Flashback: Biden Uses His Veteran Son's Death from Cancer To Shut Down Vet Blaming Biden for Deaths in Iraq
Donald Trump Jr. wants Americans to understand what veterans think of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s record when it comes to the Iraq War, and on Sunday highlighted a March confrontation between Biden and a U.S. veteran to offer a powerful reminder.
As a senator, Biden voted for the Iraq War in 2002. That came back to haunt him this March while he was campaigning at the Buttercup Diner in Oakland, California.
“Wow, an Air Force vet calls Biden out for voting for the Iraq War,” Donald Trump Jr. tweeted as he shared a video of the testy exchange.
“I’m an Air Force veteran; I’m here with an Army veteran,” Michael Thurman says as he begins his interaction with the former vice president.
Wow, an Air Force vet calls Biden out for voting for the Iraq War
“We are wondering why we should vote for someone who voted for a war & enabled a war that killed thousands of our brothers & sisters?…Their blood is on your hands…My friends are dead because of your policies!” pic.twitter.com/3S3E1PrVuu
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 6, 2020
“We’re just wondering why we should vote for somebody who voted for a war and enabled a war that killed thousands of our brothers and sisters, countless Iraqi civilians. You enabled that war. You also gave a medal to the man who … caused that war. That blood is on your hands as well,” he said.
Thurman’s comment about the medal was in reference to Biden giving former President George W. Bush the Liberty Medal in 2018 for his “support for veterans.”
Emphatically pointing at Biden, Thurman said, “You are disqualified, sir. You are disqualified!
“My friends are dead because of your policies,” he said.
Biden then mentioned his late son Beau, who served one year in Iraq, and later died of cancer in 2015.
“You don’t think it matters to me. It matters a lot to me. Let me tell you something,” Biden said.
“I’m not going after your son,” Thurman said.
“You better not,” Biden shot back before he turned away and left Thurman behind.
Thurman continued to have his say.
“You are disqualified, sir. Disqualified!” Thurman said. “Their blood is on your hands.”
At that point, Biden had moved away, but Thurman continued to call out to the candidate.
“My brothers and sisters died in Iraq and Afghanistan,” he said. “He enabled that to happen. He enabled that to happen,”
“No way he can be president. They are dead. Millions are dead in Iraq! He will not be allowed to be president! Disqualified! Trump is more anti-war than Joe Biden!” Thurman said.
In a post on Medium, the group “About Face: Veterans Against the War” explained why it and Thurman are against Biden.
“In the past, Joe Biden has been criticized for leveraging his son’s death both for political gain and to sidestep tough questions about his commitment to following through on promises to end the wars,” the post said.
Noting that in 2012 Biden promised to have U.S. troops out of Afghanistan by 2014, the group said “Biden has promised again to end the wars this campaign cycle, but has failed to present a clear plan and expressly opposes complete withdrawal.”
I’ve done more in less than 4 years than Biden’s done in more than 40 years, including for Black America. Biden has been a part of every failed decision for decades. Bad Trade Deals, Endless Wars, you name it, he has shown a complete lack of leadership. He’s weak & shot!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2020
During his time in the White House, President Donald Trump has reduced the number of U.S. troops in Syria and said America should not be the world’s policeman.
“We are ending the era of endless wars,” Trump said during remarks at West Point this spring, according to Reuters.
He said it is not the role of U.S. troops “to solve ancient conflicts in faraway lands that many people have not even heard of.”
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