Regarding Trump’s crack about Pochohantas/Sen. Warren while “honoring” the few remaining Navajo code talkers from World War II, is anyone surprised?

The Navajo code talkers are legitimate heroes, and they should be honored for helping the United States secure victory over Japan, by providing secure communications for the U.S. military by speaking in Navajo — something the Japanese could not decipher.

Monday, standing with three Navajo code talkers, Trump said he liked these elderly heroes and thought they were special. Then he said this to the veterans:

“You were here long before any of us were here,” he said. “Although we have a representative in Congress who, they say, was here a long time ago. They call her Pocahontas.”

That was a clear dig against U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, a frequent target for Trump during and since the campaign, for her claim of partial Native American ancestry. Fact checkers from numerous media outlets have determined that she never used that claim to gain advantage in getting admitted to colleges, but neither is there any documentation to buttress her claim, which she said was simply part of her family’s lore that she heard since childhood.

Back to Trump. He took an occasion to honor Native Americans, to take a crack at one of his most vociferous and effective critics. Trump is a narcissist, and it is always about him, his thoughts, his beliefs, his resentments. Any occasion to honor athletes, artists, musicians, authors, veterans, community leaders and heroes, is often hijacked by his ginormous ego.

I don’t think anyone invited to be honored at the White House should expect to be “honored” by Trump.

You are there to be used and exploited as an opportunity for Trump to get some media attention and then use that media attention to make the event about him, not you. Many people have figured that out and refused to accept invitations to the White House. I’d like to see more people refuse invitations.

Indeed, there is no “honor” to be found or recognized at the White House – not under this administration. The White House is no longer “The People’s House,” but is now a Trump-branded chicken coop run by foxes and weasels.

Brodie Farquhar

Hayden