Over at Charlie Pierce’s place Robert Bateman provides background on the attack in Niger. He also reports on the duty specialties on those who were killed: Staff Sergeants Bryan Black [Green Beret & Medic}, Dustin Wright {Green Beret & Engineer], Jeremiah Johnson [Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Specialist], and Sergeant La David Johnson [Light Wheeled Vehicle Mechanic]. That makes it look like a “hearts & minds” mission, not combat.

Lawrence O’Donnell provides some background on John Kelly.

Rachel Maddow reports on the inexplicable Trump travel ban decision that preceded US Niger exposure. Fox & Friends attacks her reporting and Trump repeats the attack on Twitter.

Back to Congresswoman Wilson. She wears the hats in memory of her grandmother. While Trump may find honoring your elders to be “wacky”, but it is a rather mainstream concept in most religious beliefs. She explained her relationship with the area in Africa where the soldiers were killed. She is certainly more familiar with the area than Trump, and possibly Kelly. She has visited as part of her desire to find and release all of the girls kidnapped from school by Boko Haram. She supports our involvement in the area.

On a personal note: General Kelly’s suggested script for the call to Mrs Johnson was the dumbest damn thing I could have imagined. Wives and mothers will accept sympathy, but you don’t try to convince them that it was anything other than a tragedy. That script might be acceptable to two old soldiers, one of whom may regret a child’s decision to follow him into the military, but don’t try to sell that to a civilian. Also, the printing of Sgt. Johnson’s name obviously wasn’t large enough for Trump to read. Just contact the volunteers at Arlington, they know how to do this.

Trump apparently believes that the rest of the world wants his advice. The British government is not amused: Anger over Donald Trump’s UK crime tweet.

The BBC also noted that Obama and Bush decry deep US divisions without naming Trump. The CBC takes it a bit further: ‘The old guard in revolt’: Why ex-presidents are violating code of silence to fight ‘Trumpism’.

While all five of the living former Presidents are at a benefit concert for the victims of Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, the current holder of the title was playing golf at one of his clubs, as usual.