Watch: Trump Mocks U.S. Soldiers Injured During His Presidency
During a disjointed, low-energy speech on Tuesday evening, just before the vice presidential debate, Donald Trump made time to disrespect service members injured during his presidency.
At a campaign stop in Milwaukee, Trump was asked about Iran’s recent ballistic missile attacks on Israel, following Israel’s attacks on Lebanon and Gaza.
“Do you think Israel should retaliate to these missile attacks from Iran? But also do you believe that you should have been tougher on Iran after they had launched ballistic missiles in 2020 on U.S. forces in Iraq, leaving more than 100 U.S. soldiers injured?” asked a reporter.
“So first of all, ‘injured’—what does ‘injured’ mean? You mean, because they had a headache? Because the bombs never hit the fort,” responded Trump.
“There was nobody ever tougher on Iraq,” he continued, confusing the two countries.
Wow -- in response to a question about Iran injuring US 100 troops in 2020, Trump suggests they weren't really hurt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 1, 2024
"Because they had a headache?"
He then says "Iraq" when he means "Iran" and attacks the report who asked him the question pic.twitter.com/IyzhNa2DKP
Following the U.S. assassination of Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in January 2020, Iran attacked the Al Asad Airbase in neighboring Iraq, and more than 100 U.S. soldiers were left with brain injury symptoms. Some were evacuated to Germany for medical treatment, and nearly 80 troops received Purple Hearts for injuries related to the Iranian attacks.
This isn’t the first time Trump has disparaged injured U.S. troops—and it likely won’t be the last. His disrespect was so flagrant that Minnesota Governor Tim Walz mentioned it early on in the vice presidential debate, telling the American people that “when Iranian missiles did fall near U.S. troops and they received traumatic brain injuries, Donald Trump wrote it off as ‘headaches.’”
Later on in his Tuesday speech, Trump described the attack as a “very nice thing.”
We’ll see if these comments on soldiers get as much attention as Trump’s “suckers” and “losers” remarks.