Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), one of the nation's largest and oldest veterans advocacy groups, on Friday condemned former President Trump's recent statement comparing the Medal of Honor to a presidential award for civilians, calling his comments “idiotic.”
“These idiotic comments not only diminish the significance of our nation's highest award for valor, but also grossly undermine the sacrifices of those who risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty,” VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt wrote in a statement Friday.
The VFW's response comes after Trump compared the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is awarded to civilians, to the Medal of Honor, which is awarded to soldiers wounded in combat.
“That's the highest award you can get as a civilian. It's the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, but the civilian version,” Trump told attendees at an event at his club in Bedminister, N.J., which also included GOP megadonor Miriam Adelson, who received the Medal of Freedom in 2018.
“It's actually much better, because everybody who gets the Congressional Medal of Honor, they're soldiers, they're either in really bad shape because they've been hit by so many bullets, or they're dead. She gets it, and she's a healthy, beautiful woman,” Trump said of Adelson. “And they're considered equal.”
The moment prompted an outpouring of praise from veteran human rights activists and allies.
This isn’t the first time the former president has drawn attention for disparaging remarks about wounded veterans. In 2020, the VFW demanded an apology from the president after Trump downplayed the injuries of 34 service members who suffered traumatic brain injuries as a result of retaliatory Iranian airstrikes, saying they had “headaches.”
“TBI is a serious injury and one that should not be taken lightly,” the organization wrote at the time. “The VFW expects the President to apologize to our military for his inappropriate comments.”
Trump's camp has not distanced itself from the former president's recent statements.
In an interview with Leland Vittert on NewsNation, Trump campaign senior adviser Corey Lewandowski defended Trump's comments, when Vittert asked if he was repeating his statements.
“Because there are people who do not serve in our military who should still be recognized with the highest honors that our country has to offer,” Lewandowski told NewsNation on Friday night in response to questions from Vittert about the Trump comparison.
The clip was reposted by Kamala HQ, the vice presidential campaign's rapid response team. The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Hill.
The controversy comes as Republicans are attempting to attack the service record of Democratic vice presidential candidate Gov. Tim Walz, alleging that discrepancies in his public comments amount to stolen valor. Walz served as an enlisted member of the Army National Guard. The Republican vice presidential nominee, Sen. J.D. Vance, is also a veteran, having served in the Marines during the Iraq War.
After Harris's announcement as VP, Lipphardt praised both campaigns for selecting veterans. But ahead of the election, VFW's confidence in the Republican campaign appears to have soured.
“When a candidate for Supreme Commander so blatantly rejects the courage and honor symbolized by the Medal of Honor, I question whether he would discharge his responsibilities with the seriousness and discernment required,” Lipphardt concluded in his statement.
“It is even more disappointing when these comments come from a man who has already served in this noble office and frankly should have known better.”
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