Boy, Trump is having a really bad week.
First, Trump lost majorly on Election Day, with Democrats taking at least 37 seats in the House, and that number could climb [1] as votes are still being counted in California.
Then Trump had his fiasco in Paris, France, where he infuriated Americans when he decided to skip a visit [2] to a French cemetery to honor our war dead from World War I. Trump’s reason for skipping? It was raining.
On Monday, Trump became the first president since John F. Kennedy not to show up at Arlington National Cemetery to honor our fallen soldiers and observe Veterans Day. Instead, Trump hid away in the White House, where it’s been reported he “retreated into a cocoon of bitterness and resentment [3].”
“Behind the scenes, they say, the president has lashed out at several aides,” sketching “a picture of a brooding president ‘trying to decide who to blame’ for Republicans’ election losses, even as he publicly and implausibly continues to claim victory.”
Do you know who did honor our troops on Veteran’s Day?
The French.
The French embassy here in the United States posted the following tweet Monday afternoon, which was then retweeted over 9,000 times since then:
Yesterday we participated in a ceremony at @ArlingtonNatl [4] to honor the sacrifices of soldiers during #WWI [5] by laying a wreath on the tomb of the #UnknownSoldier [6]. #VeteransDay [7] pic.twitter.com/ZQPbZwMSf6 [8]
— French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) November 12, 2018 [9]
This was despite the fact that Trump has been attacking France on trade and NATO funding and even poking fun at the approval rating of Emmanuel Macron. While the tweet posted by the French embassy was likely an effort to simply show their respect towards a key ally during World War I, and not an effort to troll the president, many individuals in the president’s circle may not see it that way.
Twitter agreed:
Overwhelmed with gratitude for our French allies. Thank you for honoring our heroes when our own president will not.
— We Gather Together To Resist (@CathyGlaesman) November 13, 2018 [10]
Thank you French Embassy in the US. You showed more respect for our fallen soldiers in one day than Trump has in two years. Merci beaucoup.
— Zorro (@geovazquez31) November 13, 2018 [11]
Viva Le France ???????? Thank you for Caring about our fallen Heroes even though our Fake President didn’t bother to show up! For that I want
45 to take Dis Wit Em⤵️???????????????????? pic.twitter.com/hD1NB8Mgf0 [12]— wisewiz ✊????✊???????? (@wisewiz) November 13, 2018 [13]
Clearly, the French have more respect for American Veterans than the country's own president. How sad is that?
— Dean Rohrer ???? (@wdrohrer) November 13, 2018 [14]
Thank you for going above and beyond to do what our own president will not. You honor us with you kindness while he shames us on an international stage. Please bear with us as we seek to right this ship, this comedy of errors. Thank you, allies, friends, brothers.????
— TheVampireLestat13 (@Psychomommy13) November 13, 2018 [15]