Letter to the Editor: The president isn’t in uniform
Published 1:00 pm Thursday, May 7, 2026
Jonie Brooke and I agree on proper flag etiquette (“Saluting or hand-on-heart is to the president’s discretion,” published April 29).
However, Trump’s wearing a ballcap (i.e. casual attire) during the rendering of colors and during the dignified transfer of remains is viewed as disrespectful, undignified and uncouth. Also, Trump is not a veteran. Jonie Brooke, do you agree with all of this?
It’s arguably trivial: The president is the commander in chief and he is a civilian. To illustrate, Army general Eisenhower purposely resigned his commission before he took his oath of office as President of the United States. He served in his presidency as a civilian because the United States government is not a government led by the military.
U. S. Code 301 states that “during a rendition of the national anthem and when the flag is displayed, individuals in uniform should give the military salute at the first note of the anthem and maintain that position until the last note.”
“Members of the armed forces and veterans who are present but not in uniform may render the military salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform.”
The code continues: “All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart, and men not in uniform, if applicable, should remove their headdress with their right hand and hold it at the left shoulder, hand being over the heart.” Trump continues to fail this test every time.
Non-veterans Clinton, W (Air National Guard no-show), Obama and Biden rendered proper flag etiquette by placing their hands over their hearts and certainly with no wearing of ballcaps. True?
Hence, I stand by the declarative in my previous letter in that Trump is neither a veteran or a member of the military so consequently, etiquette calls for him “to place his hand over his malevolent heart just like all of his non-veteran predecessors and civilians.“ That’s all.
On another note: “I’m not a crook.” – President Nixon.
“I’m not a rapist” Trump is now opportunistically attempting to justify his request for the building of a bunker after his third assassination attempt by amateur lone wolves. Trump, using a megaphone, is the biggest purveyor of violence; receives and demands extraordinary protection while Americans are subject to political and pointless violence in our country every day. How can we get worked up over Trump’s third assassination attempt when we continue to forget Rep. Gabby Giffords, Paul Pelosi; all of the children who were killed in classrooms, all of the people killed in their places of worship, the Minnesota state senator and her husband, January 6th lawmakers and police officers, Renee Goode and Alex Pretti, the American war dead that Trump has contempt for, the indefensible misuse of the military to perform the extrajudicial killing of people in small boats, and the whimsical assassination of leaders of other countries that are not a threat to us?
All of this from a lurid, inept, grotesque convicted felon who continues to not be above suspicion.
Stanley McKie
Enumclaw
