The Veterans of Foreign Wars criticized former President Donald Trump for his "flippant" remarks about Medal of Honor recipients during a campaign event when he called the top civilian honor "much better" than the top military honor because Medal of Honor recipients are "badly injured."
"These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation’s highest award for valor but also crassly characterizes the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty," National Commander Al Lipphardt said in a statement released on Friday.
"When a candidate to serve as our military’s commander-in-chief so brazenly dismisses the valor and reverence symbolized by the Medal of Honor and those who have earned it, I must question whether they would discharge their responsibilities to our men and women in uniform with the seriousness and discernment necessary for such a powerful position," the statement continued. "It is even more disappointing when these comments come from a man who already served in this noble office and should frankly already know better."
At the campaign event, Trump was addressing Miriam Adelson, a wealthy Republican donor, when he said the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, which he bestowed her was better than the Medal of Honor because the recipients are "either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets or they’re dead."
The VFW said that the Medal of Honor "is more sacred as it represents the gallantry and intrepidity of courageous and selfless service members, often at the cost of grievous wounds and even their lives."
"It’s because of our Medal of Honor recipients that great Americans like Miriam Adelson have the freedom to live to their fullest potential and make such lasting contributions to our great nation," Lipphardt said. "We would like to remind Mr. Trump that the 12 times he had the honor of awarding the Medal of Honor as president of the United States, those were heroes not of his own choosing.
"He bestowed those medals on behalf of Congress, representing all Americans of a grateful nation. We hold the donation of their lives in service to our country in the highest esteem, and so should he.”