Statement by Mikie Sherrill on Donald Trump’s Continued Attacks on Military Veterans and Democracy

WEST CALDWELL – Today, following a report from The Atlantic which describes Donald Trump praising murderous dictators like Hitler and disparaging military veterans and fallen soldiers, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill – a former U.S. Navy helicopter pilot and member of the House Armed Services Committee – released the following statement:

“Donald Trump’s dark and profoundly un-American vision for our country is antithetical to everything I learned at the U.S. Naval Academy and during nearly 10 years of service in the Navy.

“We know that Trump doesn’t understand the gravity of the oath of office or service to anything but himself – it’s why he dodged military service in Vietnam, it’s why he’s attacked war heroes like Senator John McCain, it’s why he’s repeatedly called fallen soldiers ‘suckers and losers,’ and it’s why he’s insulted Gold Star families. Now, Trump has disgraced himself even further, disparaging Vanessa Guillén – a soldier who was brutally murdered after being harassed by a superior at Fort Cavazos, failed by her chain of command, and catalyzed the most significant reform of the military justice system in decades.

“I never fathomed that a President of the United States would praise the likes of Hilter and his perceived military power, much less brutal dictators like Xi and Putin. I never fathomed that a President would aspire to unleash the U.S. military against political opponents and fellow American citizens – or violently attempt to stay in power despite the outcome of a democratic election.

“But Donald Trump has sadly proven otherwise – his views of the military are contrary to the values in the U.S. Constitution that generations of Americans have fought and died to protect.

“As American citizens and voters who believe in the Constitution, these reports are a stark reminder of the stakes of this election, that Donald Trump is wholly unfit to be Commander in Chief, and belongs nowhere near the Oval Office ever again.”

On the House Armed Services Committee, Sherrill has been a longtime advocate for military servicewomen. In the wake of the brutal murder of Vanessa Guillén, Sherrill fought for and successfully passed legislation to remove sexual assault cases from the military chain of command to ensure better outcomes for survivors.

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