Washington, D.C. — Multiple press reports revealed that President Donald Trump called soldiers who died fighting for their country “losers” and “suckers” and that he asked a military parade to exclude wounded veterans because “nobody wants to see” amputees. In response, Lawrence Korb and Rebecca Cokley of the Center for American Progress issued the following statements:
Lawrence Korb, a CAP senior fellow, former assistant secretary of defense, and a retired naval officer:
Veterans and the disability community represent the best of America, serving and overcoming challenges for their country and contributing to our communities in ways that President Trump can never understand. Trump’s attacks on wounded warriors are particularly pathetic from somebody who used supposed “bone spurs” to dodge service himself. They are demoralizing to those who are currently on the frontlines, those who have lost their fellow soldiers, and the Gold Star families who faced unimaginable grief and loss. His speech and his actions are not a demonstration of American values. He should apologize to the entire country for these hideous remarks.
Rebecca Cokley, director of the Disability Justice Initiative at CAP:
The president’s disgraceful remarks about disabled veterans unfortunately come as no surprise. Five years ago, America saw Trump’s contempt for disabled people when he mocked journalist Serge Kovaleski. But what many have ignored is that since then, we have been fighting every day for our survival as the administration and its allies have tried to take away our health care and our Social Security. This week has been brutal for our community as we’ve watched Ady Barkan’s voice technology be manipulated to plant misinformation and a conservative operative mockingly weaponize phony sign language interpreters against Joe Biden. Disabled Americans deserve better. And we will stand up to bullying and derision, whether it comes from the playground or Pennsylvania Avenue.
For more information or to talk to an expert, please contact Sam Hananel at [email protected] or 202-478-6327.