Now if Donald Trump had an ounce of decency, he would have thanked the Iraqi war veteran for his service to his country, returned the Purple Heart medal to him explaining that it was the serviceman who put his life on the line and took a bullit for his country, not Trump himself.
Trump accepting an honor like the Purple Heart, explaining that he “had always wanted one, but this was easier” is a slap in the face to all who actually served their country and were injured or killed doing so. Trump has no respect for the people who wear the uniform and put their lives on the line to protect the country.
If Trump “had always wanted a Purple Heart”..all he had to do was join a branch of the armed forces (instead of receiving 5 draft deferments) and sustain an injury in service to his country, instead of taking one away from a man who actually earned and deserved it.
Democratic congressional candidate Sean BarneyA Democratic congressional candidate who fought in the Iraq War and was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained there slammed Donald Trump on Tuesday, after the GOP nominee said he’d “always wanted” to get the medal.
Speaking at a campaign event in Virginia, Trump thanked an Iraq War veteran who had given him his Purple Heart as a gift prior to taking the stage.
“I said to him, ‘Is that like the real one or is that a copy? And he said, ‘That’s my real Purple Heart. I have such confidence in you,’” Trump said in Ashburn, Virginia. “And I said, ‘Man that’s big stuff.’ I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier, but I tell you it was such an honor.”
The comment drew the ire of Sean Barney, a Democrat running for Congress in Delaware who was shot in the neck by a sniper while on patrol with the Marine Corps in Fallujah.
“Today, a Donald Trump supporter handed him a Purple Heart. Trump’s flippant and repugnant reply: ‘I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier,’” Barney wrote in a post on Facebook.
“As someone who fought for our country in Iraq, was injured, and was awarded a Purple Heart, I can tell you, no one should ever ‘want’ to get a Purple Heart.”
“Again and again, Donald Trump has proven that he is unfit to be the Commander in Chief of our armed forces. As Khizr Khan poignantly argued, Donald Trump has not sacrificed for this country and he does not understand duty to any cause other than himself,” Barney added, referring to the father of a Muslim American war hero who last week addressed the Democratic convention.
Barney also included a photo of himself holding up his Purple Heart. The medal is awarded to those injured or killed while serving the country.
Support Sean Barney for congress:
Tammy DuckworthVerified account@TammyforIL.@realdonaldtrump, this is how one usually looks when you are awarded the Purple Heart. Nothing easy about it.
I earned a Purple Heart in combat and I know many others who have as well. It's not something anyone 'wanted to get.' We earned them because our country asked us to.
It's no surprise Donald Trump accepted a Purple Heart the 'easier' way today because that's the story of his life. He never sacrifices. He always has things handed to him.
Join me in calling on Trump to apologize for his disrespectful comment.
Tammy Duckworth