“Our landings in the Cherbourg-Havre area have failed to gain a satisfactory foothold and I have withdrawn the troops. My decision to attack at this time and place was based upon the best information available. The troops, the air, and the navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches to the attempt, it is mine alone.”

–Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1944 (Statement to be released if D-Day landings had failed)

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“The President, whoever he is, has to decide. He can’t pass the buck to anybody. No one else can do the deciding for him. That’s his job.”

–Harry S Truman, 1953 (farewell address)

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“Well, this was a mission that was started before I got here. This was something that was, you know, just, they wanted to do. They came to see me, they explained what they wanted to do, the generals—who are very respected, and they lost Ryan.”

–Donald J. Trump, 2017  (After raid in Yemen in which Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens and 14 to 25 civilians died.)

Compiled by my friend and colleague Michael Levene.