‘You’re a bunch of dopes and babies’: Trump called America’s top military leaders ‘losers’ in off the rails Pentagon meeting, report says – The…

Donald Trump once called a room full of Americas top generals a bunch of dopes and babies, according to a new report.

The 2017 meeting took place in the Pentagons secure vault known as the Tank a secure, windowless room apparently viewed within the American military apparatus as sacred amid concerns among the militarys top brass of gaping holes in Trumps knowledge of history, especially the key alliances forged following World War II, according to an excerpt from a new book due out by two Washington Post reporters.

But, after a lengthy crash course on the rationale behind Americas military presence abroad, and the importance of alliances like Nato, Mr Trump reportedly became frustrated, and snapped at the group that included the former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general Joseph Dunford.

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"You're all losers. You don't know how to win anymore," Mr Trump said after complaining that the US hadn't won the war in Afghanistan after 16 years.

Mr Trump then continued to muse about the people in charge of America's military, and suggested that they no longer knew how to win wars.

World leaders gather for Nato family photo

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British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives

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President Donald Trump talks to British Prime Minister Theresa May

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US President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a bilateral breakfast ahead of the Nato Summit in Brussels

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President Donald Trump, right, gestures as he speaks to the media prior to his bilateral breakfast with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left

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President Donald Trump, US Secretary of Defence James Mattis and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the bilateral breakfast with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

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President Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo, left, are reflected in a mirror as they attend at a breakfast meeting

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President Donald Trump speaks during the bilateral breakfast

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President Donald Trump gestures during the bilateral breakfast

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World leaders gather for Nato family photo

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British Prime Minister Theresa May arrives

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President Donald Trump talks to British Prime Minister Theresa May

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AP

US President Donald Trump and Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg attend a bilateral breakfast ahead of the Nato Summit in Brussels

Reuters

President Donald Trump, right, gestures as he speaks to the media prior to his bilateral breakfast with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, left

AP

President Donald Trump, US Secretary of Defence James Mattis and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo at the bilateral breakfast with Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg

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President Donald Trump and Mike Pompeo, left, are reflected in a mirror as they attend at a breakfast meeting

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President Donald Trump speaks during the bilateral breakfast

EPA

President Donald Trump gestures during the bilateral breakfast

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I wouldnt go to war with you people, Mr Trump reportedly said.

He continued: Youre a bunch of dopes and babies.

While the meeting had been previously reported, the outburst had not. And, those newest details show a surprising level of vitriol even for a man known for his penchant for tossing aside the norms of respect and admiration normally associated with the presidency.

In attendance were Gen Dunford andseveral officials who have now left the federal government, including former Defense secretary Jim Mattis, former National Economic Council director Gary Cohn and former secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

Stephen Bannon, the former chief strategist in the White House, was also there, and described his thinking at the time to the Washington Post.

Oh baby, this is going ot be f*****g wild, Mr Biden said he thought after Mr Mattis gave a 20-minute briefing on the power of Nato and Americas postwar rules-based international order, as one slide was labelled. Mr Trump has frequently bashed Nato as president, complaining that he does not believe Americas foreign allies are paying enough into the system.

If you stood up and threatened to shoot [Trump], he couldnt say postwar rules-based international order. Its just not the way he thinks, Mr Bannon said.

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In the years since, Mr Trump has continued to slam Nato during international trips, and in December made headlines after abruptly leaving a gathering of leaders in London when a video showing Justin Trudeau, Emmanuel Macron and Boris Johnson mocking the American president.

The month before that, the Trump administration moved to substantially cut its contribution to the collective budget of Nato, US and Nato officials said.

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'You're a bunch of dopes and babies': Trump called America's top military leaders 'losers' in off the rails Pentagon meeting, report says - The...