US President Donald Trump faces a backlash after reports claimed he described American soldiers killed in action as 'losers' and 'suckers'. The allegations, first published in The Atlantic magazine, have been partly corroborated by the Associated Press and Fox News. The president and his allies have strongly denied the remarks.
According to The Atlantic, Mr Trump cancelled a visit to a US cemetery outside Paris in 2018 because he said it was 'filled with losers'. Sources claimed he also referred to 1,800 US soldiers who died at Belleau Wood as 'suckers'. The White House previously said the visit was cancelled due to bad weather, a version backed by John Bolton.
Veterans' groups have condemned the president. Progressive group VoteVets released a video of grieving families, and Paul Rieckhoff of Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America tweeted: 'Who is really surprised by this?' Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden said his rival was 'unfit' to lead, calling the remarks 'absolutely damning'.
President Trump has pushed back, calling the reports 'fake news'. He said: 'Nobody's done what I've done with the military budgets, with getting pay raises for our military.' Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said he was with the president and never heard the alleged words. Other officials, including Mick Mulvaney and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, also rejected the story.
The controversy comes as Mr Trump seeks re-election, with analysts noting potential damage among military voters. A Pew Research Centre survey last year found 57% of veterans approved of the president. Mr Trump has previously caused outrage by saying the late Senator John McCain, a prisoner of war, was not a 'war hero'.
