Commentary by Stephen Macaulay
When recently asked about the shortage of things like missiles because so many have been used in Operation Epic Fury — that on again, off again, completely ended, partially ended, possibility ended, still ready to commence because the US is “locked and loaded” — Donald Trump said there is nothing to be concerned about. He also blamed Joe Biden, saying, “so much was given to Ukraine by Biden.”
Schoolchildren will soon be back at their desks, and while they probably don’t pay too much attention to things of a political nature, they should keep that in mind: Instead of claiming that the dog ate their homework, they can blame it on Biden.
Funny thing: if you think back to the Biden approach to supporting Ukraine it was often criticized for slow-walking aid to a democracy that had been attacked by a historic enemy of the US. While there were advanced missile systems sent to Ukraine, the number used during the war in Iran dwarfs it.
That is, according a piece published by the Center for Strategic & International Studies on July 31, in 2024 (Biden) the US used 39 SM-3 missiles and 80 SM-6 missiles. That sums to 119.
In the Iran war (so far), the US has launched 130 SM-3s, 190 SM-6s, and 200 THAAD missiles. That sums to 520.
Sure, blame Biden.
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On CBS’s Face the Nation August 2, Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), a former US Navy combat pilot who flew 39 missions during the Gulf War, so he probably knows a little more about things like this, was asked by Margaret Brennan about a report in The Washington Post that states General Alexus G. Grynkewich, a four‑star Air Force officer who is Commander of US European Command and NATO Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), “warned the Pentagon that he lacks resources to protect Israel from incoming ballistic missiles, and if he’s without another Navy destroyer, he will be forced to choose between defense of the homeland versus that of Israel.”
Kelly responded, “This isn’t rocket science.” (Kelly was also a US astronaut.) “It’s not hard to figure out. I mean we — we struck over 14,000 targets with multiple munitions.” And with what has to be characterized as “understatement” continued, “That puts a lot of stress on magazine depth.”
Biden probably had something to do with there being so many targets.
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And then there was Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, on CNN’s State of the Union on August 2.
For some reason members of Congress, who ought to be doing things like helping bring down prices for the American people right now, are elevating conspiracy theories regarding Anthony Fauci and the US response to COVID-19 some years back.
So let’s look at the timing of the situation.
On March 13, 2020, Donald Trump declared COVID-19 a national emergency under the National Emergencies Act.
Donald Trump was in office until January 20, 2021.
There are 313 days between the declaration and when Joe Biden took office.
Three-hundred and thirteen days that Anthony Fauci worked for Donald Trump. Three-hundred and thirteen days during which Donald Trump could have done something about this alleged scourge on society.
If Fauci was so evil, corrupt and an all-around attention-seeking stupid son of a bitch, then why didn’t Donald Trump fire him?
Why did Trump allow Fauci to do all manner of unspeakable things to the American public — you know, with those vaccines that were developed under “Operation Warp Speed,” which Donald Trump officially announced on May 15, 2020, and which led to the first doses administered in the US on December 14, 2020, and which Donald Trump gladly took credit for (“one of the greatest achievements of mankind”) — and not simply fire Fauci?
After all, during the first Trump administration he gave the boot to lots of people including US Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Compared to those two, Fauci’s firing would have been a walk in the park.
But guess who is to blame for the alleged badness of Fauci?
Kennedy: “Anthony Fauci was mismanaging the COVID pandemic and was doing it under the Biden administration. President Trump wanted to end the lockdowns.”
The lockdowns began in March 2020. There was an expiration in most states in May 2020. There was a resurgence in November 2020, which resulted in states taking action again. By June 15, 2021, California and New York completely lifted their remaining social distancing rules.
Again: much of this happened during the Trump Administration yet here is the man currently running the agency in charge of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claiming; “Anthony Fauci was mismanaging the COVID pandemic and was doing it under the Biden administration.”
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When in doubt, blame it on Biden.
Macaulay is pundit-at-large for The Hustings.
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