Many opinions: Trump originally repeated that it was ‘Wounded Warriors’ that he was going to make an event for and give money to, instead of attending the debate– because he was upset about a woman interviewer from Fox having the ability to question him during the debate.

If in fact it is THE Wounded Warriors charity, it could be an example of Trump not choosing wisely, not vetting well on the part of Trump campaign. Were the actual Wounded Warriors charity chosen, the Trump machine would have targeted a charity that has had continuous charges raised against it for the last many months. Only one of the charges being that Wounded Warriors is allegedly keeping a high percentage of donation money for lavish displays and perks– when use of the huge amounts of money they have received as donations were meant for veterans to be helped in every way their mission states.

The media has begun asking questions about whether the money is going to Wounded Warriors, and then later today it turned out that on his new pro-veterans website all donations are being directed to his personal foundation. But (as a Google News search reveals) his original idea was seemingly to give the money to ‘Wounded Warriors.’ When CBS News did a controversial report on the group recently, some wondered if Trump would pull back from suggesting money would go to that group.

The latest? According to Talking Points Memo, “Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s spokeswoman was unable to name a veterans group that would receive money from the real estate mogul’s campaign event on Thursday.” And his son, Donald Trump, Jr., said the groups would be named during the fundraiser.

It appears that some charge that Wounded Warrior charity has spent millions of dollars on the people at the top of their admin, and their hundreds of employees/volunteers, to party down, taking the money from vets, while helping some vets– but also in many a person’s opinion [see links below] wrongly helping themselves, they the able.

The charges have risen from whispers back in 2014 to a roar in 2016, as recently as last week–before Trump decided to ‘use’ veterans, as some say, for his purposes to make himself appear patriotic instead of what appears so: that is, fleeing from a female reporter from Fox who he has been piqued that she would ask questions of him during a debate. Trump saying in return for weeks now, pretty rude and crude things about her. Trump appears to have a hard time containing his personal emotions, and keeping his eye on what truly matters. It appears his skin is very thin; not a sign of a statesman or leader of a democratic nation.

My own veteran hubby and others seem to also be asking, where was Trump in his donations when the war began — when Iraq-deployed soldiers were coming home in pieces or dead, and their families were often in such need?

Where was Trump when vets were returning from Afghanistan. Or not returning alive?

Where was the big money from Trump all these many years since veterans have been in deep need for medical, services, jobs, home and housing retrofit needs?

And why does Trump want to use veterans now, and to show what about himself, and to whom?

Surely it can’t be about the vets, for otherwise Trump would be known publicly as a huge contributor to veterans’ welfare consistently, month after month, year after year, starting over 10 years ago, when the first terrible needs began to surface re the casualties from war, which afflicted not just vets, but their families.

And why initially seemingly suggest the donations would go to an org that is alleged to have an impulsive money-fanning admin that appears not to be giving full weight to their stated mission? Or was Trump just using what we all know is a highly emotionally charged phrase known to garner, for the men and women vets, deserved empathy: “wounded warriors”. But also something else. A fellow running for nomination, trying to ally himself with people for whom the phrase fits, but does not fit for the politician.

This is not about veterans in general, for veterans like any other population are not monolithic and all have their own ideas about all matters of life. It’s about the ‘the veteran org/s’ Trump chose to suddenly do a ‘fund raiser’ for, because he couldn’t face a Fox woman, amongst several interviewers, for the debate.

Not sure, but I thought women had first amendment rights too, not just men? Except in malignant dictatorships, where not only women, but also men are not allowed to speak. I remember the films of Hitler calling out several men during a meeting, men who opposed Hitler. Out back Hitler had them assassinated on the spot.

Surely we are not going to have ‘you oppose me with words or deeds, you die’ consciously elected to highest office in the United States of America.

Smackdown at 10.

New York Times on the controversy regarding high salaries, lavish parties for 500 employees from Wounded Warrior Project, including apparent efforts by Wounded Warriors to seemingly impede other help orgs, and also to lobby congress for no ceiling on non profit contributions, and etc. [dateline January 27, 2016]

Snopes on true letter from veteran’s wife on her not being able to gain minimal assistance from Wounded Warriors group, and the organization that stepped in and helped her and family instead. Her questioning of all the t-shirts, backpacks, caps etc sent to her and her veteran husband, and why donation money is being spent on gee-gaws instead of on veterans. {November 2015]

The Daily Beast: On Wounded Warriors group allegedly harassing other help groups for veterans. [2015]

Military Times: Former Wounded Warrior Staff Employees tell about their grievances re Wounded Warrior Charity.
And look at all of these articles on Wounded Warriors now on Google News.

UPDATE: Wounded Warriors denies the CBS report and is demanding an apology and retraction. None from CBS so far…

More as it comes in, including which charity serving veterans will receive Trump’s largesse.