You’ve probably seen Pulitzer Prize-winning presidential historian Michael Beschloss on NBC News, MSNBC, or PBS. He’s widely considered to be one of the most knowledgeable and respected experts on the American presidency in the world.
But it turns out that Beschloss is also a master of trolling, and he’s been doing lots of that since the infamous Atlantic story of Trump dissing Americans who fought and died for this country as “losers” and “suckers” broke a couple of days ago.
Over the past couple of days, Beschloss has been posting historical photos on Twitter which feature past presidents honoring veterans who have made the nation stronger and freer.
The first post came Thursday and featured Jimmy Carter:
President Jimmy Carter, 1977, congratulating his new chief of the Veterans Administration, Max Cleland, who at 25 lost both legs and right forearm while fighting for his country in Vietnam:#Getty pic.twitter.com/FiF4BYwpqU
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) September 3, 2020
And then Beschloss continued to make his point unmistakable with the other tweets he posted:
General Eisenhower grieving at US cemetery, Normandy, France, two decades after D-Day: #CBS pic.twitter.com/GAIpdjcc2B
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) September 3, 2020
President Lincoln honors fallen soldiers at Gettysburg, 1863: pic.twitter.com/dy4cD2AYtJ
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) September 3, 2020
In the Paris rain, May 1961, Presidents Kennedy and de Gaulle honor soldiers who gave their lives: pic.twitter.com/rhkGuQHdC7
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) September 3, 2020
President Theodore Roosevelt and his son Quentin, who later died in combat during
World War I: pic.twitter.com/NiUSQxPKwg— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) September 3, 2020
Captain Harry S. Truman’s identity card, World War I: #HSTL pic.twitter.com/c1UxZEGC7X
— Michael Beschloss (@BeschlossDC) September 5, 2020
The message could not possibly be clearer: All of the presidents who came before Donald Trump have been more than willing to pay the proper respect to those who fight on our behalf. They understood the sacrifices made to secure and maintain our freedom and our republic.
It’d be nice to think that all of this criticism of Trump’s comments would cause him to reconsider what he’s said and offer an earnest apology for any pain or offense he might have caused. But that would require him to have a heart and soul. Clearly, he has neither.