Veterans slam Trump for insulting Navajo war heroes

Code talkers were a vital part of the war effort, and their work was pivotal in America’s success during confrontations like the Battle of Iwo Jima.

Yet, when he was supposed to be honoring these veterans at the White House, Trump instead launched into a racist rant about Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), calling her “Pocahontas,” as he has done many times before.

“There are only two possibilities: Donald Trump is too dumb to realize using Pocahontas as an insult is offensive, or Donald Trump decided it was a good time to sling out racial slurs, at an event meant to honor the contributions of some of our best Native American veterans,” Will Fischer, Iraq war veteran and director of government relations for VoteVets told Shareblue Media. “Either way, Donald Trump once again has turned an important event into a mockery, and once again done so at the expense of veterans. We have never seen a president who holds veterans in such low regard. It’s demoralizing for those of us who served.”

Since taking office, Trump has repeatedly demonstrated hostility toward both veterans and active duty service members.

Trump pushed to purge transgender service members and supported legislation allowing banks to rip off veterans, while also trying to privatize veteran health care. He even disrespected a flag ceremony designed to honor fallen soldiers at a military base.

Trump’s behavior while serving as commander in chief has also been called into question. He ordered soldiers to pursue a doomed mission in Niger, which resulted in four deaths — though Trump has tried to evade responsibility for the incident. In the aftermath of the incident, Trump attacked the family and friends of one of the fallen soldiers, Army Sgt. La David Johnson.

A mission he authorized in Yemen also claimed the life of Navy SEAL William “Ryan” Owens, prompting Trump to once again try to evade responsibility for the outcome of his orders.

The code talkers deserved to be honored at the ceremony today. Trump, as is so often the case, was completely incapable of demonstrating anything even resembling honor or respect. Instead, he turned the solemn moment into a moment of racial demagoguery and farce.