Standing at the graveside of retired Gen. John F. Kelly's son who was killed in Afghanistan, Donald Trump reportedly asked his former chief of staff, "I don't get it. What was in it for him?"
Typical Trump.
That was just one of the despicable comments by the president about America's soldiers, including those who sacrificed their lives or were wounded in the service our country, as described in a devastating article in The Atlantic, just published.
In that article, Trump called Americans who died in war "losers" and "suckers," and although he issued a denial immediately, his record of disparaging military heroes is there for everyone to see.
Today, MJ Hegar, who co-piloted a helicopter that was shot down by the Taliban and is now running for the U.S. Senate against Trump pal Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), called out Trump for demeaning our military heroes. Here's what she said in an emailed fundraising appeal:
"When I read the article yesterday about what our Commander-in-Chief said about wounded and dead soldiers, my stomach dropped. I saw the faces of so many people I lost in my aircraft flashing through my mind.
"I medevac'd soldiers off the battlefield in Afghanistan. Soldiers wounded so gravely that their lives would never be the same because of their injuries -- and soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, whose families would forever have a void that can never be filled. Our Commander-in-Chief thinks that they're suckers.
"I'm one of the pilots that got shot down in combat. After we were shot down, my crew and I managed to get our patients to safety. I strapped myself to the skids of our rescue helicopter and returned fire on the Taliban fighters. Our Commander-in-Chief thinks that makes me a loser.
"It's not about the name calling. That's not the part that makes me sick. It's the fact that this Commander-in-Chief makes decisions about when and how to deploy our troops -- and he has absolutely no respect for their courage, and no regard for the sacrifice.
"It's sickening, but this isn't surprising. Anyone who has paid any attention to Donald Trump over the last few years saw him disparage patriot John McCain, denigrate the Gold Star family of Captain Humayun Khan, disrespect and discredit transgender military members, and steal funds from our military bases for his border wall. The list goes on, and on, and on."
Meanwhile, Khizr Khan, the father of Captain Khan, issued a similar appeal asking for contributions to the Democratic National Committee to help elect former Vice President Joe Biden and Democrats to the House and Senate.
"Donald Trump has shown that he is incapable of understanding service, valor, and courage," wrote Khan. "His four years in office have proven what we knew to be true from the start: He is self-serving, incompetent, and unfit for our highest office. We must replace him in November.
'My son Humayun made the ultimate sacrifice fighting for our country. That’s a sacrifice Donald Trump will never understand -- but Joe Biden does. He knows what it's like to send a son overseas to fight for our country. I’m proud to support Vice President Biden because he is a leader who understands hardship. He has suffered great loss and come out stronger on the other side. That’s exactly what our country needs right now.
"Donald Trump claims to be a champion of our nation’s heroes, but I know firsthand that’s not true," Khan continued. "I know because he viciously attacked my wife and me four years ago after we spoke at the Democratic National Convention. What I said that night is still true today: If you visit Arlington Cemetery, you’ll see the graves of brave patriots of every faith, gender, and ethnicity. And through his divisive rhetoric and policies like the Muslim ban and the transgender military ban, Trump has made it clear which of our heroes he honors."
He's also made it clear which heroes he does not honor: those men and women who were "suckers" for joining the military, going off to war, while he managed to escape service by claiming he had "bone spurs."
"What was in it for him?" Trump asked Gen. Kelly, referring to his son. That is all Trump cares about. What's in it for him.
November 3.