US Military's Rejection of Armed Forces Farewell Tribute for Donald Trump Draws in Strong Responses

President Donald Trump will not get the typical Armed Forces Farewell Tribute from the U.S. Military this week, and Americans have strong feelings about it. For the last four decades, the military has honored each outgoing president with a ceremonial send-off, but this week Defense One confirmed that Trump would not be getting the same treatment. While some supporters were outraged, many Americans were glad to see the military making this strong yet wordless statement.

The relatively new tradition of an Armed Forces Farewell Tribute reportedly began with the end of Ronald Reagan's presidency in 1989 and continued from there. Outgoing presidents typically visit a military base for a celebration and one final speech to the troops, highlighting their accomplishments under that particular commander-in-chief. While Trump has done his best to make military control a central part of his presidency, he and the Armed Forces have often been at odds, and now that tension is playing out in a surprising break from tradition.

Most political commentators assume that the military is skipping this tribute because of Trump's recent alleged incitement of the Capitol riot and his refusal to apologize or make peace. There are also longer tensions between him and the military to consider, such as his misappropriation of military resources during the Black Lives Matter protests over the summer and the subsequent spotlight on military commanders.

Even ignoring all of that, many Americans said they are just happy that there will be one less spectacle for Trump to promote as he leaves office and President-elect Joe Biden takes over. Here is a look at what Americans are saying about Trump and his lack of a military send-off.