Trump called his military generals a 'bunch of dopes and babies' in 2017 meeting at Pentagon, new book reveals
A new book by two Washington Post reporters claims President Donald J. Trump rebuked the military top brass during a 2017 meeting at the Pentagon, calling them "losers" and a "bunch of dopes and babies."
The July 20, 2017 meeting, which has been previously reported, allegedly saw then-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's tell fellow US officials that the president was a "f---ing moron." However, more extraordinary details from the meeting have now been revealed in a new book by Carol Leonnig and Philip Rucker titled "A Very Stable Genius." The book also includes Trump's alleged barrage of insults hurled at his top military leadership.
According to an excerpt from the book, Tillerson, then-Secretary of Defense James Mattis and then-Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn were concerned that the president's proposals were a threat to America's standing in the world and hoped to explain to him in the meeting about the importance of America's key alliances in terms of national security.
The three men went on to brief Trump on US deployments, bases, and embassies around the world using lots of visual aids to hold his interest. They also highlighted the value of trade agreements essential towards boosting America's national security, per The Washington Post.
But despite their efforts, Trump reportedly demanded an explanation as to why the US hadn't won in Afghanistan, calling it a "loser war." According to an excerpt from the book, the president frequently interrupted the briefing -- which was also attended by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and several other top military leaders -- to criticize US foreign policies including the Iran nuclear deal and the NATO alliance.
"You're all losers. You don't know how to win anymore," Trump allegedly told the meeting attendees, as quoted by The Post on Friday, January 17. "I wouldn't go to war with you people," the president said to the room full of military officials, adding "You're a bunch of dopes and babies."
Those present during the briefing were apparently shocked and stunned by Trump's remarks, the book claimed. Some also considered leaving the meeting. "What would our worst adversaries think if they knew he said this?" one of them reportedly said.
Furthermore, attendees allegedly described Vice President Mike Pence as silent, "frozen like a statue" and "a wax museum guy" during Trump's tirade.
However, Tillerson reportedly spoke up to the commander-in-chief. "Mr. President, you're totally wrong. None of that is true," he told him. Tillerson, per the Post's excerpt, told a group of confidantes after the meeting that Trump was "a f---ing moron," a comment first reported by NBC News in 2017.
And according to one senior official quoted in the book, the meeting did not have the "intended effect, but he dug in his heels and pushed it even further on the spectrum, further solidifying his views."
Tillerson was subsequently relieved of his duties in March 2018. In December that year, Mattis resigned from his position following Trump's plans to withdraw troops from Syria. He said in his resignation letter that the president deserved a defense chief who was more closely aligned with his "America First" views.