Trump’s previous comments about veterans, where he reportedly called them “losers” and “suckers,” made VoteVets, a veterans’ rights group, respond with an ad.
The feud
The ad against Trump’s rhetoric includes three Gold Star family members naming their loved ones. The chairman of Veterans for Trump Coalition, Brian Mast, said the ad was “vile” and referred to the families as “shills.”
Mast’s statement continued
Mast added, “First and foremost, it cites a refuted claim debunked by senior officials who were in the room years ago. Recycling this fake news is made worse by exploiting the pain of family members of fallen soldiers.”
Gold Star families reacted
Initially, VoteVets issued a press release, presented on X, “It is a dark day in America when the Republican party’s presumptive nominee, who never served himself and never had family who wore the uniform, sends attack dogs after Gold Star families in this way.”
Kelly backed Trump’s reported remarks
John Kelly, Trump’s longest-serving chief of staff, confirmed to CNN that The Atlantic’s 2020 report was correct and condemned the former president’s remarks on Gen. Mark Milley. Kelly said, in part, “A person who cavalierly suggests that a selfless warrior who has served his country for 40 years in peacetime and war should lose his life for treason — in expectation that someone will take action.”
The Trump campaign fired back
“John Kelly has totally clowned himself with these debunked stories he’s made up because he didn’t serve his President well while working as Chief of Staff,” Trump campaign spokesperson said in an e-mail.
VoteVets’s strong message
In a press release, the progressive veteran group further stated, “It should also underscore for the American people just how little respect Trump has for Troops, Veterans, Military families, the Fallen, and their survivors. Some like that can never, ever sit in the Oval Office again.”
Inside the ad
The ad features three Gold Star family members. It opens up with a quote from Trump, “Why should I go to that cemetery filled with losers?” Then it shows The Atlantic’s report, and the Gold Star parent says, “My stepson was not a loser.”
More parents join in
The second mom repeats, “My son is not a loser.” A dad says, “My son Matthew is not a loser.” The first parent states, “Lance Cpl. Alexander Scott Arredondo died in Najaf, Iraq, in 2004.”
Grieving parents
“My son, Sgt. James Anthony Ayube II gave his life in Kandahar, Afghanistan, in 2010. … That is something Donald Trump will never know,” the second parent says. Near the end, a parent says, “My message to Donald Trump is this: you have no right. You’re the real loser here.”
The ad was shared on social media
On X, the group that supports over 1.5 million veterans and their families, wrote next to the ad: “Trump calls our war dead ‘suckers’ and ‘losers.’ But know this—he’s the true loser. These Gold Star Families are standing up, and their message is clear: valor and sacrifice are beyond Trump’s understanding.”
The ad will play in Pennsylvania
This is VoteVets’s first ad for the 2024 elections. The Hill writes that the “six-figure ad buy will run in the Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, and Harrisburg markets.”
Social media stands with the parents
The responses on social media are supportive of the veterans, with one person writing on YouTube, “A man who does not understand why these people were willing to give their lives for this country should never be close to the presidency. That man does not understand what makes America great.”
Families joined
One person shared, “This made me cry. I feel like the lucky parent. My son came back. That’s why I mourn for these families. Their sons were NOT losers.” Another stated, “My sister is a Gold Star wife. My heart goes out to you all.”
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