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Oct. 7, 2024 Editor, The News-Gazette: Let’s pretend for a moment that Donald Trump’s former chief of staff, John Kelly - retired Marine general and father of a soldier killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010 - was lying when he said that Trump called American service members “suckers” and “losers.”
Let’s further make believe that the compulsively dishonest Trump was telling the truth when he denied ever saying such a thing.
Instead let’s focus on another case — this one where Trump displayed openly his contempt for members of the armed forces.
In January 2020, Iran launched a ballistic missile attack on bases in Iraq housing U.S. troops. More than 100 service members suffered concussions or traumatic brain injuries. Then-President Trump dismissed those injuries as “headaches.” The U.S. did not retaliate.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars protested Trump’s assertion.
Trump repeated the “headaches” lie at a recent campaign event in Wisconsin.
Appallingly the Trump administration denied Purple Hearts to at least 50 soldiers injured in the attack. The Biden administration awarded those honors, and the benefits that come with them, in December 2021.
It’s one more reason to elect Kamala Harris to the White House and 24-year military veteran Ken Mitchell over Trump sycophant Ben Cline to Congress. GENE ZITVER Lexington
