On Tuesday, a U.S. naval commander who crashed in the Arabian Sea was declared dead. That very day, President Donald Trump was at the NATO summit in Turkey, casually announcing that the ceasefire with Iran was “over” with no mention of the costs of war being borne by Americans and people around the world.
According to the New Republic, “The missing soldier was identified Tuesday as Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 5 commanding officer Gabriel Edwards. He and three other soldiers were forced to emergency-land their helicopter in the Arabian Sea on July 1. While the others were rescued, Edwards was declared officially dead after 102 hours — over four days — of searching.”
“Commander Gabe Edwards was the epitome of selfless leadership, who dedicated himself to service and sacrifice for the last 20 years,” said Captain Matthew Lewis in a statement. “Our deepest gratitude and sympathy go out to his family, who should know that Gabe led his squadron, the HSC-5 ‘Nightdippers,’ with integrity and fortitude.”
The Navy insists that Edwards’ death was not caused by hostile forces, though the incident is still under investigation.
“Nevertheless,” notes the New Republic, “Edwards’s disappearance and death coincides with a once again active war between the U.S. and Iran. President Trump on Wednesday declared any deal with Iran null and void, following the worst exchange of fire between the two countries since the memorandum of understanding, or MOU, was signed. Iran targeted tankers in the Strait of Hormuz and U.S. bases, and the U.S. bombed several coastal cities in Iran.”
“To me? I think it’s over,” Trump ranted at the NATO conference, referring to the MOU. “They’re scum. You know what scum is? They’re scum. They’re sick people. They’re led by sick people, and they’re vicious, violent people. And if they had a nuclear weapon, they’d use it. As far as I’m concerned, it’s over.”
As the New Republic reports, the deaths of 13 American soldiers have been confirmed in relation to the war, “although that number has been alleged to be an underestimate.” Trump has also been accused of having a “shruggy nihilism” regarding the war dead.
In March, when asked if there would be American deaths as a result of the war, Trump said, “I guess. But I think they’re worried about that all the time. We think about it all the time. We plan for it. But yeah, you know, we expect some things. Like I said, some people will die. When you go to war, some people will die.”
He has been similarly dismissive of the war’s financial costs that have hammered American pocketbooks. In May, when asked if he considered how the fighting would impact the finances of Americans, he replied, “Not even a little bit. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.”