President
Donald Trump struggled to offer much sympathy for the families of about
100 Americans—many of them U.S. military veterans—who have died
fighting in Ukraine.
An estimated several
thousand Americans have volunteered to fight for Ukraine since Russian
dictator Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion in 2022, with at
least 92 Americans killed as of September, The New York Times reported.
Following a meeting
with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Mar-a-Lago on Sunday to
discuss a peace deal to end the war, Trump was asked about his message
to the families of the fallen Americans.
“The
message is so obvious,” he replied. “What a shame. They died in a
foreign country. And some are celebrated people, they’re very
celebrated. But it’s so sad that a thing like that would happen.”
President Trump offered few condolences for the families of Americans who died fighting for Ukraine. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
He then immediately moved on to the next question.
Social media users quickly noted
that the president hadn’t thanked the fallen for their sacrifice,
praised their commitment to freedom and democracy, or even offered his
personal condolences.
Many of the Americans who have died in Ukraine were U.S. military veterans.
Mike
Meoli, 71, was a retired Navy Seal and firefighter who traveled to
Ukraine to train medics on the front lines. He was killed in November
2024, ABC 10 News San Diego reported.
Nicholas
Maimer, 45, was an Army Special Forces veteran and Idaho native who
helped train Ukrainian officers. He was killed in May 2023 in an
artillery barrage, according to Military.com.
Ian
Frank Tortorici, 32, was a retired corporal with the U.S. Marines who
fought on the front lines. He died in July 2023 after a Russian missile
hit a restaurant where he was eating while on leave, Task and Purpose reported.
Both sides said that progress was made during Sunday's talks, but neither suggested a peace deal was imminent. Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The
U.S. government has declined to provide aid to American fighters to
avoid any suggestion of a direct clash with Russia, which is a nuclear
power, the Times reported in September.
But some social media users argued that Trump’s barely-there compassion for their families wasn’t measured diplomacy—it was reminiscent of the president’s previous comments about Americans who died in combat being “suckers” and “losers.”
During
a trip to France in 2018, the president said American soldiers who died
on French soil during World War I were “losers,” and that U.S. Marines
who helped halt the 1918 German advance toward Paris were “suckers” for
dying at the hands of the enemy.
The White
House denied reports of the comments, which were revealed by The
Atlantic magazine in 2020, but they’re just one example of the president
disparaging military veterans and their families.
He
has mocked the late Sen. John McCain’s war injuries, publicly insulted
the parents of a 27-year-old soldier who died in a car bombing in Iraq,
and privately raged about the funeral costs for a female soldier who was murdered by a male soldier at Fort Hood.
President
Trump said Sunday he was on the side of peace, but heaped praise on the
man who started the war—Russia's Vladimir Putin. Andrew Harnik/Getty Images
Although
he failed to offer much comfort Sunday to the families of Americans who
have died fighting Russia, Trump did manage to heap praise on the man
who started the war.
“Russia wants to see
Ukraine succeed,” Trump said, prompting Zelensky to raise an eyebrow. “I
was explaining to the president [Zelensky], President Putin was very
generous in his feeling toward Ukraine succeeding.”
He also said he “understands” Putin’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire while a longer-term agreement is being hashed out.
“He
feels that look, you know, they’re fighting and to stop, and if they
have to start again, which is a possibility, he doesn’t want to be in
that position—I understand that position,” Trump said.
Putin bombarded Ukraine with over 100 drones on Christmas Eve and early Christmas Day, killing at least seven civilians.
Sunday’s
talks were intended to address security guarantees and possible
territorial concessions, and while both sides said progress had been
made, neither gave any indication that a deal was within reach.
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
i had a blog on daily kos in 2016 the year of the 1st trumpocalypse and
it was taken down by the publisher for not being pc enough - maybe this
will be different
Join
us for the Corner Protest happening every Tuesday and Thursday from
3:15 to 5:15 PM at the southwest corner of Drake and College. We engage
positively and advocate for democracy, with the upcoming event on
January 8, 2026.
Join
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Overpass Bannering event aimed at making a visible statement. We'll
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Monday, January 12, 2026
Olympia Visibility Brigade Overpass Bannering: Dark Mode
Tumwater, WA
Join
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Bring warm clothing and a good mood as we gather on the Pedestrian
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We
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Join
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Chehalis Western Trail / I-5 in Lacey. Olympia Indivisible invites
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