR COMMANDER IN CHIEF.
THIS IS A DANGEROUS MAN WHO HAS
THIS JOB.
SENATOR KERRY HAS EXPLAINED JUST
ONE REASON WHY IT’S DANGEROUS.
BUT TO THINK THAT -- TO THINK
THAT YOUNG AMERICANS ON THE
FRONT LINES IN PLACES LIKE
AFGHANISTAN TONIGHT HAVE TO RELY
ON THIS MAN TO MAKE DECISIONS
ABOUT THEIR LIVES, IT’S JUST A
SAD DAY FOR AMERICA.
>> JEFFREY GOLDBERG HAS THIS
REPORT INSIDE THE MIND OF DONALD
TRUMP, AS IT WERE, SAYING
SEVERAL OBSERVERS TOLD ME THAT
TRUMP IS DEEPLY ANXIOUS ABOUT
DYING OR BEING DISFIGURED.
AND THIS WORRY MANIFESTS ITSELF
AS DISGUST FOR THOSE WHO HAVE
SUFFERED.
BOB KERRY, WHAT IS YOUR REACTION
TO THAT?
>> WELL, AGAIN, I MEAN, I’M NO
LONGER WORRIED ABOUT WHAT YOU
THINK OF ME, LAWRENCE.
I’M ACTUALLY WEARING SHORTS
RIGHT NOW.
BUT IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET OVER
IT.
IT TOOK A WHILE TO GET TO A
POINT WHERE I DIDN’T FEEL LIKE I
WAS UPSETTING PEOPLE AS A
CONSEQUENCE OF THEIR SEEING THE
DISFIGUREMENT THAT I SUFFERED IN
VIETNAM.
TO EVERY MAN AND WOMAN WHO HAS
BEEN DISABLED, EVERY MAN AND
WOMAN WHO STEPPED FORWARD AND
VOLUNTEERED TO SERVE, YOU ARE
NOT LOSERS.
YOU ARE NOT SUCKERS.
I KNOW MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO
SERVED IN VIETNAM WHO FELT THAT
WAY BECAUSE THE WAR BECAME
UNPOPULAR.
THEY FELT LIKE THEY WERE LOSERS.
THEY FELT LIKE MEN LIKE DONALD
TRUMP WHO CLAIMED THEY HAD BONE
SPURS AND GOT OUT OF IT THAT
THEY WERE THE SMART ONES.
THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVED OUR
COUNTRY IN THE UNPOPULAR WARS IN
MANY WAYS ARE THE ONES WHO WE
SHOULD RESPECT THE MOST.
THEY ASK FOR NOTHING BUT
RESPECT, AND WE SHOULD GIVE IT
TO THEM.
SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE MEN AND
WOMEN WEARING THE UNIFORMS OF
THE ARMY, AIR FORCE, NAVY,
MARINE CORPS BECAUSE THEY’RE THE
ONES WE OUGHT TO BE CONCERNED
ABOUT, NOT THE PRESIDENT AND HIS
ATTITUDE TOWARD SERVICE.
>> IT SEEMS THAT MANY IN THE
MILITARY CAN SEE DONALD TRUMP IN
THE WAY THAT HE CAN BEING SEEN
TONIGHT.
WE HAVE A RECENT POLL IN
MILITARY TIMES SAYING 49.9%
MILITARY HAVE AN UNFAVORABLE
VIEW OF DONALD TRUMP.
ONLY 38% WITH A FAVORABLE VIEW
OF DONALD TRUMP.
THAT’S IN THE MILITARY TIMES IN
SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY POLL OF
ACTIVE DUTY TROOPS.
IN THAT SAME POLL JOE BIDEN IS
AHEAD OF DONALD TRUMP 41/37.
WHAT IS YOUR SENSE OF WHAT THE
TROOPS WILL BE THINKING AS THIS
STORY SINKS IN?
>> I MEAN, I HOPE THAT IT OPENS
THE EYES OF THE 37% TO REALLY
SEE WHO THIS MAN IS.
YOU KNOW, HE DODGED THE DRAFT
FOR A REASON.
HE REFUSED TO GO FOR A REASON.
AND THERE IS NOTHING MORE
IMPORTANT IN AMERICA THAN OUR
VALUES.
THAT’S WHY WHEN YOU SWEAR THAT
OATH TO SERVE IN THE MILITARY,
YOU SWEAR IT TO THE
CONSTITUTION.
YOU
YOU DON’T SWEAR IT TO A
POLITICAL PARTY, TO A PRESIDENT,
TO ANY LEADER.
YOU SWEAR IT TO A SET OF VALUES.
AND THE WILLINGNESS TO PUT YOUR
LIFE ON THE LINE FOR THOSE
VALUES IS JUST -- IT’S THE MOST
SELF-LESS KIND OF SERVICE THERE
IS.
THAT’S WHY I WAS INSPIRED TO
VOLUNTEER MYSELF, JUST TO BE A
VOLUNTEER LIKE SENATOR KERRY AND
SO MANY WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US.
AND WHEN YOU UNDERMINE THAT, YOU
UNDERMINE THE ESSENCE OF
AMERICA, OUR FUNDAMENTAL VALUES.
THAT’S WHY THIS IS SO DANGEROUS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF COMMANDER IN
CHIEFS, COMMANDERS IN CHIEF THAT
I HAVE DISAGREED WITH.
I SERVED FOUR TOURS UNDER GEORGE
W. BUSH.
I DIDN’T VOTE FOR HIM TWICE.
I WAS AN OUTSPOKEN CRITIC OF HIS
WAR.
BUT I WAS PROUD TO SERVE.
AND I NEVER ONCE QUESTIONED THE
LOYALTY OF GEORGE W. BUSH, FOR
ALL MY DISAGREEMENTS WITH HIM,
TO OUR CONSTITUTION.
BUT YOU CAN’T TRUST THAT.
YOU CAN’T TRUST THAT LOYALTY
WITH DONALD TRUMP.
IN FACT, WE’VE HAD IT PROVEN TO
