Hawaiʻi veteran’s center to host Trump rally despite his condemnation from Gold Star family
Hawaiʻi Donald Trump supporters plan to hold a rally at the Oahu Veteran’s Center on September 10, 2016.
“The Oahu Veterans Center provides a wonderful venue for the event and is symbolic of Donald Trump’s long-standing support and dedication to the nation’s veterans,” said Gigi Jones, the director of Trump’s Hawaiʻi campaign.
In a recent interview with ABC News’ George Stephanopoulos, Trump said that he believes he has sacrificed just as much as those who have served in the military.
It was the first time Trump has addressed the charge that he has “sacrificed nothing” for his country, which was leveled at him at the Democratic National Convention in a speech by Khizr Khan, the father of a Muslim soldier killed in Iraq. “Go look at the graves of brave patriots who died defending the United States of America,” Khizr Khan said, addressing Trump through the camera. “You will see all faiths, genders and ethnicities. You have sacrificed nothing and no one.”
Pressed by Stephanopoulos to identify the sacrifices he made for his country, Trump said, “I think I’ve made a lot of sacrifices. I work very, very hard. I’ve created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures. I’ve had tremendous success. I think I’ve done a lot.” Trump also cited his work on behalf of veterans, including helping build a Vietnam War memorial in Manhattan and raising “millions of dollars” for vets.
Paul Rieckoff, the founder and CEO of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonpartisan group with close to 200,000 members, said, “For anyone to compare their ‘sacrifice’ to a Gold Star family member is insulting, foolish and ignorant—especially someone who has never served himself and has no children serving. Our country has been at war for a decade and a half, and the truth is most Americans have sacrificed nothing. Most of them are smart and grounded enough to admit it.”
Donald Trump has never served in the military and, in fact, received five different draft deferments during the Vietnam War (one for “bone spurs”).
