Under President Trump, the military has forced the death of ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the world's most wanted terrorist. U.S. Special Forces trapped him inside a tunnel, where he detonated a suicide vest, taking out three children with him. But instead of congratulating Trump, Democrats and the mainstream media are complaining and making accusations. They are diminishing the success of an important mission which took out a very dangerous man. They would rather bash Trump than acknowledge any successes he may have.
Felecia Rotellini, the chair of the Arizona Democratic Party, outrageously said just a few hours before Baghdadi blew himself up that Trump had aligned himself with ISIS. "Another reason why people are going to vote (is) because Donald Trump is manipulating the White House and has aligned himself with ISIS and Saudi Arabia," Rotellini said during a panel discussion at the Citizens Clean Elections Commission’s “We the Voters” conference in Phoenix.
She wasn’t the only one to go there. Robert Fisk, writing in the Independent, said “Trump may have claimed to kill al-Baghdadi, but he has brought ISIS back to life.” Fisk said Trump’s plan to send surviving members of ISIS to the borders of European countries will empower ISIS.
Fred Kaplan, writing for Slate, diminished the significance of the death. He said, “Trump’s triumphalism may prove as short-sighted as that of his predecessors.” Former Obama National Security Advisor Susan Rice said the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is not “mission accomplished.”
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders turned the victory into criticism of Trump. "My understanding, interestingly enough, is that that mission was accomplished with information supplied by the Kurds, and as we know Trump has turned his back and betrayed the Kurds,” he said.
Similarly, David Atkins writing in the Washington Monthly tried to deny Trump credit, “As it turns out, the professionalism of the special forces and our Kurdish allies on the ground apparently led to a successful result — but it was no thanks to the president.” He went on, “Trump’s successes turn out to be very much in spite of his leadership, not because of it.”
Several news reporters criticized Trump for describing Baghdadi’s demise, “He died after running into a dead-end tunnel, whimpering and crying and screaming,” Trump said. “He died like a dog.” CBS News Senior National Security Contributor Mike Morell said he was "bothered" by Trump detailing the killing of al-Baghdadi during his White House address. CNN Senior International Correspondent Nick Paton Walsh said Trump's remarks "echoed frankly the crudeness you would often expect to hear maybe from ISIS." Common Dreams staff writer Eoin Higgins said, “Trump relishes describing ghastly violence.”
Fake conservative Max Boot, writing in The Washington Post, said Trump “messed up” Baghdadi’s death. He said Trump “treated the world to his usual blend of braggadocio and bluster — dishonest and distasteful in equal measure.” The Daily Beast’s World News Editor Christopher Dickey said Trump turned Baghdadi’s killing into a reality show. He and other journalists had a problem with Trump saying regarding watching the incident from the White House situation room, “It was absolutely perfect, as though you were watching a movie.”
But what’s wrong with Trump describing what happened? The American people have a right to know how vile enemies are destroyed. As long as national security secrets aren’t revealed, it brings a sense of closure to hear the circumstances. It puts fear into the hearts of our enemies. If Trump had disclosed operational details that could jeopardize future raids, the Democrats would be calling for an investigation. Tellingly, they’re not. These armchair critics are complaining about Trump’s description of events because they have nothing better to attack him on.
This criticism is unlike the fawning media coverage and leftist cheering Barack Obama received after Osama bin Laden was killed. Obama prematurely celebrated bin Laden’s death as the end of the war on Islamic terror, but that attitude led to the rise of ISIS. Trump wisely knows this isn’t the end of ISIS. They will merely appoint a new leader.
Journalist Glenn Greenwald mocked the hypocrisy on Twitter. "It's genuinely fascinating watching Democrats in real time struggle to figure out what to say about this," said Greenwald. "They want to be patriotic and anti-ISIS, but also need a way to malign Trump without contradicting their gushing Obama praise over OBL: not an easy balancing act. Good luck!"
The Democrats and their comrades in the mainstream media act as if it would have been better if Baghdadi had never been taken out. They hate Trump so much they would rather let the most wanted terrorist in the world continue to lead ISIS than allow Trump to claim credit for taking him out.