For Immediate Release:
September 12, 2016
Contact:
Jazzmen Knoderer
[email protected]
                                                           Cardin, Cummings and Van Hollen Call Out Donald Trump’s Hypocrisy on Veterans Issues
Baltimore — In advance of Donald Trump’s address to the National Guard Association of the United States this afternoon, Senator Ben Cardin, Rep. Elijah Cummings and Rep. Chris Van Hollen held a press conference to highlight the contrast between Secretary Clinton’s advocacy and support of veterans and Donald Trump’s record of disrespect and hypocrisy.
Donald Trump has denigrated veterans with both his rhetoric and his record. He’s insulted prisoners of war and American generals while embracing Vladimir Putin, and called the military a disaster. His actions back up his rhetoric – Trump has lied about donating money to veterans, fired service members because they were deployed, has attempted to kick homeless vets off the street in front of his properties, scammed veterans and their families through Trump University, and would put the VA on the path to privatization.
Hillary Clinton, by contrast, has a long, bipartisan record of fighting for service members. She has released a wide ranging set of proposals to support veterans and their families including improving the standard of care and connecting the unique skill sets of veterans to jobs of the future. In the past, she has worked across the aisle to pass legislation that established or expanded health services for service members and dramatically increased the funds paid to the families of fallen heroes.
Please find the excerpts of remarks as delivered below:
Rep. Cummings
“We come here today because we want to remind America of exactly who Donald Trump is, and to remind them that we are at a very critical crossroads in our nation’s history. On the one hand, we have a man who has spent a phenomenal amount of time sowing seeds of division, and it’s interesting now that he’s going to address a group of voters who, because of their harmony, because of their working together, they have created the best military in the world.”
Rep. Van Hollen
“It is not the mark of a Commander-in-Chief to be bad-mouthing our military and our men and women. We are talking about the person who praises Putin, even after Putin invaded Crimea and took a big bite out of Ukraine, and is doing other unproductive things around the world. Why would we want a Commander-in-Chief who gives aid and comfort to our adversaries while threatening to abandon our NATO allies? That is reckless. That is dangerous.”
Sen. Ben Cardin
“Marylanders have an opportunity, during this visit, to see why this election – on national security, and many other levels – why Hillary Clinton should be President of the United States. Donald Trump – what he does is dangerous and reckless. That’s not just our Congressional delegation saying that. I have the opportunity of being the ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and I had the opportunity to talk briefly with our friends around the world. Bottom line – he’s not qualified to be Commander-in-Chief, and he would certainly jeopardize America’s national security.”
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