Donald Trump’s History of Dishonoring Veterans

Donald Trump falsely claimed to have personally donated $1 million to veterans’ causes at a nationally televised January 28th fundraiser.

“Trump, now the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, organized a nationally televised fundraiser for veterans’ causes in Des Moines on Jan. 28. That night, Trump said he had raised $6 million, including the gift from his own pocket. ‘Donald Trump gave $1 million,’ he said then. As recently as last week, Trump’s campaign manager had insisted that the mogul had already given that money away. But that was false: Trump had not.” [Washington Post, 5/24/16]

Donald Trump donated $1 million to a veterans’ group only after being questioned by the media.

“On Monday, a Post reporter used Twitter — Trump’s preferred social-media platform — to search publicly for any veterans groups that had received Trump’s money. By Monday afternoon, The Post had found none. But it seems to have caught the candidate’s attention. Later Monday evening, Trump called the home of James K. Kallstrom, a former FBI official who is chairman of the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation. The charity aids families of fallen Marines and federal law enforcement officers. Trump told Kallstrom that he would give the entire $1 million to the group, according to Kallstrom’s wife. Sue Kallstrom said she was not sure whether the money had been transferred yet.” [Washington Post, 5/24/16]

Donald Trump’s campaign falsely claimed that the promised donation had already been made. “That night, Trump said he had raised $6 million, including the gift from his own pocket. ‘Donald Trump gave $1 million,’ he said then. As recently as last week, Trump’s campaign manager had insisted that the mogul had already given that money away. But that was false: Trump had not.” [Washington Post, 5/24/16]
Donald Trump said a reporter who asked him why he had waited until he was under media scrutiny to donate his promised $1 million to veterans was “really a nasty guy.” “When asked Tuesday whether he had given the money this week only because reporters had been asking about it, Trump responded: ‘You know, you’re a nasty guy. You’re really a nasty guy. I gave out millions of dollars that I had no obligation to do.’” [Washington Post, 5/24/16]

Donald Trump claimed his veterans’ fundraiser “cracked $6 million.”

“One night in January, Donald Trump skipped a GOP debate and instead held his own televised fundraiser for veterans. At the end of the night, Trump proclaimed it a huge success: ‘We just cracked $6 million, right? Six million.’ Now, Trump’s campaign says that number is incorrect.” [Washington Post, 5/21/16]

Donald Trump had dispensed less than half of the promised amount nearly three months after the fundraiser. “The money simply hasn’t been found. In early March, CNN was able to track down $2.9 million, citing the Trump campaign. In early April, The Wall Street Journal traced $2.4 million of the promised funds. What these investigations have yielded is a solid conclusion that, thus far, Donald Trump and his nonprofit have dispensed, at maximum, about half of the $6 million to the listed beneficiaries. Nearly three months—85 days—have passed since the fundraiser.” [Daily Beast, 4/22/16]
Donald Trump’s campaign later said the fundraiser only raised $4.5 million. “Campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said the fundraiser actually netted about $4.5 million, or 75 percent of the total that Trump announced. Lewandowski blamed the shortfall on Trump’s own wealthy acquaintances. He said some of them had promised big donations that Trump was counting on when he said he had raised $6 million. But Lewandowski said those donors backed out and gave nothing.” [Washington Post, 5/21/16]
Donald Trump falsely claimed to have never said that he raised $6 million for veterans’ causes at the fundraiser. “Trump also said he had never actually promised that the fundraiser had raised $6 million. ‘I didn’t say six,’ he said. But, in video of the event, Trump tells the crowd, ‘We just cracked $6 million! Right? $6 million.’ Trump was told that he did, indeed, say ‘$6 million.’ ‘Well, I don’t, I don’t have the notes. I don’t have the tape of it,’ he said. ‘Play [the tape] for me. Because I’d like to hear it.’ Before the video could be cued up, Trump had moved on.” [Washington Post, 5/24/16]

Donald Trump’s campaign claimed that the delay stemmed in part from a lengthy vetting process for the charities.

“Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks denied Tuesday that timing had anything to do with questions from the media. ‘Mr. Trump’s team worked very hard to complete this lengthy process prior to Memorial Day Weekend,’ she said. The campaign also said it had taken months to carefully vet each of the groups receiving money.” [Associated Press, 5/31/16]

Donald Trump donated $75,000 from his veterans’ fundraiser to a charity that received an “F” rating from CharityWatch. “One of the charities that Donald Trump selected to receive a donation from his veterans’ fundraiser is a group with a rating of ‘F’ from CharityWatch, and has been criticized in the past for spending less than half of its incoming donations on programs that help veterans. The Foundation for American Veterans received a donation of $75,000, Trump announced on Tuesday, as he gave away the last of $5.6 million raised during a benefit Trump organized in January. During his combative press conference, Trump said that all of the groups had been scrutinized.” [Washington Post, 5/31/16]
Donald Trump donated $75,000 from his veterans’ fundraiser to an organization that had diverted millions of dollars from bingo games that should have been donated to charity. “A veterans organization that was recently funded by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was forced to clean house in Ohio three years ago after an investigation found it was running a sham job training program for military veterans and diverting money from instant bingo operations. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said in court filings in 2013 that AMVETS in Ohio operated largely bogus career training centers across the state to divert millions of dollars from bingo games — money that should have gone to charity under state law. […] The Donald Trump Foundation donated $75,000 to AMVETS, a national service organization founded in 1944 to advocate for veterans.” [Dayton Daily News, 6/1/16]

Donald Trump’s campaign claimed that the delay stemmed in part from a lengthy vetting process for the charities.

“Trump spokeswoman Hope Hicks denied Tuesday that timing had anything to do with questions from the media. ‘Mr. Trump’s team worked very hard to complete this lengthy process prior to Memorial Day Weekend,’ she said. The campaign also said it had taken months to carefully vet each of the groups receiving money.” [Associated Press, 5/31/16]

Donald Trump donated $75,000 from his veterans’ fundraiser to a charity that received an “F” rating from CharityWatch. “One of the charities that Donald Trump selected to receive a donation from his veterans’ fundraiser is a group with a rating of ‘F’ from CharityWatch, and has been criticized in the past for spending less than half of its incoming donations on programs that help veterans. The Foundation for American Veterans received a donation of $75,000, Trump announced on Tuesday, as he gave away the last of $5.6 million raised during a benefit Trump organized in January. During his combative press conference, Trump said that all of the groups had been scrutinized.” [Washington Post, 5/31/16]
Donald Trump donated $75,000 from his veterans’ fundraiser to an organization that had diverted millions of dollars from bingo games that should have been donated to charity. “A veterans organization that was recently funded by Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump was forced to clean house in Ohio three years ago after an investigation found it was running a sham job training program for military veterans and diverting money from instant bingo operations. Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine said in court filings in 2013 that AMVETS in Ohio operated largely bogus career training centers across the state to divert millions of dollars from bingo games — money that should have gone to charity under state law. […] The Donald Trump Foundation donated $75,000 to AMVETS, a national service organization founded in 1944 to advocate for veterans.” [Dayton Daily News, 6/1/16]

Donald Trump on John McCain: “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

“Appearing on Saturday at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, the real estate mogul took his running feud with Arizona Sen. John McCain to a new level. ‘He’s not a war hero,’ said Trump. ‘He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.’ The remarks, which came after days of back-and-forth between McCain and Trump, were met with scattered boos.” [Politico, 7/18/15]

Donald Trump on whether he owed John McCain an apology: “No, not at all.” “Asked by ABC News whether he owes McCain an apology, Trump said: ‘No, not at all.’ ‘People that fought hard and weren’t captured and went through a lot, they get no credit. Nobody even talks about them. They’re like forgotten. And I think that’s a shame, if you want to know the truth,’ Trump said Sunday. ‘People that were not captured that went in and fought, nobody talks about them. Those are heroes also,’ he said.” [CNN, 7/18/15]
Donald Trump falsely claimed that John McCain had “done nothing to help the vets.” “Trump said that McCain ‘has done nothing to help the vets.’ While many veterans’ groups have had their differences with McCain over the years over specific legislation and his general approach to veterans’ issues, that’s not the same as saying he’s done ‘nothing’ for veterans. In fact, just within the past two years, McCain has sponsored and helped enact several major provisions to help veterans. He also devotes a significant portion of his office staff to offer veterans on casework. We rate Trump’s claim False.” [PolitiFact, 7/21/15]

Donald Trump on John McCain: “He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”

“Appearing on Saturday at the Family Leadership Summit in Ames, Iowa, the real estate mogul took his running feud with Arizona Sen. John McCain to a new level. ‘He’s not a war hero,’ said Trump. ‘He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.’ The remarks, which came after days of back-and-forth between McCain and Trump, were met with scattered boos.” [Politico, 7/18/15]

Donald Trump on whether he owed John McCain an apology: “No, not at all.” “Asked by ABC News whether he owes McCain an apology, Trump said: ‘No, not at all.’ ‘People that fought hard and weren’t captured and went through a lot, they get no credit. Nobody even talks about them. They’re like forgotten. And I think that’s a shame, if you want to know the truth,’ Trump said Sunday. ‘People that were not captured that went in and fought, nobody talks about them. Those are heroes also,’ he said.” [CNN, 7/18/15]
Donald Trump falsely claimed that John McCain had “done nothing to help the vets.” “Trump said that McCain ‘has done nothing to help the vets.’ While many veterans’ groups have had their differences with McCain over the years over specific legislation and his general approach to veterans’ issues, that’s not the same as saying he’s done ‘nothing’ for veterans. In fact, just within the past two years, McCain has sponsored and helped enact several major provisions to help veterans. He also devotes a significant portion of his office staff to offer veterans on casework. We rate Trump’s claim False.” [PolitiFact, 7/21/15]

Donald Trump said that avoiding STDs was his “personal Vietnam.”

DONALD TRUMP: “I’ve been so lucky … In terms of that whole world. HOWARD STERN: “You’ve never gotten a social disease.” TRUMP: “It is a dangerous world out there. It’s like Vietnam, sort of like, you know, Vietnam.” STERN: “It is. It is your personal Vietnam, isn’t it?” TRUMP: “It is my personal Vietnam.” STERN: “It is, you’ve said that many times.” TRUMP: “I feel like a great and very brave soldier.” STERN: “A lot of guys who went through Vietnam came out unscathed; a lot of guys who’ve gone through the eighties having sex with different women came out with AIDS and all kinds of things.” TRUMP: “This is better than Vietnam. It’s more fun.” STERN: “Every vagina is a landmine, haven’t we both said that in private?” [Buzzfeed, 2/16/16]

1991: Donald Trump: “While disabled veterans should be given every opportunity to earn a living, is it fair to do so to the detriment of the city as a whole or its tax paying citizens and businesses?”

“‘While disabled veterans should be given every opportunity to earn a living, is it fair to do so to the detriment of the city as a whole or its tax paying citizens and businesses?’ Trump wrote in a 1991 letter to John Dearie, then-chairman of the state Assembly’s Committee on Cities. ‘Do we allow Fifth Ave., one of the world’s finest and most luxurious shopping districts, to be turned into an outdoor flea market, clogging and seriously downgrading the area?’ Trump demanded. New York’s original peddling exceptions for veterans date back to 1894 — created to give those disabled during the Civil War a chance to support themselves.” [Daily News, 8/3/15]

2004: Donald Trump: “Whether they are veterans or not, they [the vendors] should not be allowed to sell on this most important and prestigious shopping street.”

“Donald Trump blasted conditions on Fifth Avenue as ‘deplorable’ in a letter to Mayor Bloomberg complaining about street vendors who are ‘rapidly destroying’ the street’s ambience. The letter, addressed ‘Dear Michael,’ accuses vendors of pretending to be military veterans so they can peddle their wares on the high-rent street. Special regulations give veterans more leeway than other vendors. Trump said he inquired of one vendor – who displayed hats and shirts bearing Trump’s trademark phrase ‘You’re fired’ – which war he had fought in, but the vendor smiled and said, ‘Mr. Trump, I am too smart to fight in a war.’ But Trump favors no special peddling privileges for veterans, either. ‘Whether they are veterans or not, they [the vendors] should not be allowed to sell on this most important and prestigious shopping street,’ The Donald wrote.” [New York Post, 6/18/04]

2004: Donald Trump on veteran vendors on Fifth Avenue: “I hope you can stop this very deplorable situation before it is too late.”

“Trump said building owners and tenants are ‘forced to clean up all the discarded debris’ when the vendors leave – and the stores are ‘complaining bitterly.’ ‘Frankly, I have no idea how they can be doing business with the mess they have outside their front door,’ he wrote. ‘Fifth Avenue’s comeback is going to be a short one if this situation is not corrected immediately.’ Trump implored the mayor to act quickly or the city’s reputation will falter. ‘The image of New York City will suffer,’ Trump wrote. ‘I hope you can stop this very deplorable situation before it is too late.’” [New York Post, 6/18/04]