US3 min(s) read
Published 15:57 24 Jul 2026 GMT
President Donald Trump has come under fire following his comments about a US soldier who was tragically killed in an Iranian strike last week.
On July 17, the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan was struck by Iranian missile and drone strikes, resulting in the deaths of three US soldiers.
The US Defense Department named them as Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Hawaii, Isabella Gonzales, 19, of Texas, and Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad, 28, of Ozone Park, New York.
They were in Jordan as part of operations against the Islamic State militant group, becoming the first US casualties of strikes from Iran since March.
Trump then attended the transfer ceremony for the four US service members killed in the conflict with Iran, which was held at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, calling it "the toughest thing I do."
A fourth soldier, Michael Emmanuel Swinton, 30, from North Carolina, was said to have died during a controlled detonation of an Iranian drone in Iraq.
The President made the trip to Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia, where he made a tribute to the late Feehan in particular.
Speaking to the crowd, Trump explained that "one of the families" was traveling to Georgia as well, claiming that he said: "Well if you want, I'll give you a ride on Air Force One."
He told the crowd that he offered Feehan's family the chance to fly with him back to the state, adding: "And they said, 'wow, wow'."
The crowd then erupted into applause.
.jpg_9MdBvK?tr=cr-0.0.1024.768,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
As part of Trump's speech, he said that the family were "heartbroken," pointing out that Feehan's parents and uncle were in attendance.
"We will carry Tyler's memory in our hearts forever. And I just want to thank you. It's an honor to have you here today," he said.
The 80-year-old added: "He's looking down right here, he's so proud. Together we are making our country safer and stronger and far more successful than it has ever been before.
"That's happening before your very eyes. That's why I call it the golden age."
It's fair to say that viewers were not impressed with Trump's claims, as one wrote on X: "Remembering fallen heroes keeps their legacy alive, but ending foreign conflicts must remain the top priority. Bringing our service members home safely is the ultimate way to honor them."
Another said: "Disrespectful person, he's the one that's put lives in danger because of his illegal campaign against Iran!"
A third claimed that Trump was "the reason" the soldier had died, but some weren't as critical of his speech.
A different user described Trump's words as "so moving," adding: "God bless the soldier and his family."
Following Feehan's untimely passing, his family released a statement about the late soldier.
"Our hearts are shattered. Tyler James Feehan, our son, our 'Tivo,' was taken from us far too soon, alongside other American heroes lost or wounded in this same tragic attack," they stated.
3 min(s) read
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-1024)
2 min(s) read
4 min(s) read
us3 min(s) read
Published 11:17 02 Apr 2026 GMT
us2 min(s) read
us2 min(s) read
uncategorised4 min(s) read
Published 15:15 23 Oct 2017 GMT
us3 min(s) read
President Donald Trump has been criticized after allegedly lying about what families of fallen soldiers told him about the Iran war.
On Wednesday night (April 1), the 79-year-old delivered a 20-minute primetime speech outlining the "core strategic objectives" of the US-Israeli military operation in Iran, which is now in its 34th day.
The conflict has led to casualties and damage in the Middle Eastern region due to the ongoing bombing campaigns.
During his speech, Trump argued that the war was necessary for the security of the free world and announced that US military operations in Iran were "very close" to ending.
He also made the controversial claim that the families of the 13 American service members killed in the war had urged him to "finish the job".
"Tonight, I'm pleased to say that these core strategic objectives are nearing completion," he said, cited by The Independent. "As we celebrate this progress, we think especially of the 13 American warriors who have laid down their lives in this fight to prevent our children from ever having to face a nuclear Iran.
"We salute them, and now we must honor them by completing the mission for which they gave their lives. And every single one of the people, their loved ones said 'Please, sir, please finish the job,' every one of them. And we are going to finish the job," the president said.
According to NBC News, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also previously shared this sentiment after privately meeting with the families of six service members.
"What I heard through tears, through hugs, through strength and through unbreakable resolve was the same from family after family. They said, 'Finish this. Honor their sacrifice. Do not waver. Do not stop until the job is done,'" Hegseth said.
However, the claim was quickly challenged by some of the families of the fallen soldiers. Charles Simmons, the father of Tech. Sgt. Tyler H. Simmons, who was killed in Iraq after a refueling aircraft crashed, told the outlet that he did not share the sentiment.
"I can’t speak for the other families. When he spoke to me, that was not something we talked about," Simmons said.
On Thursday (March 2), Iran issued a strong response to Trump’s recent comments, warning that the conflict will continue until the US faces what it described as "inevitable and permanent humiliation, disgrace, regret, and surrender".
Military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari added that the enemy "must pay the price for the aggression they initiated against the honourable and Muslim nation of Iran."
"Expect more crushing and devastating strikes from us in continuation of the severe blows you have already received," the spokesperson said, per CNN.
In addition to this, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei, condemned the war as "catastrophic not only for Iran, but for the entire region and beyond."
He also stressed that Tehran does not consider its Gulf neighbours as enemies. "The problem is that the United States and Israel are exploiting their territories to carry out their military aggression against Iran," he continued.
"This is an unjust war that has been imposed on the Iranian people. We have no choice but to fight back strongly," he added.
Published 10:24 02 Sep 2021 GMT
Donald Trump has lambasted his predecessor President Joe Biden for the "tremendous disrespect" he has shown towards the troops who lost their lives in Afghanistan.
On Thursday, August 26, explosions and gunfire erupted outside Hamid Karzai International Airport as thousands of Afghans tried to flee Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control some weeks earlier.
Thirteen US troops were killed in what was later reported to be an ISIS-K suicide bombing attack - including 11 Marines, one Navy corpsman, and one Army soldier.
A fierce critic of the incumbent president, former leader Trump is now taking his Democratic counterpart to task over his "tremendous disrespect" for the military members who died in the terror attack.
Speaking to Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on their podcast, Trump said in reference to the dignified transfer ceremony in honor of the 13 troops, per Fox News: "Tremendous disrespect was paid by Biden when he kept looking at his watch over and over again - every time a coffin came off the plane, he was looking at his watch."
"The parents are angry, as they should be," he added. "Nobody should've been killed [but] after I got out, Abdul and his group went wild."
Days after the suicide bombing, the remains of the slain US troops were brought back home as part of a dignified transfer ceremony in honor of the servicemen.
Biden had widely been condemned for his conduct at the ceremony, having reportedly checked the time on his watch several times while the caskets were carried off an airplane at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
A number of the parents of the slain troops, also present at the ceremony, have even publicly hit out at the 78-year-old leader.
Also during his chat with Travis and Sexton, Trump criticized Biden over the way US withdrawal from Afghanistan played out.
Last year, the 45th president had arranged a peace deal with the Taliban to bring the US forces back home following a 20-year war.
If Trump had still been in charge, he believes, "It would've been the exact opposite."
Published 14:50 26 May 2026 GMT
Donald Trump has come under fire online after critics accused him of making an inappropriate joke while delivering a Memorial Day speech at Arlington National Cemetery.
The president was addressing crowds at the military cemetery when he began reflecting on the history of the burial grounds and the thousands of service members laid to rest there.
During the speech, Trump pointed out how certain names appear frequently among the graves.
“In this sacred soil, which is first consecrated in the hours of America’s greatest division to be eternal symbol, national unity,” he said.
“It cannot be by chance alone that the very first service member laid to rest here in this place of supreme sacrifice was a Union soldier by the name of Private Christman.”
Trump continued: “Beside him are more than 18,000 other young men named William, over 20,000 named John, over 13,000 named James — joined over time by Isaac, Elijah, Earls, Hanks, Helens, Juans, Margarets, Marius, Donalds — not too many.”
After making the remark, Trump reportedly laughed, which quickly sparked criticism on social media.
One user on X wrote: “Why can’t he just deliver a speech on a day like this without being an a**hole?”
Another social media critic posted: “Nothing like making those who died serving their country into a punchline for a joke.”
Some users also referenced Trump’s long-standing controversy surrounding his Vietnam War deferments. During the war, Trump received four educational deferments and one medical deferment relating to bone spurs in his heels, leading some opponents to label him a “draft dodger.”
One social media user wrote: “We know one Donald safely stayed at home with fake bone spurs.
“The others at Arlington had real wounds, real bravery, real sacrifice.”
The social media post continued, saying: “Among them are thousands of brave soldiers from every background and nationality, whose names aren’t props for a joke. This tells you everything about how small he is in a place built for people who gave everything.”
Meanwhile, Memorial Day also sparked further controversy elsewhere in American politics after two Democratic lawmakers criticized their own party over an offensive social media post.
Tammy Duckworth, a combat veteran, publicly condemned a post shared by the Democratic National Committee that referenced 13 US service members killed during the recent conflict with Iran while blaming Trump for their deaths.
Duckworth wrote: “It is incredibly distasteful to use our heroic dead for a political attack on Memorial Day.
“I’m a Democrat and I condemn this post by the DNC.”
Published 12:24 24 Jun 2025 GMT
.webp_ke6C2y?tr=cr-169.8.1505.1344,f-webp,q-70,w-100)