Despite renewed focus on the alleged comments during Joe Biden’s recent state visit to France, Donald Trump is once again refuting claims that he referred to American soldiers who died in World War I as “suckers” and “losers”.
At a rally held in Las Vegas on Sunday, the ex-president dismissed the purported remarks as “disinformation” spread by the “fake news.”
He began by saying, “I’m standing in a cemetery with generals and military personnel, and from a practical standpoint, I look at them and think, ‘These people are suckers and losers.'”
He continued, “Now, consider this. Unless someone is a psycho, crazy, or exceptionally foolish, why would they utter such words to military personnel?”
It is important to note that there are no accusations claiming that Trump made the insulting remarks at a French cemetery.
According to The Atlantic report in 2020, Trump apparently refused to attend a scheduled commemoration event for the 100th anniversary of WWI at Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau due to concerns that his hair would get messy in the rain.
According to sources at The Atlantic , during his 2018 trip to France, then-president Trump reportedly told staffers, “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.” He also referred to the over 1,800 Marines buried there as “suckers” at another point during the trip.
Instead of attending himself, Trump sent John Kelly, a former Marine Corps general and his White House chief of staff at the time, to the event.
In 2010, Kelly tragically lost one of his sons while serving in Afghanistan. Following this, Kelly confirmed to CNN that Trump had indeed made derogatory remarks. In a statement, Kelly described Trump as someone who “rants that our most precious heroes who gave their lives in America’s defense are ‘losers’ and wouldn’t visit their graves in France.”
In an effort to gain an edge in the closely contested November election against Trump, the Biden campaign has been utilizing Trump’s statements regarding the military.
In a recent campaign advertisement, footage of deceased American servicemembers returning home in coffins is juxtaposed with past remarks made by Trump that insulted soldiers.