The president has repeatedly disparaged the intelligence of service members, and asked that wounded veterans be kept out of military parades, multiple sources tell The Atlantic.
When President Donald Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018, he blamed rain for the last-minute decision, saying that “the helicopter couldn’t fly” and that the Secret Service wouldn’t drive him there. Neither claim was true.
Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day. In a conversation with senior staff members on the morning of the scheduled visit, Trump said, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” In a separate conversation on the same trip, Trump referred to the more than 1,800 marines who lost their lives at Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed.
Belleau Wood is a consequential battle in American history, and the ground on which it was fought is venerated by the Marine Corps. America and its allies stopped the German advance toward Paris there in the spring of 1918. But Trump, on that same trip, asked aides, “Who were the good guys in this war?” He also said that he didn’t understand why the United States would intervene on the side of the Allies.
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Update #1: Report: Trump disparaged US war dead as ‘losers,’ ‘suckers’ (AP)
Update #2: Report: Trump Called U.S. WWI Veterans “Suckers’ And ‘Losers’ (Forbes)
WNU Editor: The White House has responded .... White House attacks 'false' Atlantic story about Trump insulting dead soldiers: 'What a disgrace!' (FOX News). What's my take? President Trump and Senator McCain did not like each other, and it is well known that Sen. McCain did everything that he could do to undermine President Trump. No surprises there. As for the rest of the story on disparaging America's war dead. The Atlantic provides no evidence. No audio or video. Just a couple of "anonymous" sources and some sharing their personal opinions?!?!?! I feel like I am living the Trump-Russia collusion story all over again. And I am. It was Sen. McCain who pushed the Steele Dossier and Russian - Collusion narrative in the first place. A story and dossier that we now know was (and is) completely bogus. And as for President Trump visiting military cemeteries. For a person who apparently does not want to go to US cemeteries, during his Presidency he has made numerous unannounced visits to these places when he did not need to do so .... Melania, Donald Trump pay unannounced visit to Arlington Cemetery ahead of Memorial Day (CNN).
