Donald Trump Endorser Slammed For False And Harmful Comments On Very Real And Important Issue Of PTSD
Sarah Palin‘s return to the political landscape has enveloped the national conversation since rumors started Monday she would be endorsing Donald Trump. When she did on Tuesday the spotlight was on, and Palin delivered a rambling 20-minute speech described by many, including NCRM, as a “word salad.” Palin’s absence Wednesday morning at her first schedule campaign appearance magnified the focus on the Republican former and half-term governor, and her explanation Wednesday afternoon left many spinning – and many other furious.
Palin’s 26-year old son Track was arrested on domestic violence and gun charges less than 24 hours before she walked onto an Iowa stage to endorse Donald Trump.
WATCH:Â This 10 Second Clip Perfectly Sums Up Palin’s Gut-Punching Word Salad Speech Endorsing Trump
But Palin’s son’s arrest became news quickly, and so she addressed “the elephant in the room” Wednesday before a crowd of Trump supporters by blaming his arrest on PTSD, and his PTSD on President Barack Obama.
That drew anger from many veterans and veterans groups, furious that she would use a very real and serious issue to remove the blame of her son’s alleged actions, and to use PTSD as a political pawn, and, literally, a get-out-of-jail-free card.
On Twitter, posts by a self-described US Army Officer calling out Palin received a great deal of attention, and were included in numerous news stories as push back to the former Alaska governor’s claims:
Phil Klay, whose website states he is a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps who served in Iraq from 2007-2008, posted this tweet:
Brandon Friedman, whose bio says his “memoir, The War I Always Wanted, was recognized in 2010 by The Military Times as one of ‘The Best Military Books of the Decade,'” posted many tweets pushing back Palin’s assertions. A sampling:
Two veterans groups attacked Palin.
“It’s not President Obama’s fault that Sarah Palin’s son has PTSD,” Paul Rieckhoff, founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) told NBC News. “PTSD is a very serious problem, a complicated mental health injury and I would be extremely reluctant to blame any one person in particular.”
Rieckhoff, NBC News reports, “urged Palin to ‘resist the urge to politicize’ PTSD,” saying, “I hope this doesn’t become a political chew toy in a political campaign.”Â
And Vote Vets, a progressive veterans organization, issued this statement:
Other responses on Twitter reveal the depth of upset and anger Palin’s comments caused:
Palin’s remarks:
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