Trump

Joe Biden fights back tears as he recalls Trump's 'suckers' and 'losers' remarks

Joe Biden fights back tears as he recalls Trump's 'suckers' and 'losers' remarks
Emotional Joe Biden recalls Trump's 'suckers' and 'losers' remarks
The White House

President Joe Biden got emotional talking about the military service of his family members as well as former President Donald Trump's belittling remarks about service members.

"They asked [Trump] to go visit American gravesites. He said, 'No.' He wouldn't do it. Because they were all 'suckers' and 'losers'," Biden told a crowd of union workers. "I'm not making that up. The staff who were with him acknowledge it today. Suckers and losers."

Biden's comments referred to Trump's 2018 trip to Paris for the centennial of the end of World War I, when he decided to visit the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery. He also reportedly called Marines who died at Belleau Wood "suckers" as well as calling fallen soldiers at the US cemetery "losers."

These comments were confirmed by former White House chief of staff John Kelly last year, which was first reported by The Atlantic.

Biden added, "That man doesn't deserve to have been the commander in chief for my son, my uncle." Beau Biden and Ambrose Finnegan both served in the military before Trump took office.

In response to NBC News' request for comment, the Trump campaign denied Trump made the comments repeated by Biden.

“Joe Biden is repeating an old and tired lie about President Trump to deflect from the fact that he has is the weakest Commander in Chief in history,” national press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “When President Trump is back in the White House, he will rebuild our military and restore peace, once again.”

During a campaign rally on Tuesday, Biden also called the remarks "offensive".

“He said that those soldiers who gave their lives were ... 'suckers' and 'losers,'" Biden said. "Who the hell does he think he is?"

"These soldiers are heroes, just as every American who served this nation,” Biden said to loud applause.

The President said he was reminded of Trump's comments after visiting a war memorial in Scranton.

Sign upto our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

The Conversation (0)
x