Politics

‘You Lost Me’: Retired Marine Criticizes Mattis Over Letter About Lafayette Park Protesters

Virginia Kruta Associate Editor
Font Size:

Retired Marine CPT John M. Dowd lashed out at former Defense Secretary James Mattis in a letter shared Thursday by President Donald Trump.

Dowd, a former Marine Corps Judge Advocate and former attorney to President Trump, was responding to Mattis’ comments attacking the president as divisive and criticizing his plan to potentially use the military to quell nationwide unrest over the death of George Floyd. (RELATED: James Mattis Denounces Trump’s ‘Path’ — Former Defense Sec. ‘Angry And Appalled’ By Response To Protests)

“We are witnessing the consequences of three years of this deliberate effort,” Mattis told The Atlantic, arguing that Trump was the most divisive president in his lifetime. “We are witnessing the consequences of three years without mature leadership. We can unite without him, drawing on the strengths inherent in our civil society. This will not be easy, as the past few days have shown, but we owe it to our fellow citizens; to past generations that bled to defend our promise; and to our children.”

“I thought this letter from respected retired Marine and Super Star lawyer, John Dowd, would be of interest to the American People. Read it!” Trump tweeted in response.

“I slept on your statement and woke up appalled and upset,” Dowd’s letter began. “You lost me. Never dreamed you would let a bunch of hack politicians use your good name and reputation — earned with the blood and guts of young Marines.”

Dowd went on to call the protesters in Lafayette Park “phony” and “terrorists using idle hate-filled students to burn and destroy.” He mentioned the fact that former President George H. W. Bush had used the military to help regain control after Rodney King was arrested and beaten in Los Angeles.

“President Trump has done more to help our minority brothers and sisters in three years than anyone in the last 50. Ask the black pastors. Ask the leaders of the black colleges and universities. He got them funded. Ask them about the prison reform which ended the draconian sentences imposed on young black men by the laws enacted by Biden and his hacks. You need to bone up on your homework and stop listening to Uncle Leon,” Dowd continued.

He went on to criticize Mattis for saying nothing about “ugly, hate filled, disgraceful” comments made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and concluded by asking whether Mattis’ anger was “borne of embarrassment” for his own failures.