ISIS/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “Asked specifically about the ‘whimpering’ line Monday [10-29-19], Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley said he did not know where the President got those details but noted Trump had planned to talk to some of the commandos who carried out the operation and assumed the information came from those conversations…When Trump delivered the ‘whimpering’ line, many officials assumed he had spoken to some of the commandos who carried out the raid — but as of now the White House has not confirmed that he has done that. One defense official tells CNN it is not likely the President’s comments are based on him hearing Baghdadi’s voice inside the Situation Room where he monitored the operation in real time unless special arrangements were made. The raid was a success even if Trump embellished some of the details in his televised address.”
–Zachary Cohen and Barbara Starr, “Trump claimed ISIS leader ‘whimpered’ in final moments. Top officials don’t know where he got that detail,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, October 29, 2019 11:25 pm