Angering vets, Trump says civilian award is 'much better' than Medal of Honor
WASHINGTON - Veterans rebuked former President Donald Trump this weekend for saying the Presidential Medal of Freedom is "much better" than the military Medal of Honor because recipients of the latter are often badly wounded or dead.
"These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation’s highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty," said a statement from Al Lipphardt, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Trump made the comments during a campaign event Thursday at his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, as talked about awarding the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Miriam Adelson, a physician, philanthrophist, and prominent Republican Party donor.
“It’s actually much better, because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, that’s soldiers ? they’re either in very bad shape, because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets, or they’re dead,” Trump said.
Adelson is the widow of the late casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, also a major GOP donor.
Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the former president "was simply saying how it can be an emotionally difficult experience to give the Congressional Medal of Honor to veterans who have been wounded or tragically killed defending our country, as he proudly did when he was Commander in Chief."
Others noted that Trump has reportedly described veterans as "suckers" and "losers," comments Trump has vehemently denied. During the 2016 campaign, Trump denigrated the imprisonment of 2008 GOP presidential nominee and former Vietnam POW John McCain.
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said that Trump's "repeated pattern of disgraceful insults about wounded warriors and their families is outrageous and a national embarrassment. Someone who repeatedly belittles our military men and women and mocks wounded soldiers isn’t fit to be Commander-in-Chief."
In a statement Reed's office said the Medal of Honor "is awarded to servicemembers who distinguish themselves 'through conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty.' The process often takes years of thorough, in-depth review at the highest levels. There are currently 60 living recipients of the Medal of Honor."
The Kamala Harris campaign also criticized Trump's Medal of Honor comments. Spokesperson Sarafina Chitika said that Trump "knows nothing about service to anyone or anything but himself."
Trump senior adviser Brian Hughes said Trump did more for veterans than the current administration, and said that Harris "bragged of being the last one in the room with Biden as they set in motion our disastrous retreat from Afghanistan."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump says civilian award is 'much better' than Medal of Honor