Trump slams ‘ungrateful traitor’ Chelsea Manning

President Trump early Thursday slammed Chelsea Manning, calling her an “ungrateful traitor” who should have never been released from prison.
“Ungrateful TRAITOR Chelsea Manning, who should never have been released from prison, is now calling President Obama a weak leader. Terrible!” Trump tweeted from his person account.
Ungrateful TRAITOR Chelsea Manning, who should never have been released from prison, is now calling President Obama a weak leader. Terrible!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 26, 2017
{mosads}Manning in her first column since former President Barack Obama commuted her sentence for leaking classified documents said Obama had “few permanent accomplishments.”
“This vulnerable legacy should remind us that what we really need is a strong and unapologetic progressive to lead us. What we need as well is a relentless grassroots movement to hold that leadership accountable,” she wrote in The Guardian.
“The one simple lesson to draw from President Obama’s legacy: do not start off with a compromise. They won’t meet you in the middle,” she added.
Obama in one of his last acts in office commuted the 35-year sentence of the former Army private, who was born Bradley Manning and began publicly identifying as a woman in 2013.
The outgoing president said Manning had paid her debt to society.
“I feel very comfortable that justice has been served,” Obama said at his last news conference.
“Chelsea Manning has served a tough prison sentence,” he said. “So the notion that the average person who was thinking about disclosing vital classified information would think that this is going unpunished I don’t think would get that impression from the sentence that Chelsea Manning has served.”
CNN’s Brian Stelter noted Thursday morning that Fox News used “ungrateful traitor” and “weak leader” in a report shortly before they appeared in Trump’s tweet.
14 minutes apart: Fox says “ungrateful traitor,” Trump says “ungrateful traitor,” Fox says “weak leader,” Trump says “weak leader.” pic.twitter.com/f7urTOUG1L
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) January 26, 2017
This report was updated at 8:06 a.m.
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