From the Democratic Party of Virginia:
ICYMI: Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy and Virginia veterans blast the Trump administration’s treatment of service members as Mike Pence speaks at VMI
As Mike Pence visited VMI to speak today, DPVA hosted a press call with Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy – one of the first women to graduate from VMI – and two Virginia veterans. The panel discussed the ways in which the Trump-Pence administration has politicized and weakened the military, as well as how Trump’s decision to strip funding from Virginia’s military projects has impacted service members. A full recording of the conversation can be streamed here.
“It is deplorable how Vice President Mike Pence is using Virginia Military Institute as a backdrop to try to repair Trump’s reputation and the damage that he’s done from his most recent attacks on our men and women in uniform…Not only has he tried to deploy the military against Americans…we’ve also had him take millions of dollars from the military in order to build his wall when we should be building bridges…VMI is being used as a photo op and that’s unfortunate because these are cadets who are being trained to be our next citizen soldiers who will take up arms to protect our country and the foundations that we believe in – our morals and values – even though they’re now being attacked by the leader of the free world,” said Delegate Jennifer Carroll Foy.
“I am absolutely ashamed that we have an administration that would strip the most vulnerable in the military of their ability to have benefits, newer schools, bases, housing…As a disabled veteran and Purple Heart recipient, I am insulted by everything he does and tries to do with wounded veterans. [Trump] pretends to be pro-military but yet he turns around and strips everything. The politicization of the military is a problem because it erodes public trust and that is a big issue…To send the vice president to VMI for a photo op or leadership conference or however he wants to word it, I can’t put into words how disgusted I am at how they’ve decided to use these young men and women. My daughter’s a cadet and I’d be mortified if I knew she was being used as a photo op,” said Derek Kitts, DPVA’s veteran and military families caucus chair and a retired U.S. Army First Sergeant.
“When you look at those budget cuts…taking away from the much needed construction budgets in order to build his fake wall, that just tells you how little concern [Trump] has for those who are serving…The president not understanding his role as commander-in-chief truly thinks the military is his military and therefore he feels he can do what with it as he pleases, whether that’s sending them down to the Mexican border…or sending National Guard troops to attack groups of protesters,” said Terron Sims, Vice Chair of the DNC’s Veterans & Military Families Council and a retired U.S. Army Captain.
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