Has Trump made similar criticisms of other war veterans in speeches?

1. Pattern or one-off? A string of incidents across years

Reporting compiled by major outlets documents multiple episodes in which Trump either reportedly disparaged veterans or provoked veterans’ communities: The Atlantic’s 2020 report — repeated in later summaries — alleged he called World War I dead “suckers” and “losers,” a claim that has been revisited in subsequent coverage and reactions from veterans and lawmakers ^{[2] [6]}. AP’s review of Trump’s history with the military highlights repeated controversies — from mocking John McCain to remarks about Medal of Honor recipients — and frames them as part of a broader history that has “sparked outrage” even while some veterans continued to back him politically ^[1].

2. Veterans Day 2025: political messaging at a sacred site

Coverage of Trump’s November 11, 2025 Arlington speech shows he mixed ceremonial acts with partisan and rebranding moves — proposing to relabel Veterans Day “Victory Day for World War I,” celebrating the end of a shutdown as a GOP “very big victory,” and embracing the “Department of War” nomenclature — prompting critics who said the occasion was politicized and veterans’ groups who objected that renaming would marginalize many who served ^{[4] [3] [5]}.

3. Specific language and allegations: what sources report

Multiple sources cite allegations that Trump used derogatory language about veterans: the Atlantic’s account (rereported in outlets like Forbes) alleges he called WWI dead “suckers” and “losers,” and other episodes include his 2015 McCain barbs and comments comparing the Medal of Freedom favorably to the Medal of Honor ^{[2] [1]}. Congressional and veterans’ organizations publicly condemned those reported comments and called them unacceptable ^{[6] [1]}.

4. Pushback and division within the veterans community

Reporting from Military Times and other outlets shows veterans are not monolithic on these incidents: some were outraged and felt insulted by the reports, while others continued to support Trump’s policy record and leadership style — a split that media coverage has repeatedly noted ^[7]. That internal division complicates any straightforward narrative that all veterans uniformly rejected his conduct ^[7].

5. Political uses and implicit agendas in coverage

Different outlets frame these episodes with different emphases. Opinion pieces (e.g., Los Angeles Times commentary) interpret renaming efforts and rhetoric as part of a broader administration project to instill a “warrior ethos” and reshape institutions, implying an ideological agenda to refocus patriotic commemoration on victories rather than service ^[5]. Conservative outlets and partisan sites highlighted policy victories and criticized mainstream outlets for omitting favorable spins, illustrating how coverage itself can be weaponized for political ends ^[8].

6. Limitations and what the sources don’t resolve

Available sources document allegations and public remarks but also note disputes over veracity: some of the most inflammatory alleged comments (e.g., the Atlantic’s report) were disputed by Trump and his aides, and reactions vary across veterans’ organizations ^{[2] [7]}. Sources do not provide a definitive legal finding or universally accepted chronology that settles every disputed quote; available reporting records allegations, denials, public statements, and political consequences without offering forensic adjudication ^{[2] [1]}.

7. Why it matters: veterans, symbolism, and political theater

The pattern in reporting shows that attacks or controversial remarks about veterans can have outsized symbolic impact because they touch a revered constituency and ceremonial practices (Arlington, Veterans Day) — which is why both veterans groups and political actors reacted strongly to the 2025 speech and to earlier allegations ^{[3] [1]}. Whether seen as genuine slights, political rhetoric, or misreported anecdotes, these incidents shape public debate about respect for service and the politicization of national memory ^{[5] [3]}.

Conclusion — Multiple outlets document a history of controversial remarks and actions involving Trump and veterans; those reports are contested in part, and veterans’ responses are divided. The November 2025 Veterans Day speech fits into that documented pattern of episodes that prompted criticism and debate ^{[1] [2] [3]}.