As President-elect Donald Trump began forming his administration in 2024, an old rumor regarding something he once said about U.S. service members resurfaced online: The claim goes that Trump once called fallen soldiers “suckers” and “losers”.
Joe Biden often brought up this allegation during his campaigning against Donald Trump for president and in debates held later, such as in June 2024; Kamala Harris even accused President-elect Trump himself of saying it himself!
Trump and his allies have consistently denied these charges since it first surfaced during his presidential race against Biden in 2020. Furthermore, Trump has used soldiers serving or veterans from U.S. military as part of his platform for campaigns and electoral victories.
Rumors began after The Atlantic published their 2020 story and reported on comments attributed solely to anonymous sources from Trump administration officials.
However, no evidence was produced to independently verify or deny these quotes attributed to President Trump, such as audio/video recordings or transcripts or notes taken during presidential meetings, so Snopes cannot definitively ascertain if Trump ever called fallen soldiers “suckers” and “losers.”
Since hearing of this allegation first surfaced, we have reached out to Trump’s representatives in order to ascertain if there is any additional proof they could present to support their denial and we will update this story if we receive one.
How the Allegations Arised
Citing anonymous administration officials, The Atlantic published in 2020 an article called, “Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are ‘Losers’ and ‘Suckers’.” It recounts Trump’s trip to Paris in 2018 when his intent to visit an American war cemetery reportedly got cancelled due to scheduling conflicts.
Trump did not want to visit Aisne-Marne American Cemetery — home of graves of Americans who fought and died during World War I — for two reasons, reported The Atlantic: He feared rain would dishevel his hair and “did not believe it important” to honor our war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of that discussion (emphasis ours)! According to The Atlantic (and emphasis ours),
Trump rejected the visit out of fear his hair would get disheveled in the rain and due to not believing it important to remember American war dead, according to four people familiar with their discussion that day. According to these individuals, in conversation with senior staff on the morning of their scheduled visit Trump stated it wasn’t worth going as “it’s filled with losers”. Likewise referring to more than 1,800 marines lost at Belleau Wood as “suckers”.
Shortly after publication of The Atlantic report, two unnamed senior officials with the U.S. Department of Defense and one unnamed Marine Corps officer spoke out in interviews with The Associated Press (AP), verifying President Trump’s burial-ground remarks from 2018 cemetery reports as reported in The AP article. One had direct knowledge while one officer had heard them via word-of-mouth from an individual close to Trump himself.
Trump Allies Reject the Claims
The White House blamed bad weather as the cause for canceling cemetery visit plans, while in response to The Atlantic’s reporting he described their allegations as being made up by “an outrageous magazine.”
Trump emphatically denied calling fallen soldiers “losers and suckers”. Speaking to reporters upon returning from campaign rally in D.C. on Sept 3, 2020 – and shortly after reports surfaced about this comment – just after reading about them in The Atlantic magazine report, Trump insisted “I can swear on everything that this statement never came from me! No animal respects our fallen heroes more – what animal would dare make such an outrageous accusation against our brave soldiers than I.”
Just days later, Zach Fuentes, a former White House aide who left in early 2019 but who traveled with President Trump during his Paris visit – likely during conversations concerning cemetery visits – offered up strong defense for Trump in an interview with Breitbart.
General John Kelly was with Trump as his chief of staff during their trip. Gen Kelly stated, referring to POTUS not calling anyone losers when I told him about the weather: he added “Honestly do you believe General Kelly would have let any individual call fallen Marines losers without taking action against it?
Reporting on Fuentes’ interview with Breitbart, The Washington Post pointed out that her statement of not hearing something does not equate to proof it never took place; furthermore there was no indication of Kelly hearing any such allegations from Trump himself.
Trump’s former national security advisor John Bolton issued a denial to Fox News days later when this article appeared, calling the report false and saying it was simply false.
U. S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also denied these claims in an interview with Fox News in September 2020, telling Fox: “I was with Donald for much of that trip — not all but much — and never heard or saw him use any words described by that article; just never witnessed it myself.
Trump Critics Do It Often
Biden repeatedly accused Trump during his 2020 presidential run against Biden of making offensive comments against members of U.S. armed services.
Biden made similar claims against President Trump via his official account on X in October 2023, alleging he once called American service members “suckers and losers.” His post also included footage from him speaking at an event to honor U.S. Sen. John McCain – himself an experienced military veteran and prisoner-of-war (in this speech Biden referenced The Atlantic story from 2020).
Kelly also repeated Biden’s claim on X, speaking to CNN the next day and emphasizing ours, by asserting (our emphasis):
What more could I add that hasn’t already been stated? A person who thinks those who serve our nation in uniform, defend their nation in battle or endure years of torture as POWs are “suckers,” because there’s “nothing in it for them,” is something no-one should want to witness; someone who shied away from being around amputee military veterans because “it doesn’t look good for me”. Someone who actively showed contempt towards Gold Star families on TV during 2016 campaign season; these people also said our greatest heroes that made sacrifice for America are just “losers”, meaning they would never visit gravesites where our heroes rest or any graves they rest unless given special invitation.
Kelly reported back from Paris that Trump did call American soldiers “losers and suckers,” though it remained uncertain whether Kelly saw or heard about these remarks himself or through someone else or news reports (the 2020 Atlantic story also detailed an incident during which Trump visited Kelly’s son who died fighting in Afghanistan – again at which Kelly was present – wherein Trump asked military recruits joining up “What’s in it for them?,” per Trump).
As soon as he saw the CNN interview, an official for President Donald Trump issued a statement against John Kelly: he made up such false stories because his job performance as chief of staff fell far short of meeting their President’s needs.” In response to CNN interview with Kelly, one official for him released statement in which they stated the following. “John Kelly has completely embarrassed himself with these unverifiable claims about President Donald Trump that can no longer stand.
Harris launched her presidential run against Trump in July 2024 and accused him of making comments similar to these during their conversation.
As reported by The Atlantic, this claim originated with anonymous secondhand reports; no independent footage or documentary proof existed to corroborate his alleged comments; and Trump himself strongly refutes that he ever called service members “losers” and “suckers”. While these words might have come out at some point during a conversation between himself and military servicemembers, Snopes could not independently verify them as claims against Trump are often unverifiable and cannot be independently confirmed without additional sources or verification processes being employed by someone like himself (fbevntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntntns)
Assume (f.fbq=function() and return;n=n.callMethod(apply(n,arguments),queue.push(arguments),emptyList is false when calling methods such as CallMethodApply() n=>queue : PushArrguments(arguments); this code simply removes them unless needed otherwise (if(!f._fbq)f!f bq =n), where Push=n; loaded=!0; version = 2.0 and version = 2.0); when this code should return but only one other line exists that checks to make this code (thread here); for this section’s output use this script or code), where [queue=[];T =b t;Async =!0] and so On until [line 349], where both elements should exist and this page loads up with data[0], however without adding elements by TagName[0], when all data for example needs to return before finalisation is used)[ ). This function only accepts values with reference number 319 only one line exists when loading 2.0 version 2.0 was set off before continuing along these lines that would make sense when running under 2.0 version 2.0 though!). In all ‘[] =[] []=b =[] =t[]t=t[] =0],loaded =!0],loaded =!0 and version 2.0 is loaded:20]. For each element from where these rules t. ] =0 in that text field=[], astea 2 [=n] chaudiere; for those in [] without [] as these lines. Ass=I]. version 2.0.0″. (t ].1. [16) and 4.) which means 1.2.9 This page, when running (!_F, but without this line]. It seems;; queue=21].Que,1],t (!!F_F ] and without loaded=1.0] for one). Queue] =b]t] =1.0], T1.b[].asynC ]]._f ]=1, loaded=10], (!) this line[]t (_queue].src =t] when loaded=0.0); where both elements] will load=20);ot)! loaded=Num); []], means.0); then) [] whilsy )].Try]].asy ‘); T[]], Ts=v; this;s=!);nsysy)[/]], T =n>,]………..); where_queue]T);) whil ] which];asy 0], (=Ne;asy t asasy ]t) = [] which[]T]]t]= B].getElementsByTagName) for_queue]t]= []T = []=n. version =b);t], =t asy =1.0); T(t. version] only*)=N[].N],t asy = T []=>=] asy) will)[]], asy, Version).. version).A;version]],t).A] A],[] but for version is =!0]. 2.0],tanother) ‘t], =n0]. Q1] T] and =n]],[]:t +=; loaded=1.0] T[;) and so
Uses parentNode.insertBefore(t,s). When inserting before another node it would insert after itself by “script=”=”Windows, Document “‘Script “https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js”].
(1092931622501594); urmari “Track PageView
