VFW Slams Trump's 'Asinine' Remarks On Medal Of Honor | HuffPost Latest News

The Veterans of Foreign Wars criticized flippant comments from GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump , who called a civilian award much better than the Medal of Honor , the nations highest military decoration.

These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nations 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 Al Lipphardt, the VFWs national commander, in a statement Friday.

The statement from one of the nations largest veteran advocacy organizations comes after the former president compared the Presidential Medal of Freedom , the nations highest civilian honor, to the military decoration at an event in Bedminster, New Jersey, on Thursday.

Thats the highest award you can get as a civilian. Its the equivalent of the congressional Medal of Honor, but civilian version, said Trump as he referred to GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson receiving the civilian award from him in 2018.

He continued: Its actually much better because everyone gets the congressional Medal of Honor. Thats soldiers theyre either in very bad shape because theyve been hit so many times by bullets, or theyre dead. She gets it, and shes a healthy, beautiful woman. And theyre rated equal. But she got the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Lipphardt, a U.S. Army veteran, said: When a candidate to serve as our militarys commander-in-chief so brazenly dismisses the valor and reverence symbolized by the Medal of Honor and those who have earned it, I must question whether they would discharge their responsibilities to our men and women in uniform with the seriousness and discernment necessary for such a powerful position.

It is even more disappointing when these comments come from a man who already served in this noble office and should frankly already know better.

Lipphardt, in a separate statement earlier this month, had praised both major political parties after Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris picked veterans as their running mates.

HuffPost reached out to the Trump campaign, which was not immediately available for comment.

Scathing statement by @VFWHQ admonishing Trump: These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nations highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty. pic.twitter.com/IlG3jbwaYS

Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) August 17, 2024","type":"rich","meta":{"author":"Matt McDermott","author_url":"https://twitter.com/mattmfm","cache_age":86400,"description":"Scathing statement by @VFWHQ admonishing Trump: These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nations highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty. pic.twitter.com/IlG3jbwaYS Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) August 17, 2024\n\n\n","options":{"_hide_media":{"label":"Hide photos, videos, and cards","value":false},"_maxwidth":{"label":"Adjust width","placeholder":"220-550, in px","value":""},"_theme":{"value":"","values":{"dark":"Use dark theme"}}},"provider_name":"Twitter","title":"Matt McDermott on Twitter / 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Scathing statement by @VFWHQ admonishing Trump: These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nations highest award for valor, but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty. pic.twitter.com/IlG3jbwaYS
Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) August 17, 2024

Trump has a history of making controversial remarks about soldiers and veterans. He notably denied claims that hed referred to U.S. service members who died in World War I as suckers and losers.

Hes also gone after John McCain on multiple occasions, both before and after the Arizona Republicans death in 2018.

Trump mocked the late senator earlier this year over injuries he sustained during his time in the military. He said in 2015 that McCain was not a war hero, noting that he likes people who werent captured; McCain spent years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), Trumps running mate and a Marine veteran, was asked Friday about what hed tell veterans who think that the former presidents Medal of Honor remarks were demeaning.

I dont think him complimenting and saying a nice word about a person who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom is in any way denigrating those who receive military honors, said Vance, who has recently attacked Harris running mate, Tim Walz , over the Minnesota governors military service.

Theyre two different awards, and I think the president was saying some nice things about a person that he liked, and thats a totally reasonable thing to do.