[ad_1]
In an interview on Sunday, 2020 Democratic President Pete Buttigieg said President Trump had slandered US troops by forgiving soldiers accused of war crimes – and that the proposal threatened to undermine the "legal and moral" foundations of the war. country.
"When you serve, you agree to abide by the law and respect the Constitution and, frankly, his idea that to be sent to combat automatically makes you a war criminal is a slander against veterans who could only come from from someone who has never served. , "Mayor of South Bend, Ind., Said on ABC News" This Week ".
BUTTIGIEG BLOWS OUT BY AVOIDING WAR IN VIETNAM, RICH BIDEN ON CRIMINAL LAW & # 39; 94
Buttigieg, a veteran of the Afghanistan war, responded to Trump's remarks on Friday in which the president said he was "considering" possible pardons. The New York Times announced for the first time that Trump was planning to grant rehabilitations to soldiers accused of war crimes around Memorial Day.
"Some of these soldiers are people who fought long and hard," Trump told reporters. "You know, we teach them how to become great fighters and then, when they fight, they are sometimes really treated very unfairly."
Trump said he was planning to forgive "two or three of them" but added that he had not yet made a decision.
"It's a bit controversial. It is quite possible that I will let the trials proceed and make my decision after the trial, "he said.
The Times announced that one of these pardons could be addressed to Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, accused of war crimes in Iraq. Gallagher faces charges of premeditated murder and aggravated assault for the alleged assassination of a wounded ISIS prisoner and case of intentional shooting of snipers on civilians.
Trump intervened in March to move Gallagher to a less restrictive confinement after a Republican push into the House.
But while such pardons may be considered a favored measure to the troops, Buttigieg said that "the idea that sending you to war turns you into a murderer is exactly the sort of thing that those do not have. between us who have served are trying to counter more than a generation. "He added that such a measure would remove one of the protections afforded to the troops.
"Today, one of the things that morally and physically protects our troops is that if people in uniform commit a crime, they will be held responsible by the military justice," he said. "For a president, particularly a president who has never served, saying that he will intervene to overthrow this military justice system undermines the very legal and moral foundations of this country."
A number of veterans' groups also expressed their opposition to possible forgiveness, claiming that they had not been consulted by the White House about impending forgiveness, nor information about what was being considered.
TRUMP says Navy Seal accused of war crimes will be transferred to "less restriction"
Mathew Golsteyn, a former army commando accused of murder for the murder of an alleged maker of Taliban bombs in Afghanistan, was quoted by the Times. In December, Trump had announced that he would "examine" the case against Golsteyn and called him "American." Military hero. "
Buttigieg, who has gone from obscurity to a leading Democratic primary candidate in recent months, has been waging a military service against Trump's lack of service – and accused him this week of simulating a disability. serve in Vietnam.
"It 's someone who, I think it' s pretty obvious to most of us, took advantage of the fact that he was the only kid out there. a multimillionaire to pretend to be disabled and be able to wage war in his place, "said Buttigieg. this week in an interview with the Washington Post.
Trump received five postponements of the military service project during the Vietnam War. Four were postponements of studies when he was a student and the fifth – in 1968, after graduation – was a medical exemption.
"I have a pretty bad view of her [Trump’s] decision to use his privileged status to simulate a disability in order to avoid serving in Vietnam, "he said.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
Asked about the Democratic candidate's comments, the Trump campaign suggested that Buttigieg is simply trying to attract attention as the number of polls has recently declined.
"The moment in the sun of Mayor Pete is almost over, so he will do everything to stay relevant to the radicals of the Democratic Party," said campaign press secretary Kayleigh McEnany.
Paul Steinhauser of Fox News and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link