Senator Tammy Duckworth on How Trump Is Helping Write Kim Jong-un's Propaganda

-Let's talk about North Korea,
because you have this military background.
When you hear the president use terms like "fire and fury,"
I feel as though that's what he thinks
someone with a strong military will would say.
But as someone who was in the military,
is that the kind of language that military people use?
-No. The toughest fighters out there,
the operators out there, are the quietest,
most understated people you will ever meet,
and, frankly, he's not helping us
by engaging in this battle of -- of terminology.
I mean, you can't out-hyperbole a dictator who's crazy --
a man who executed his own uncle with an aircraft --
an antiaircraft machine gun. -Yeah.
-So Trump is not gonna out-crazy Kim Jong-un.
Stop it. You're the Commander-in-Chief
of the greatest military on the face of the Earth.
Act like it. -Mm-hmm.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-Do you think...
Obviously, he feels that presenting toughness
is the same as toughness.
Is that -- Do you think it's a mistake
to present toughness the way he is?
Or is that -- Or is there an argument
that that's the smart thing to do.
When you do have the best military in the world,
do you let people know?
-Well, you have to understand that Kim Jong-un
is trying to consolidate power.
And one of the ways he's doing that
is by executing anybody that doesn't please him.
The other is to tell the North Korean people,
"You're starving,
but it's because the world wants to attack us,
so I have to take the money that,
instead of giving you rice, I'm gonna use it
to build a nuclear weapon.
And when you've got the leader of the free world,
the president of the United States,
engaging in this, all you're doing is --
You're just writing the propaganda for Kim Jong-un.
All of those tweets that Trump has been putting out,
or these statements, Kim Jong-un is gonna put out
through his own propaganda machine.
He might as well be working for him.
That doesn't help us.
-I think, though, now Trump thinks --
[ Applause ]
He probably sees these like,
"Now my tweets are even in North Korea.
This is huge for me." [ Light laughter ]
-Yeah, well, again, you remember,
you're never gonna beat a guy who fires people
by killing them with antiaircraft weapons.
-Yeah, well, now, I also want to ask about this.
You know, you obviously believe --
You have a background that leads
to a diverse part of the military.
It seems to me that diversity in the military
is an important thing.
Donald Trump said he was doing a favor
to the military by his trans ban --
through his trans ban.
What do you think of that?
What do you think the president said
to the people in the military with that choice?
-He basically said that, one,
"Even if you have served honorably,
we don't want you anymore."
And that means that if you are trans,
then you're gonna have two choices --
either quit and take your experience with you
or hide who you are
and make yourself susceptible to blackmail.
'Cause that's what happened under "Don't ask, don't tell."
Under "Don't ask, don't tell," a lot of folks
were actually being held hostage by people
who knew that they were gay
and threatened them and threatened their careers.
So, that's not helpful.
And on the other hand, we have had
tens of thousands of trans servicemen and women
who have served honorably, who've bled,
who've died for this country.
And to turn away people who are willing to sacrifice for us
is foolish at best.
-I agree with that. [ Applause ]
You obviously --
You served your country,
you sacrificed for your country via the military.
But you always make it clear, it strikes me,
that there are other ways to serve for young people.
You don't necessarily have to do it via the military.
Give us some other ideas of how you think
people can serve this country?
-Well, I've introduced legislation,
along with Seth Moulton and the great John Lewis
that would allow people to earn, for example,
college money for service.
You should be able to pick up chalk, a hammer,
a ladle at a soup kitchen and earn college money
just as much as I picked up a rifle
and earned college money.
We all have a chance to serve.
Even if just once a year you go out volunteer,
you're doing something.
Less than one-half of 1% of this nation wears the uniform,
and that's an awful big load for a small percentage to carry.
So let's all do a little carrying.
Doesn't mean you have to go join the military.
Doesn't mean you got to go get blown up.
God forbid. I tried not to get blown up.
But -- Didn't work too well, but...
But do something.
Do something.
[ Cheers and applause ]
-How much longer a break do you have?
When do you have to go back to D.C.?
-I'm going back tonight.
-You're going back to D.C. tonight?
I thought you guys had a recess now. No?
-Well, people call it a recess,
but it's actually a district work period.
I'm traveling the state.
I was out in -- on a river barge
on the Mississippi 48 hours ago,
and now I'm here, and I'm going back home tomorrow.
-"Recess" sounds so much better than "district work period."
[ Laughter ]
-I thought I was getting a recess,
but then they told me, "Here's your schedule."
I'm like, "Wait. That's not right."
-"That's not recess!
I thought we were playing dodgeball."
-Yeah. [ Laughter ]
-Well, thank you so much for being here.
Continued luck in Washington. [ Cheers and applause ]
Senator Tammy Duckworth, everybody!

Senator Tammy Duckworth on How Trump Is Helping Write Kim Jong-un's Propaganda

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