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How did Trump describe American war dead in France 2018?
Executive summary
Reporting from The Atlantic alleged that during a November 2018 trip to France then‑President Donald Trump called American war dead at the Aisne‑Marne American Cemetery “losers” and — in related comments about Marines who fell at Belleau Wood — “suckers,” and several outlets including The Associated Press independently confirmed parts of the account [1] [2]. The White House and Trump vehemently denied the claims, calling the reporting false and “fake news” [3] [4].
1. The original allegation: ‘losers’ and ‘suckers’ at a WWI cemetery
Jeffrey Goldberg’s Atlantic piece reported that while in France in November 2018 Trump declined a planned visit to the Aisne‑Marne American Cemetery, reportedly saying “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers,” and elsewhere calling more than 1,800 Marines buried for their World War I service “suckers” for getting killed [1] [5]. Multiple news outlets summarized those exact words when relaying The Atlantic’s account [6] [5].
2. Independent confirmations and sourcing limitations
The Associated Press said a senior Pentagon official and a senior Marine officer corroborated some of the cemetery comments to AP reporters, and AP summarized that a report detailed “multiple instances” of disparaging remarks in 2018 [2]. But the central Atlantic story relied on anonymous senior staffers; news summaries note those allegations were sourced anonymously and that some parts were confirmed by AP while others are reported via anonymous sources [4] [2]. Available sources do not provide a verbatim, on‑the‑record quote from Trump beyond the anonymous attributions in The Atlantic and the corroborations described by AP [2] [4].
3. Context of the trip and why the visit was canceled
News reports cite The Atlantic’s account that aides officially blamed bad weather or a grounded helicopter for cancelling the cemetery stop; The Atlantic reported the real reason was Trump’s concern about his hair in the rain and his reluctance to visit because of the people buried there [1] [7]. The France24 piece highlights this contrast between the official explanation and the Atlantic account [1]. That context fueled the story’s political resonance because the cemetery visit would have marked a World War I centennial commemoration.
4. Denials, political reactions and competing narratives
Trump and White House aides forcefully denied the Atlantic story, calling it “made up Fake News” and “disgusting, grotesque, reprehensible lies,” and Trump personally tweeted that the account was false and defended his record on the military [3] [4]. Political figures seized on the reporting: Joe Biden said if true the comments would mark a deep disagreement over presidential character and pledged to honor military sacrifice; Democrats framed the allegations as an attack on the president’s regard for veterans [8] [6].
5. Broader pattern claimed by reports and why that matters
The Atlantic and follow‑on reporting presented these cemetery comments as part of a pattern of disparaging remarks toward captured or killed U.S. service members, including earlier reported comments about Sen. John McCain [2] [5]. Outlets stressed that if true the pattern would be politically significant; critics linked the allegations to past public comments Trump made about McCain and wounded veterans [5] [7]. Supporters countered with denials and references to Trump’s policy record on the military [3].
6. How journalists treated the story: corroboration versus anonymity
Major outlets ran summaries of The Atlantic’s reporting, noting The Atlantic’s sourcing and that parts were corroborated by AP through officials with “firsthand knowledge” [2] [5]. At the same time, many summaries flagged that the Atlantic story relied on anonymous senior staffers and that Trump denied the account — a standard journalistic tension between anonymous sourcing and independent confirmation [4] [3].
7. What the available reporting does — and does not — prove
Available reporting shows The Atlantic reported the quotes “losers” and “suckers” about American war dead and that AP said some of the cemetery comments were confirmed by defense officials with firsthand knowledge [1] [2]. Available sources do not include an on‑the‑record, verbatim admission from Trump acknowledging he used those words; instead they show denials from Trump and corroboration reported by AP through anonymous or off‑the‑record officials [3] [2].
8. Takeaway for readers weighing competing claims
Readers should weigh The Atlantic’s detailed allegation and AP’s reported corroboration against the White House’s categorical denials; mainstream outlets uniformly reported both the accusation and the denial and noted anonymous sourcing and partial confirmation [2] [4]. Where sources agree — that the Atlantic published the quotes and the White House denied them — the factual record is clear; where it does not — such as an on‑the‑record quote from Trump admitting the remarks — available reporting does not provide that [1] [3].