Ruppersberger ‘Outraged’ By Comments Disparaging U.S. Military
Ruppersberger ‘Outraged’ By Comments Disparaging U.S. Military
(Timonium, MD) – Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger today issued the following statement responding to presidential candidate Donald Trump’s criticisms of troops and military leaders:
“I was outraged to hear one of our nation’s presidential candidates disparage our country’s top generals on national television last night. Time and again, this candidate has called our country’s Armed Forces a “disaster,” has claimed to know more than our military leaders about defeating terrorists and, now, has threatened to fire professional officers who have dedicated their careers to making ours the most powerful military force in history.
I can’t imagine how these statements feel to the 2 million young Americans volunteering to serve in a time of war, and their families, who are also sacrificing their loved ones.
In my work on national security, I have traveled to frontlines around the world, including remote hotspots in Yemen, Iraq and Afghanistan as recently as last month. I can say with confidence that our military leaders are extremely qualified and capable. Each time I travel, I thank our troops for putting their lives on the line to defend the freedoms that make our country the greatest in the world. So I find it offensive when a candidate suggests that our country needs to be made great “again” and, in doing so, puts these men and women at even more risk.
When it comes to politics, the respect and dignity of our troops and their families should be off-limits.”