In a recent Fox News interview, Donald Trump disparaged over 400 British troops who lost their lives in Afghanistan with disrespectful remarks as he pursued increased influence over Greenland. Trump criticized NATO, claiming the US had been unfairly treated by the alliance, despite the US being the sole nation to invoke Article 5 of the NATO treaty for assistance. This article requires member states to defend any attacked country, a provision the US used post-9/11 to deploy forces to Afghanistan.

Trump belittled NATO’s contributions, stating they sent troops to Afghanistan but remained distant from the front lines. The UK, having the highest number of fatalities after the US, deployed over 9,500 troops as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Despite his previous interest in acquiring Greenland, Trump insisted NATO had mistreated the US, emphasizing the need for NATO to contribute more, especially in aiding Ukraine.

This is not the first instance of Trump showing disregard for fallen soldiers, as he previously faced criticism for allegedly labeling American soldiers killed in action as “losers” and “suckers.” Reports claim he skipped a cemetery visit in Paris in 2018, dismissing fallen soldiers as “losers” due to concerns about his appearance in the rain. Additionally, during the same trip, he reportedly referred to US soldiers who fought at Belleau Wood as “suckers,” a pivotal battle in World War One revered by the US Marine Corps.