After Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump called the Medal of Honor a lesser award than the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Veterans of Foreign Wars commander admonished the remarks while most local elected Republicans stayed quiet.
“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,” VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt said in a statement. “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.”
Trump made the remarks to a group of donors Thursday after being introduced by Miriam Adelson, a Republican donor whom Trump in 2018 awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor.
After the introduction, Trump said Adelson’s award was superior to the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration given to service members.