Whatley Defends Trump from Criticism Over Medal of Honor Comments

Michael Whatley, the Chair of the Republican National Committee (RNC), defended former President Donald Trump on Sunday after Trump faced criticism for his comments regarding the Medal of Honor.

In an interview with NewsNation’s Chris Stirewalt on “The Hill Sunday,” Whatley stressed Trump’s strong support for the military and veterans, asserting, “There is nobody who supports the military, our veterans’ communities, and all of the military families more than President Trump.” He added that Trump expresses gratitude for their service every day.

Whatley disagreed with Stirewalt’s claim that Trump made “a pretty substantial mistake” with his remarks, especially in light of the Trump campaign’s accusations against Democrats regarding misrepresentations of military service. The campaign has specifically criticized Minnesota Governor Tim Walz for resigning from the Army National Guard shortly before his unit was deployed overseas.

Additionally, the GOP ticket has taken issue with Walz for claiming, in a resurfaced video, that he used combat weapons in war during his time in service. In response to these accusations, the Harris campaign clarified that Walz “misspoke.”

Whatley stated, “The questions that we see regarding stolen valor, I think, are serious, and we’re going to continue to have those conversations until Governor Walz comes out and actually apologizes for the statements and misrepresentations that he has made.”

The controversy reignited when Trump recently made remarks about veterans that drew significant backlash. During a Thursday event at his Bedminster, New Jersey, property, Trump compared the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, to the Medal of Honor.

At this event, which focused on combating antisemitism and was attended by prominent GOP donor Miriam Adelson, 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.”

He further commented, “It’s actually much better, because everyone who gets the congressional Medal of Honor, that’s soldiers, they’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets, or they’re dead. She gets it, and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman,” eliciting laughter from the audience. He added that the two awards are “rated equal.”

Trump’s remarks quickly spread across social media, prompting immediate criticism from Democrats and Vice President Kamala Harris, who pointed to a pattern in Trump’s history of remarks about veterans. Harris’s campaign spokesperson, Sarafina Chitika, said, “For him to insult Medal of Honor recipients, just as he has previously attacked Gold Star families, mocked prisoners of war, and referred to those who lost their lives in service to our country as ‘suckers’ and ‘losers,’ should remind all Americans that we owe it to our service members, our country, and our future to make sure Donald Trump is never our nation’s commander in chief again.”

As this situation unfolds, Trump remains a focal point of controversy, particularly regarding his views and comments related to veterans and military service members. Opinions remain deeply divided as the political climate grows more heated heading into the upcoming elections.

Source: NewsNation, The Hill