Trump's Medal Of Honor Comments Slammed As 'Asinine' By Veterans Of Foreign Wars

Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) has criticized former President Donald Trump for comparing the Medal of Honor to a civilian award, calling his remarks "asinine."

What Happened: On Friday, VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt issued a statement condemning Trump's comments, which equated the Presidential Medal of Freedom to the Medal of Honor, reported The Hill.

Lipphardt said, "These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation's highest award for valor but also crassly characterized the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty."

Trump made the remarks at his Bedminster, N.J. club, attended by GOP mega-donor Miriam Adelson, who received the Medal of Freedom in 2018.

Trump stated, "That's the highest award you can get as a civilian. It's the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, but a civilian version."

See Also: GOP-Led House Judiciary Committee Slams EU’s Thierry Breton For Trying To ‘Intimidate’ Elon Musk’s X: Freedom Is Coming!’

This incident has sparked a backlash from veteran rights advocates. The VFW previously demanded an apology from Trump in 2020 after he downplayed injuries to service members from Iranian airstrikes.

Trump's campaign has not retracted the comments. Senior advisor Corey Lewandowski defended Trump's remarks in an interview with NewsNation, stating that some civilians deserve the highest honor the country can offer.

Why It Matters: This controversy comes amid a series of actions and statements by Trump that have kept him in the spotlight.

Recently, Trump urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the Gaza war swiftly, criticizing Vice President Kamala Harris for her ceasefire demands. He stated, "He knows what he's doing, I did encourage him to get this over with. It has to stop, the killing has to stop."

Additionally, Republican representatives have proposed a series of bills to honor Trump, including featuring his face on the $500 bill and renaming an international airport after him.

This also comes at a time when a new poll shows Harris leading Trump by four points in the run-up to the 2024 election, indicating strong support from voters.

Read Next:

• Mark Cuban Gets An Assurance Out Of Chuck Schumer: Will Pass ‘Sensible And Long-Lasting’ Crypto Law By Year-End

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Photo courtesy: Shutterstock