🪖 Commander-in-Insult: A Chronicle of Donald Trump's Disrespect Toward the U.S. Military
🇺🇸 Introduction: A President at Odds With His Own Troops
The President of the United States also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces—a role that demands respect, dignity, and honor toward those who serve and sacrifice. Yet during his time in office and beyond, Donald J. Trump frequently and brazenly insulted military service members, commanders, and even war dead.
From calling fallen heroes “losers” to mocking prisoners of war and wounded veterans, Trump’s behavior broke with bipartisan norms and outraged many in the military and veteran communities. This post chronicles the most infamous incidents where Trump disrespected the military—and explains why it matters.
📉 1. "Losers" and "Suckers": Disrespecting the Dead
In 2018, while on a trip to France, Trump reportedly refused to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris, where thousands of Marines killed in WWI are buried. His reason?
“It’s not worth it. Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.”
—Reported by The Atlantic, September 2020
He allegedly doubled down, referring to U.S. soldiers who died in war as “suckers”.
According to senior officials, Trump also questioned:
Why someone would volunteer to fight and die for their country.
What the soldiers “got out of it.”
Multiple media outlets, including The Associated Press and The Washington Post, confirmed the reports with independent sources, despite official White House denials.
🪦 2. “What Was In It for Them?” — Arlington National Cemetery
In 2017, during a visit to Arlington National Cemetery with then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly, Trump stood at the grave of Kelly’s son, 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, who was killed in Afghanistan.
Trump reportedly asked:
“I don’t get it. What was in it for them?”
To speak of a Marine’s sacrifice with such a transactional, dismissive tone shocked many observers, especially veterans and Gold Star families.
🚫 3. “Nobody Wants to See That” — Hiding Wounded Veterans
Trump instructed his aides not to include amputees or wounded veterans in military parades, allegedly saying:
“Nobody wants to see that.”
This remark revealed a disturbing obsession with appearances and a lack of empathy for those who had suffered visible injuries in the line of duty.
🧠4. “Dopes and Babies” — Insulting Military Brass
In a high-level 2017 Pentagon meeting, Trump erupted at his generals and national security staff, reportedly calling them:
“A bunch of dopes and babies.”
The incident reflected his contempt for military leadership and institutions when they did not blindly follow his directives. Participants described the atmosphere as tense and demoralizing.
🤯 5. Mocking POW Hero John McCain
In 2015, Trump launched a political firestorm by mocking the late Senator John McCain, a decorated Navy pilot and prisoner of war in Vietnam:
“He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
The statement was widely condemned across party lines, and yet it became the first of many disrespectful attacks on military figures who didn’t show personal loyalty to Trump.
🧨 6. Disparaging Generals as “Losers” and “Pussies”
Trump frequently insulted top generals behind closed doors. Multiple reports and memoirs describe him calling senior officers:
“Losers”
“Pussies”
“Overrated”
“Soft”
He often compared them unfavorably to brutal strongmen like Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-Un, whom he admired for their ability to control their militaries and squash opposition.
⚔️ 7. Floating Executions of Military Officers
Trump reportedly expressed openness to executing U.S. generals or military officials who he viewed as disloyal. According to insiders, he:
Referred to some generals as “traitors”
Claimed he could assassinate U.S. citizens abroad and be protected by immunity
Fantasized about using the military against domestic protesters
These comments highlight a shocking authoritarian impulse and total disregard for military law and constitutional limits.
⚰️ 8. Refusal to Pay for a Hispanic Soldier’s Funeral
In another revealing moment, Trump was asked by then-Chief of Staff John Kelly to approve federal funds to help cover funeral expenses for a young U.S. soldier from a Hispanic family who died in action.
Trump’s response?
“Why should I have to do that? He signed up for it.”
This callous refusal, steeped in both elitism and racial indifference, outraged military families and aides present. It exemplified his belief that soldiers were disposable tools rather than human beings deserving of honor and care.
🏛️ 9. Politicizing Military Ceremonies & Cemeteries
During solemn events at Arlington National Cemetery, Trump’s team used footage of wreath-laying ceremonies in campaign ads, violating the tradition of keeping military memorials apolitical.
Veterans' groups and nonpartisan military organizations criticized these actions, accusing Trump of exploiting military symbolism for personal and political branding.
🧠Why It All Matters: Breaking the Civil-Military Bond
These weren’t isolated remarks—they reflect a sustained pattern of hostility toward the very people and institutions the Commander-in-Chief is meant to lead.
Trump’s behavior undermined:
Trust between military leadership and civilian oversight
Respect for military sacrifice and service
Traditional, bipartisan support for veterans and Gold Star families
The fallout was clear:
Numerous generals and defense secretaries publicly broke with Trump
Veterans’ support declined between 2016 and 2020
Civil-military tensions deepened, particularly after the 2020 Lafayette Square incident, when Trump used military force against peaceful protesters
🧠Final Thought: Respect Is Not Optional
To lead the military is to honor its sacrifice, uphold its values, and understand its burdens. Donald Trump failed on all three counts. From battlefield graves to parade routes to the halls of the Pentagon, he made it clear he viewed soldiers not as patriots, but as props—useful only if they served him personally.
In the legacy of American democracy, how a president treats the military says everything about their fitness to lead. Trump’s legacy in this regard is etched in shame.