Coast Guard wants to kick wounded vets off the Potomac so Trump can golf

In a move that will surprise precisely no one, Trump is even putting his own golf game above the recovery of wounded veterans.

Whenever Trump visits his golf course in Sterling, Virginia, the Coast Guard is “periodically cutting off access to roughly two miles of the Potomac,” where it borders the course.

But the river is used by, among other groups, Team River Runner (TRR), a nonprofit that caters to wounded veterans:

[TRR] envisions a national network which creates innovative paddling programs designed to assist with the recovery of those injured while serving our country. Through paddle sports, TRR volunteers and partners provide local communities unique opportunities for the active, safe and positive support of healing service members and their families.

Veterans sacrificed for this country, unlike Trump. But Trump won’t let anything stand between him and round after round after round of golf on the weekend.

“It’s just heartbreaking,” said John Deitle, 41, a former Marine who served a combined five tours in Afghanistan and Iraq and receives treatment at Walter Reed for lung problems he says are related to chemical exposure.

In addition to these veterans, many other local organizations use the river for recreation and fun, including Olympic hopefuls training to represent Team U.S.A.

“It’s a sharing culture out here, and it feels strange to have somebody not sharing,” said Ashley Nee, a kayaker who competed for Team USA at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and is currently training for 2020.

But residents aren’t taking Trump’s selfish behavior sitting down. A group of them recently met at the house of a Canoe Cruisers Association member to strategize how to fight for access to a public river in their own backyard.

They recognize the need for security, but believe that a complete shutdown is a step too far.

“This is a river-access issue. It’s not a political issue,” said Canoe Crusiers Association chairwoman Susan Sherrod.

However, when asked if she voted for Trump, “Sherrod laughed uproariously.”

If this is how Trump treats wounded vets, Olympic hopefuls, and everyday Americans, it is no wonder his approval ratings are hitting record lows.

Trump has a track record — from his budget to his atrocious health care bill — of dismissing the needs of veterans.

Those who serve our country deserve to be treated with dignity, respect, and honor. When they return from battle, their recovery should be prioritized over someone’s — even the president’s — golf outing.

Yet Trump can’t muster that level of decency. After all, his golf game clearly takes precedence over the actual job of being president. So it is no surprise that wounded veterans will just have to wait on the shore as Trump leisurely plays through.