Pete Buttigieg slams Trump's 'fragile ego' amid report president wanted USS John McCain 'out of sight'
Pete Buttigieg, a 2020 Democratic presidential hopeful, has slammed Donald Trump for having a fragile ego after news reports that the president asked the US military to get the USS John McCain “out of sight” during his recent visit to Japan.
“This is not a show. Our military is not a prop,” Mr Buttigieg, a former Navy officer, wrote on Twitter. “Ships and sailors are not to be toyed with for the benefit of a fragile president’s ego.”
The statement came just after Mr Trump’s trip to Japan, where photos show that a tarp was used to cover up the name of the USS John McCain – a ship originally named after the father and grandfather of the late Republican senator of the same name who Mr Trump frequently sparred with.
The late senator was also added as a namesake shortly after his death last year.
News reports addressing the tarp indicated that Mr Trump had asked that the name be put “out of sight” during his trip to Japan. According to the Wall Street Journal, that effort included an email exchange between the White House and the Pentagon.
This is not a show. Our military is not a prop. Ships and sailors are not to be toyed with for the benefit of a fragile president’s ego. https://t.co/plI68Yplp5
— Pete Buttigieg (@PeteButtigieg)
