So what do you think all those 'military' folks in that room yesterday

[malaise]

now think of their Commander in Chief? From my perspective, it was the perfect setting for a meltdown.
They watched, saw and heard it live.

[cheyanne]

1. I think that all these military men watched Trump's

rant of lies and denigration of our country's DOJ and figured that they could have a rational talk about Syria with him.

No excuse: they are complicit in all of Trump's behavior.

[Blue_true]

2. Military officers have no choice but to sit there and try to work with him.

Their only other choice is to resign. Unfortunately, that is how our system works, whether there is a competent and great President like President Obama sitting in the middle chair, or a shit throwing ape like Trump sitting there.

[pangaia]

6. Can't they refuse an unlawful order? Or maybe just an insane one?

[paleotn]

7. Yes, but it's complicated....

and as far as we know, Dumpster hasn't gone there. Unless it's blatant, what is unlawful to one person may not be to someone else. Acres of gray area there.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

9. YES

An order which is unlawful not only does not need to be obeyed but obeying such an order can result in criminal prosecution of the one who obeys it. Military courts have long held that military members are accountable for their actions even while following orders -- if the order was illegal.

https://www.thebalance.com/military-orders-3332819

[DemocracyMouse]

14. THAT should be amplified in the public consciousness

(That military personnel are accountable for breaking the law and can be prosecuted if they follow an illegal order).

[DemocratSinceBirth]

16. I can't see how we don't do anything in Syria. We boxed ourselves in.

I am not saying action or inaction is the right course. I am hopeful the Joint Chiefs Of Staff resist an order that is clearly disproportionate and potentially illegal.

[JI7]

3. they don't have much choice. i think most of them think he is a fool

and much worse.

[oberliner]

4. They just want to move on to bombing Syria already

[gademocrat7]

5. They are under his command.

But they know he is unfit and not competent.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

8. They were thinking "If I talked like that I'd never get out of cadet school." ... Oh, wait

Trump never did more than high school cadet school.

[marble falls]

10. Generals on one side and John Bolton sitting on the other side of cheetolini....

I think he was making a threat.

[all american girl]

11. He had them there to stroke his ego

There were people there that had no reason to be there other than for trump's photo op. Look at their faces, they looked uncomfortable and wishing they weren't there for his melt down.

Also, they have to choice, they have to be there is he wants them to. The only thing they could do, I guess, is to retire...which, I would bet, there were some of those conversations happening at home last night.

[Scarsdale]

12. How could they sit silently

when this orange idiot called the raid on Cohen "an attack on our country"?? Was he comparing this to 9/11? Pearl Harbor? He really IS insane. His house of cards is collapsing, and he is flailing desperately. Corrupt AND stupid, what a combination. He NEVER should have run for the office, he was never qualified - NEVER.

[IronLionZion]

13. Most would understand he's a dangerous fool who should not be trusted or respected

but he does give them plenty of funding and freedom to do what they want.

I don't think he orders them to do many operations. They mainly come to him with the idea and he OKs it. Or that's what they've reported to the press when they dropped the MOAB in Afghanistan and launched cruise missiles at the empty airfield in Syria.

[Botany]

15. They saw all they needed to see

I liked Trump's "but what about the insurance ... he had to be fired" thing during his rant.

[malaise]

17. Perfect

[A Brand New World]

21. What was that all about with regards to insurance?

I know 99.9% of the time Trump has no idea what he is talking about but I had never heard of anything regarding Comey and insurance.

[spanone]

18. trump was like a monkey who jumped up on the table and shit all over it....

They have an insight at how fucking insane this man is.

[Skittles]

19. probably wondering if whoring for Trump has been worth it

[malaise]

20. You win the thread

[DeminPennswoods]

22. Would've loved to have been a fly on the wall at

the Officer's Club after that meeting.