Fact check: Did Trump say that wounded or dead soldiers are suckers and losers

1. Summary of the results

The claim that Trump called wounded or dead soldiers "suckers and losers" originated from a 2020 Atlantic article citing anonymous sources regarding a 2018 trip to Paris ^[1]. While multiple anonymous sources supported these allegations, including specific quotes like "Why should I go to that cemetery? It's filled with losers" ^[2], there is no direct audio/video evidence or documented proof to independently verify these remarks ^{[1] [1]}.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

Several important contextual elements need to be considered:

• Multiple Trump administration officials, including Mike Pompeo, John Bolton, and Alyssa Farah Griffin, have explicitly denied these allegations ^{[1] [3]}
• The White House attributed the canceled cemetery visit to poor weather conditions ^[1]
• General John Kelly later confirmed the allegations in a 2023 CNN interview, suggesting Trump did make derogatory comments about military personnel ^[1]
• Multiple news outlets independently corroborated the story with their own anonymous sources ^[4]
• There is a consistent pattern of Trump's public statements about military service that some argue lends credibility to these claims ^[4]

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

Several factors contribute to potential bias in this discussion:

• The situation has become a "he-said/she-said" scenario with no definitive proof ^[5]
• Political motivations may be at play:
• Trump continues to deny the allegations, calling them "fake news" and a "fabrication by a third-rate magazine" ^[3]
• Biden has repeated these allegations ^[3], suggesting potential political benefit
• The use of anonymous sources creates a credibility challenge: while they can protect whistleblowers, they can also potentially be used to fabricate stories ^[4]
• The timing of the original story's release ^[6] and subsequent confirmations/denials suggest possible political implications during election cycles