As America's 2020 Election draws near, its presidential candidates continue to be scrutinized. President Donald Trump is constantly under a microscope and now things have intensified after The Atlantic reports that multiple senior staffers claim he chastised fallen soldiers. Back in 2018, Trump canceled his appearance at the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Paris. It was told that his helicopter couldn't fly and there were excuses that Secret Service couldn't drive, but staffers now say neither was true.
The Atlantic reports that Trump was more concerned about ruining his hair due to the rainy weather conditions. Also, four reported senior staffers allege that President Trump didn't see the importance of honoring dead American service members. “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers," Trump is accused of saying. It's also alleged that Trump called the 1,800 soldiers who died as Belleau Wood "suckers" for losing their lives.
The staffers making these allegations were not named and to bolster their claims, Trump's comments regarding late Senator John McCain have resurfaced. In the 1960s, McCain served in the Vietnam War and after his plane was shot down, he became a prisoner of war. Five years ago, Trump said, “He’s not a war hero," adding, "I like people who weren’t captured.” Now, the anonymous staff members assert that following McCain's death in 2018, Trump didn't want to honor his fellow Republican with flags being lowered to half-staff. He allegedly called McCain a "f*cking loser" and later wasn't invited to his funeral.
Following The Atlantic's report going viral, the White House issued a response by saying Trump "holds the military in the highest regard" and denies all of the accusations made. "He’s demonstrated his commitment to them at every turn: delivering on his promise to give our troops a much needed pay raise, increasing military spending, signing critical veterans reforms, and supporting military spouses. This has no basis in fact.”
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