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US President Donald Trump has vigorously denied a magazine report that said he had spoken disdainfully about fallen US military personnel buried in Europe and refused to visit an American cemetery during a trip to France because he considered it without importance.
Atlantic magazine reported that Trump had referred to the Marines buried in a cemetery near Paris as “losers” and refused to visit them in 2018 out of concern that the rain that day would ruin his hair.
He told reporters that the story was false.
“To think that I would make negative statements to our military and fallen heroes when nobody has done what I did,” for the United States armed forces, Trump said. “It’s a total lie … It’s a shame.”
The president said he did not go to the cemetery because the weather prevented a helicopter flight. The alternative, a long drive, would have meant passing through busy areas of Paris and the Secret Service objected, he said.
“The Secret Service told me, ‘You can’t do it.’ I said, “I have to. I want to be there.” They said, ‘You can’t do it,’ “Trump said.
Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, who leads Trump in national polls ahead of the Nov.3 election, emphasized his own commitment to helping members of the military in response to the report.
“If the revelations in today’s Atlantic article are true, then they are another indicator of how deeply President Trump and I disagree on the role of the President of the United States,” Biden said in a statement issued by his campaign.
“And if I have the honor to serve as the next commander-in-chief, I will make sure our American heroes know that I will stand behind them and honor their sacrifice, always.”
Beau, Biden’s late son, served in the US military and was sent to Iraq during his service.
As a presidential candidate, Trump made negative comments about the now-late Senator John McCain for being captured during the Vietnam War.
“He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who were not captured,” Trump said in 2015 when he was running for the Republican presidential nomination.
Trump said yesterday that he disagreed with McCain but still respected him.
I was never a big fan of John McCain, I disagreed with him on many things, including the ridiculous endless wars and lack of success he had in dealing with the VA and our great veterans, but the lowering of our American flags from the nations, and the first class. funeral was given to him by our …
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
“I was never a fanatic. I will admit it openly,” Trump said. “He didn’t agree with John McCain. But he still respected him.”
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