The Atlantic Editor: "Will Take Full Responsibility Regardless of Trump's Remarks"
Bloomberg Brings Artwork from French Embassy Instead of Visiting Trump Veteran Cemetery
Black Shooting Victim Blake: "It Could Happen to You Too"
[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The political weekly The Atlantic, which exposed that U.S. President Donald Trump made derogatory remarks about war veterans, has announced additional revelations. President Trump, who is struggling to catch up in the polls against Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, is expected to face even greater difficulties.
Jeffrey Goldberg, editor of The Atlantic, stated in an interview with CNN on the 6th (local time), "The instances where President Trump called fallen soldiers losers and suckers are just the tip of the iceberg." Goldberg predicted, "More new information and confirmations regarding this matter will follow soon." He warned, "No matter what he (President Trump) says, we will fulfill our responsibility."
On the 3rd, The Atlantic reported that President Trump refused to visit a war veterans' cemetery during his 2018 trip to France and referred to fallen soldiers as losers and suckers, causing a major stir. In the U.S., retired soldiers are revered as symbols of heroism, and President Trump had previously shown respect toward them. The Atlantic's report drew attention as it revealed the president rejecting tradition and showing a different side.
Following the report, not only President Trump but also First Lady Melania Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper denied the claims, but public opinion had already worsened. President Trump accused, "The failing Atlantic published fake news anonymously."
Regarding President Trump's criticism of the anonymous report, Goldberg dismissed it, saying, "Anonymous reporting is a way to reveal stories that happen behind closed doors." He also argued, "In an environment where the U.S. president tries to intimidate, anonymous sources must be used."
President Trump also sparked controversy again by ordering that portraits and other items from overseas diplomatic missions be loaded onto his private plane. Bloomberg News reported that during his visit to France, instead of paying respects at the war veterans' cemetery, President Trump stayed at the U.S. ambassador's residence and ordered that busts and portraits of 'Founding Father' Benjamin Franklin and sculptures of Greek gods on display be loaded onto his private plane.
The news agency added that although these artworks were valued at $750,000, they were actually fakes or replicas. If true, President Trump refused to pay respects to fallen soldiers and brought replica artworks back to the U.S. to display at the White House.
Racial tensions also show signs of escalating. Jacob Blake, a Black man paralyzed from the waist down after being shot seven times in the back by a white police officer in the battleground state of Kenosha, Wisconsin, spoke for the first time from his hospital bed, emphasizing, "Your life can be taken away at any time. You must change your life." This was interpreted as a statement targeting President Trump, who emphasizes law and order, only condemns violent protests, and shows no interest in ending racial discrimination.
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