Ever wondered why Trump likes dictators? This three-star general can tell you

[canetoad]

*In his only interview with the Australian media, the former national security adviser talks about Donald Trump’s attempts at self-worth.

Donald Trump invited US Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster to Mar-a-Lago and asked him to serve as his national security adviser, then asked a question that exposed the stark divergence in their world views. “How much does a three-star general make?” the newly inaugurated president asked. It was 2017. “I don’t really know,” replied McMaster. “Every month my cheque goes to Katie,” his wife, “and whenever I use an ATM, it works.”

“Wow, you really are in this just for the service, aren’t you?” responded the president. Trump was “shocked”, McMaster tells me in an interview this week. “He’s a business guy. It’s just a whole different world.”

Their different worlds might have complemented each other in useful ways, but ultimately fated McMaster to a tenure of only 13 months in the post. Which, by Trump standards, verges on the longer side.

Trump White House spokesman Anthony Scaramucci lasted all of 11 days, and that became a unit of time measurement among Trump staff. McMaster can boast that he served for 41.3 Scaramuccis.

https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/ever-wondered-why-trump-likes-dictators-this-three-star-general-can-tell-you-20240927-p5ke0t.html

Archive: https://archive.md/EyKJj

[Dave Bowman]

1. "41.3 Scaramuccis."

Lol, a new way to measure time.

[brer cat]

2. Good read. Thanks for posting, canetoad.

[canetoad]

3. You're welcome bc

[ReRe]

4. I enjoyed your OP muchly

Got a real kick out of how Gen McMaster answered stupid's nosy question about his income. My husband would have answered the same words! Yep, that got several chuckles out of me. Hubby passed almost 8 yrs ago.

[canetoad]

5. Thank you

It's always good to hear the thoughts of someone who was THERE.

[COL Mustard]

8. Military salaries, plus benefits...

Are public record. Anyone can find out how much any service member makes. Surely Trump knew this.

[Gore1FL]

9. I submit, Trump makes George W. Bush look inquisitive. nt

[Skittles]

16. I submit, they both SUCK though

yes indeed

[niyad]

12. uhhhhhhh, you DO realize who we are discussing, yes? t#### "knew"

something factual and real?

[COL Mustard]

13. Good point

I’ll go sit in the corner and put my dunce cap on! 🤣

[niyad]

17. It was rather late night, so can be overlooked this ONE time.

[Skittles]

6. kind of an old-fashioned answer

I earned my own paycheck, never relied on a man after I became an adult......

[COL Mustard]

14. It's a little bit disingenuous too

I’m sure the General probably did let his wife run the finances, but we know how much we make, broadly speaking.

[Skittles]

15. Cadet Bonespurs would know nothing about military pay

that's for sure

[slightlv]

7. Learned a new word!

recrudescence - recurrence of something undesirable - i.e., a 2nd trump term!

[brush]

10. trump later commented that Gen. MacMaster wore ill-fitting suits...

as if he himself wore exquisitely tailored ones....those with the jackets hanging open to show his too-long, red tie that he thinks hides his big belly.

[markodochartaigh]

11. If you are going to consider the length

of terms of Trump's staff, consider Secretary of the Treasury, Mnuchin, "The Foreclosure King", and Secretary of Commerce, Ross, "The Bankruptcy King". They both "served" from the beginning to the end of Trump's administration. Birds of a feather.

Why is this never mentioned? Do people really think that it is unimportant?

[canetoad]

18. That's an interesting point

Perhaps those two, sincerely honest gentlemen decided to stay and rein in his worst excesses.

[markodochartaigh]

19. LOL

Your sense of humor is so dry that, just two days after Hurricane Helene, when I clicked on your comment the relative humidity in my house dropped into the single digits.

[canetoad]

20. Delighted to be of service