President Donald Trump was absent from Monday night's dignified transfer of Sergeant Benjamin N. Pennington at Dover Air Force Base, following intense criticism for wearing a branded baseball cap to a previous ceremony. The 26-year-old soldier from Kentucky was killed in a retaliatory strike by Iran after US and Israeli attacks began on 28 February.
The event was attended by Vice President JD Vance, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine. Mr Trump's public schedule showed he was travelling back to Washington from Florida at the time, having spent the day at his golf club in Doral with Republican members of Congress.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said in a statement: 'President Trump, Vice President Vance, and Secretary Hegseth have all welcomed our fallen heroes home who made the ultimate sacrifice in support of the noble Operation Epic Fury.' She added that the president 'grieved with their incredible families' and 'will never forget their honourable service'.
Mr Trump drew fierce backlash over the weekend after attending the dignified transfer of six soldiers killed in Kuwait while wearing a white 'USA' cap bearing his campaign branding. Critics accused him of disrespecting the fallen, with former Illinois Representative Adam Kinzinger calling it 'an embarrassing stain on our nation'.
Fox News later apologised for inadvertently airing older footage of a dignified transfer where Mr Trump did not wear a hat, instead of the Sunday ceremony. Some social media users accused the network of editing newer footage to exclude the president's headwear.
Sergeant Pennington enlisted in 2017 and served in the 1st Space Brigade. General Sean A. Gainey said he 'gave the ultimate sacrifice for the country he loved' and 'will always be remembered as a hero'.
