By — Associated Press Associated Press Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/watch-live-trump-holds-news-conference-following-accusations-of-u-s-military-comments Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter WATCH: Trump holds news conference following accusations of U.S. military comments Politics Updated on Sep 4, 2020 7:23 PM EDT — Published on Sep 4, 2020 3:22 PM EDT President Donald Trump defended himself for the second time Friday against accusations in an Atlantic article that he mocked American war dead — even suggesting that his former chief of staff leaked information to the magazine. Watch Trump’s remarks in the player above. “I don’t know that it was him, I haven’t seen that. I mean, I see anonymous. But it could have been a guy like a John Kelly,” Trump said in a briefing with reporters at the White House on Friday. The allegations, sourced anonymously in The Atlantic, describe multiple offensive comments by the president toward fallen U.S. service-members, including calling World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France “losers” and “suckers” in 2018. The reported comments are shining a fresh light on Trump’s previous public disparaging of American troops and military families. READ MORE: Republicans defend the late John McCain against Trump’s attacks Asked in the briefing whether he regrets making a public comment in 2015 saying John McCain is “not a war hero,” adding, “I like people who weren’t captured,” Trump said on Friday “I say what I say.” “I disagreed with many of his views. I disagreed with his views on these ridiculous, endless wars. I disagreed with the way he handled the vets. The V.A. Is running much better now,” he said. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Associated Press Associated Press
President Donald Trump defended himself for the second time Friday against accusations in an Atlantic article that he mocked American war dead — even suggesting that his former chief of staff leaked information to the magazine. Watch Trump’s remarks in the player above. “I don’t know that it was him, I haven’t seen that. I mean, I see anonymous. But it could have been a guy like a John Kelly,” Trump said in a briefing with reporters at the White House on Friday. The allegations, sourced anonymously in The Atlantic, describe multiple offensive comments by the president toward fallen U.S. service-members, including calling World War I dead at an American military cemetery in France “losers” and “suckers” in 2018. The reported comments are shining a fresh light on Trump’s previous public disparaging of American troops and military families. READ MORE: Republicans defend the late John McCain against Trump’s attacks Asked in the briefing whether he regrets making a public comment in 2015 saying John McCain is “not a war hero,” adding, “I like people who weren’t captured,” Trump said on Friday “I say what I say.” “I disagreed with many of his views. I disagreed with his views on these ridiculous, endless wars. I disagreed with the way he handled the vets. The V.A. Is running much better now,” he said. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now