NEW: I spoke with Trump's former four-star head of the Coast Guard about his decision to endorse Joe Biden. He told me it was due in part to an "insurgency" on Americans' constitutional rights that has occurred on the commander in chief's watch. politico.com/news/2020/09/2…
“I've seen an insurgency, if you will, on our constitutional rights and more power being centralized at the executive level that has really divided our nation," Zukunft told POLITICO. "I am concerned that our constitutional rights are being infringed upon from within."
Zukunft was driven to endorse Biden by the 2019 shutdown over funding for Trump's border wall, which left the Coast Guard's 40K force working without pay. He is also concerned by Trump's dismissal of science, both on climate change and Covid-19.
In a particularly telling anecdote, Zukunft recalled watching Trump grow increasingly bored as a Navy adm & an Air Force gen discussed stregthenjng partnerships during a briefing in Key West, Fla.
When it was his turn to brief, Zukunft told the president what he wanted to hear:
“Mr. President, you are the first commander in chief to get off their ass and see what the hell is going on down here."
Instantly, the president was hanging on his every word. Trump agreed to give the Coast Guard additional ships Zukunft said were needed to police the region.
Later, when Trump spoke at the commencement ceremony at the Coast Guard Academy, Zukunft urged the speechwriter to add a line about building additional icebreakers. When the president read the line from the teleprompter, the crowd went wild.
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.