As Donald Trump’s veepstakes contenders continue to stand by Trump, who has a disastrous record of failing and insulting veterans, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement: 

“When Donald Trump insulted veterans as ‘suckers’ and ‘losers,’ tried to gut funding for disabled veterans, and left the Department of Veterans Affairs in turmoil, the MAGA minions vying to be his vice president shamelessly defended him. And when President Biden worked to deliver for veterans through the bipartisan PACT Act, Trump’s VP contenders tried to block it, bending over backwards to do Trump’s bidding at the expense of our service members. Trump and MAGA Republicans’ horrendous record of failing and disrespecting veterans will be remembered by the American people when they cast their vote in November.”

After Donald Trump called veterans “suckers” and “losers,” his MAGA minions rushed to his defense and denied the reporting.

Axios: “Former President Trump didn’t want to visit a cemetery near Paris for Americans who fought and died in World War I because it was filled with ‘suckers’ and ‘losers,’ John Kelly, his longest-serving chief of staff, said in a statement to CNN on Monday.”

The Atlantic: “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.”

Spectrum News: “​​Sarah Sanders Denies Report That Trump Called Military Members ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’”

Politico: “‘I’ve never heard the president use the language that assertedly is said in that article, about him calling military suckers and losers,’ Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told Fox News.”

WWNY: “The Stefanik campaign statement attacked The Atlantic’s article as ‘false reporting and yet another desperate smear from the media lying and tearing down President Trump.’”

West River Eagle: “Members of the South Dakota Congressional Delegation, including staunch Trump-ally, Governor Noem, have remained silent on the matter, resulting in criticism from South Dakota District 15 Senator Reynold Nesiba.”

VP contenders in the Senate delayed passage of the bipartisan PACT Act, a law that expanded VA health care and benefits for millions of veterans exposed to burn pits.

The Post and Courier: “Burn pits bill stalls in Senate as Tim Scott joins surprise effort to block it”

NPR: “The Senate finally was poised to pass a bill that would provide health care and benefits for millions of veterans injured by exposure to toxins, from Agent Orange in Vietnam to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Instead, in a surprise move, 25 Republican senators blocked the measure on Wednesday — even though they had voted in favor of it just one month earlier…But those same spending concerns didn’t seem to pose an initial concern for the more than two dozen Republicans who voted for it last month only to abruptly change their stance. They are: Sens. John Barrasso, Marsha Blackburn, Roy Blunt, Mike Braun, Bill Cassidy, John Cornyn, Tom Cotton.”

WBIR: “A vote that would have allowed a bill to continue through the legislative process failed in the U.S. Senate on Wednesday. Senators mostly voted along party lines, with most Republicans voting to continue discussions on the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022. Senator Marsha Blackburn and Senator Bill Hagerty both voted against the cloture motion, for now preventing the bill from advancing through the Senate and ensuring debate continues on it.”

REMINDER: Trump has repeatedly disrespected and hurled insults at veterans.

Washington Post: “They stunned nearly everyone in the room, and some vowed that they would never repeat them. Indeed, they have not been reported until now. ‘I wouldn’t go to war with you people,’ Trump told the assembled brass. Addressing the room, the commander in chief barked, ‘You’re a bunch of dopes and babies.’”

Washington Post: “Trump unleashed his disdain, calling Afghanistan a ‘loser war.’ That phrase hung in the air and disgusted not only the military leaders at the table but also the men and women in uniform sitting along the back wall behind their principals. They all were sworn to obey their commander in chief’s commands, and here he was calling the war they had been fighting a loser war. ‘You’re all losers,’ Trump said. ‘You don’t know how to win anymore.’”

The Hill: “President Trump on Wednesday minimized the injuries of several U.S. service members who suffered concussions during an Iranian missile attack on two Iraqi bases that house American personnel.”

NBC News: “Trump asks about whereabouts of Nikki Haley’s husband, who’s serving overseas”

As president, Trump proposed slashing funds for elderly veterans, railed against the G.I. Bill, and left the Department of Veterans Affairs in turmoil after putting his MAGA allies at the helm. 

ProPublica: “Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Buddies Tried to Get the VA to Sell Access to Veterans’ Medical Records”

“Former President Donald Trump empowered associates from his private club to pursue a plan for the Department of Veterans Affairs to monetize patient data, according to documents newly released by congressional investigators. As ProPublica first reported in 2018, a trio based at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort weighed in on policy and personnel decisions for the federal government’s second-largest agency, despite lacking any experience in the U.S. government or military. While previous reporting showed the trio had a hand in budgeting and contracting, their interest in turning patient data into a revenue stream was not previously known. The VA provides medical care to more than 9 million veterans at more than 1,000 facilities across the country.”

Military Times: “Trump’s ‘Mar-a-Lago Three’ had unusual, improper access on vets policy issues, VA now says”

ProPublica: “The Mar-a-Lago Crowd spoke with VA officials daily, the documents show, reviewing all manner of policy and personnel decisions. They prodded the VA to start new programs, and officials traveled to Mar-a-Lago at taxpayer expense to hear their views. ‘Everyone has to go down and kiss the ring,’ a former administration official said.”

Military.com: “Elderly Vets Could Face Benefits Cut Under Trump Budget”

“Veterans Affairs Secretary Dr. David Shulkin defended Wednesday a proposal in President Donald Trump’s federal budget plan that would cut a benefit paying thousands of dollars annually to disabled elderly veterans.”

Chris Cuomo, CNN: “So is that a yes, ‘I do support the current G.I. Bill?’”
Trump: “No.”