Trump’s Sharpest Weapon: Criticizing the Deceased

Trump has become sharper when he talks about people who are no longer alive. He used to be slow and vague, but now he speaks quickly and harshly. After Senator McCain died in 2018, Trump’s comments were weak at first. He said “I never was a fan” only after many months, which felt unnecessary and rude. Earlier, he had already criticized McCain’s war experience in 2015.When former Secretary of State Colin Powell died in 2021, Trump reacted fast. Within a day he called Powell’s Iraq decisions “big mistakes” and accused him of disloyalty. Trump judges people by how they feel about him, not by their service or achievements. This pattern shows a shift: Trump now uses death as an opportunity to attack. He measures others by how they might criticize him, not by their real contributions.