“Suckers and losers”
For decades, the GOP has maintained a facade of being the party of national defense – particularly when it comes to patriotism and “supporting our troops.” Of course, it’s never really been much more than a facade, as the emphasis was played up most memorably during the Iraq War, which the Bush administration paid for in part by cutting soldier benefits. Nowadays, the GOP is bothering less and less with putting up much of a front. It’s a known fact that the overwhelming majority of veterans currently serving in Congress are Democrats – and they’re also not particularly pleased with the Trump administration flat out admitting that some of the veterans losing their government jobs weren’t cut out for them in the first place.
It goes to show that Donald Trump really meant all of his “suckers and losers” rhetoric from four years ago – but it runs even deeper than that. The Trump administration is deliberately erasing veterans who were anything other than white, straight men who served their country honorably. That’s why a group of Senate Democrats with records of service – led by Sens. Tammy Duckworth, Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly have come out swinging against this effort to erase history – not only is it disrespectful to the memories of some truly heroic historic figures and their families, but it also has a negative impact on recruitment, overall making America weaker and much less safe. This is a battle Democrats can not only win, but they’ve already fought the administration on successfully in court.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making