U.S. President Donald Trump described them as “slim balls”, referring to dead U.S. soldiers as “losers” and “suckers”.
He likened Atlantic Magazine’s report to unproven allegations that he conspired with Russia to win the 2016 presidential election.
The damned quotes were confirmed independently by the Associated Press.
Veterans groups among those who condemned Mr. Trump are less than two months to the 2020 election.
Progressive group Votvets Posted a video of families whose children were killed in the action. “You don’t know what sacrifice means,” someone said.
Paul Rickoff of Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America, Tweeted: “Who’s really surprised by this?”
A small group near the Trump National Golf Club in Virginia put up placards at the president’s motorcade on Saturday.
Mr Trump has often had strong support in the military, and veterans of the Pew Research Center last year found that he was generally supported as commander-in-chief, 57% compatible. Research shows that three-quarters of veterans are identified as Republicans.
What was reported as Trump said?
According to The Atlantic, when Mr. Trump canceled a visit to the Aisne-Morn American Cemetery outside Paris in November 2018, 100 years after the end of World War I, He said he was “full of losers.”.
Four factions told the magazine he rejected the idea of visiting because the rain would part his hair, and he did not believe it was important to honor those who died in the American war.
- Trump loves the military. Will they love him back?
- Trump said the popular military newspaper will not be shut down
During the same visit, the president referred to the 1,800 U.S. soldiers who died at Bellywood as “suckers.” The war helped prevent German advance on Paris during World War I and was honored by the U.S. Marine Corps.
Atlantic’s reporting is based on anonymous sources, but “a senior defense official with the first understanding of the events” and “Senior U.S. Marine Corps official who spoke about Trump’s remarks” confirmed the cemetery remarks. To AP.
In 2018 The White House said a visit to the cemetery had been canceled because bad weather had grounded the president’s helicopter. John Trump, a former national security adviser to President Trump, who has been a vocal critic of Mr Trump, backed up the account in a recent book.
The U.S. Navy also said it had canceled a visit to the cemetery Due to rain In response to a request from BuzzFeed reporter Jason Leopold under the Freedom of Information Act.
How did Trump respond?
Without mentioning Atlantic Report author Jeffrey Goldberg, he tweeted on Saturday: “You will work very hard for the military from completely rebuilding the declining chaos left by Obiden. [the previous presidential administration when Joe Biden was vice-president to Barack Obama], To fix the broken VA and fight for large-scale military wages, and then A slimball reporter, working with disgruntled people, makes such a horrible accusation.. “
“It reminds me of a dirty document [the Steele dossier which alleged collusion with Russia], Which was pushed by John McCain, and then turned into a total fraud with one deception. Many other scams as well. Radical far left vigilantes, they do or say anything to win. But they will not, we will win, and four great years! “
Mr Trump has attacked another journalist, Jennifer Griffin of Fox News, one of the president’s favorite news organizations in general.
Griffin made insulting remarks about the U.S. military facing allegations that Mr. Trump did On other occasions such as calling soldiers who fought in the Vietnam War “suckers”.
“Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting,” Mr. Trump tweeted. “Never called us for comment. @ Fox News Gone!”
There are White House officials He denied the allegations made during his visit to France or stressed the president’s respect for the military.
What are Trump opponents saying?
Mr Biden, the Democratic challenger in the November 3 election, said his opponent was ineligible to lead.
“Mr. President, If you do not respect our forces, you will not be able to lead them, ”He tweeted.
If elected, he said, “I will make our American heroes know that I will have their backs and respect their sacrifice. Always.”
Tommy Duckworth, an experienced Democratic senator who lost both legs while serving in Iraq, said President Trump “likes to use the U.S. military for his own ego.”
Khizr Khan, the father of an American soldier killed in Iraq Those who criticized Mr. Trump at the 2016 Democracy Conference, Joined Ms Duckworth on call.
He said: “When Donald Trump called those who put their lives in the service of others as losers, we understood the spirit of Trump.”
Where will Trump and the US military stand?
There have been previous spats and controversies.
Mr Trump is angry that the late Senator John McCain, a prisoner of war in Vietnam, is not a “war hero”: “I like people who are not captured.”
The president never worked in uniform. He received five installments from the military draft in the Vietnam War – one for four academic reasons and one for bone spurs, the formation of heels calcium.
Joe Biden postpones five student drafts during the Vietnam War Before being disqualified from serving in the military due to asthma in adolescence.
More Stories
Allegations of corruption Qatar warns of ‘negative impact’ of European measures
USA: Famous “Hollywood cat” euthanized in Los Angeles
The campaigner who called for the shooting of Ukrainian children has not been charged