Madly Speculating on What the WH Staff Had to do to Accomplish This...

[TygrBright]

They got a grudging-sounding statement out of [Redacted] and re-lowered the flag just a few minutes ago, per @Acosta:

Link to tweet

("New Trump statement says flags will be flown at half-staff." With a screen shot of the statement, four short paragraphs starting with "Despite our differences on policy and politics, I respect Senator John McCain's service to our country, and, in his honor, have signed a proclamation to fly the flag of the United States at half-mast until his interment." The rest of it is appointing officials to represent the Administration during various ceremonies.)

And I'm wondering what the White House staff had to threaten him with, bribe him with, cajole him with, to get that much out of him.

Any guesses?

C'mon, give it your best shot.

curiously,
Bright

[patricia92243]

1. "I did this, I did that.." normal Trump crap.

[ginnyinWI]

2. Losing votes from veterans. The VFW and American Legion protested. n/t

[Totally Tunsie]

3. Another item he didn't write.

Although written from his viewpoint, the wording is simply not tRumphole's.

It must be pissing him off that $$$ will be spent on this, but not on tRumphole's parade.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

4. He has to insert his politics, and right at the front too. Disrespectful. Insincere. . . . nt

[Grammy23]

5. He realized things were not looking so good for him. Even tRump, of all people,

knew it looked bad to be so snotty about McCain and the issue of the flag ...up or down....half staff or not. It just had bad optics since whether it was at half staff was there for all to see. So in an act of pure self preservation, he had to do something to save face. His staff, no doubt, had to explain it to him like you would to a child. He is pathetic and despicable.

[lagomorph777]

6. He probably hasn't heard about it yet.

They'll let him keep watching Fux until the funeral's over. He'll be none the wiser. But he's never any wiser, now, is he?

[TygrBright]

11. You may be right... they snuck this one out the back door. n/t

[vlyons]

7. I expected him to lie and say he never ordered it back to full mast

blame some middle rank staffer for the error.

[spanone]

8. trump will get a free day on the golf course on friday

[procon]

9. LIAR!! Trump is trying to take credit that he doesn't deserve.

Trump says HE ASKED Pence to go make an address???

Trump says HE ASKED for a military honor ceremony???

Trump says HE ASKED the same WH staffers to attend as Mccain formerly requested???

He didn't do any of that!

[mainer]

10. Told him "no more diet Coke for you until you sign this"

Someone had to beg and plead with him to get this done. I'm guessing it was Kelly.

[TygrBright]

12. Or possibly daughter-wife, in her nicest bad-good-girl dress. n/t

[magicarpet]

16. People are saying,...

,... his daughter/wife/incestuous lover sat in his lap and ground her back side into his crotch as a trade off to make tramp show a little more respect for McCain and not be such a spoiled brat about it.

[TygrBright]

19. Many people? Many of the "best people?" n/t

[gratuitous]

14. I was going to say . . .

My guess was they disabled his "fetch me a diet Coke" button until he agreed. In some dim corner of his broken brain, a lonely neuron fires, and Trump vaguely wonders if this isn't cruel and unusual punishment.

[Volaris]

21. Lol...

I'm laughing cause this guy can't even pull off a good les grossman imitation correctly...les didnt need no damn 'button' lol

[Iggo]

13. I'd like to think Gen. Kelly threatened to quit on the spot.

I'm not so sure anymore that he's that honorable, though.

[TygrBright]

15. I'm not sure [Redacted] would consider that a "threat", though... n/t

[hlthe2b]

17. Well, McConnell & Schumer announced request to DO to lower flags; AMVET, AM Legion, & VFW

excoriated him and the press made it clear they were not going to let this go. So, I'd guess at this point, Mattis and Kelly--maybe even Bolton, made it clear delaying any longer was going to be suicidal and he had to staunch the bleeding.

[Solly Mack]

18. Trump is all about the optics. His initial actions weren't playing well, so...

It's all about him.

Same as ever.

[Volaris]

20. A THIRD scoop of Ice cream..

(Nods head sagely)

[ProudLib72]

22. Uh oh!