Trump visited soldiers at Walter Reed — but not the 14 injured in the Iran war

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President Trump made clip to sojourn with U.S. work members during his travel Tuesday to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, but helium did not spot immoderate of the 14 troops injured successful the warfare helium started with Iran who are besides recovering astatine the hospital, according to the household of 1 worker and different subject authoritative acquainted with Mr. Trump's visit.

The White House said Mr. Trump met with work members during his six-month checkup astatine the Army's flagship aesculapian center, but repeatedly declined to accidental whether the president saw soldiers injured successful Operation Epic Fury.

"President Trump was honored to conscionable with our astonishing work members and aesculapian unit portion astatine Walter Reed Medical Center," said a White House spokesperson, who declined to supply immoderate guidance connected wherefore the president did not conscionable with soldiers wounded successful the Iran war.

Sergeant Cory Hicks was stationed astatine an Army station successful Kuwait that was deed by an Iranian drone successful March, during the archetypal 24 hours of the conflict. The onslaught killed six American soldiers and injured much than 20. Hicks is 1 of six from the Kuwait onslaught inactive recovering astatine Walter Reed. He suffered a lacerated kidney, a severed spleen and a traumatic encephalon injury.

"I've travel a agelong mode — that's for sure," Hicks told CBS Minnesota past month. "I spent 19 years successful the subject truthful acold and I emotion serving my country, but this [recovery from wounds] is simply a antithetic battle. You've got to combat erstwhile you get injured."

A time earlier his sojourn to Walter Reed, during his Memorial Day remarks astatine Arlington Cemetery, Mr. Trump paid tribute to 13 soldiers who had died successful Operation Epic Fury, calling them "wonderful souls" who "gave their lives" to guarantee Iran would ne'er person a atomic weapon.

Mr. Trump connected Wednesday during a Cabinet gathering again referred to the 13 arsenic "great people" and said losing them "is a unspeakable thing."

"We privation to suffer precise few, we privation precise fewer to beryllium injured. We're precise careful, but warfare is war. War is dangerous."

In March, Mr. Trump also attended the dignified transfers of the six soldiers who died successful the Kuwait onslaught and six who died successful a refueling mishap implicit Iraq.

It is customary for American presidents to sojourn with troops wounded successful battle. In 2004, during the Iraq War, President George W. Bush said aft a sojourn to Walter Reed, that it was an grant "to conscionable the wounded who person made a determination to sacrifice for this nation's information and for state successful the world… It is an grant to conscionable their parents oregon their wives, their children, brave souls who enactment their loved 1 with each their heart."

In 2017, during his archetypal term, Mr. Trump himself paid a sojourn to the subject hospital to contiguous the Purple Heart to a worker who had been wounded successful Afghanistan.

Mr. Trump has antecedently faced scrutiny for his descriptions of wounded work members. During his archetypal term, helium said the soldiers injured successful a 2020 Iranian airstrike connected an American basal successful Iraq weren't worthy mentioning due to the fact that they had suffered "headaches," which helium described arsenic "not precise serious."

A CBS News investigation aboriginal recovered dozens of soldiers who had suffered encephalon injuries were denied the Purple Heart arsenic portion of an effort to downplay their wounds and debar undercutting Mr. Trump. One aboriginal took his ain life.

Mr. Trump has besides denied reports helium called U.S. Marines who died successful World War I "suckers" and "losers" aft helium canceled a 2018 sojourn to the cemetery successful France wherever they were buried.

According to the Defense Department, 409 U.S. troops person been injured successful the Iran war. Last month, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified to Congress that astir 90% person returned to duty.

Troops injured successful the Kuwait attack suffered from terrible shrapnel wounds and caput injuries. Hicks is present successful a worker betterment portion astatine Walter Reed and has described the dense intelligence toll of the attack.

"I mislaid six of my conflict buddies who were sitting beauteous adjacent to maine and that's a conflict wrong itself," helium said successful the April interview. "The invisible wounds are hard to heal. A batch of them were further distant from the blast than I was, truthful erstwhile you spell done thing similar that, you spell done a batch of guilt."

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