A combat veteran in New York who served for more than two decades is criticizing President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address, claiming he used decorated service members as “props for applause” and disrespected Medal of Honor recipients during the nationally televised event.
The veteran, who shared his displeasure in a TikTok video following the president’s speech on Tuesday, said Trump “took the opportunity” to disgrace the military by placing himself “in the same universe” as Medal of Honor recipients who faced life-threatening dangers in combat.
While awarding medals to several military heroes, including a 100-year-old Korean War veteran and former Navy fighter pilot, Capt. E. Royce Williams, Trump remarked, “I’ve always wanted the Congressional Medal of Honor, but I was informed I’m not allowed to give it to myself.”
The veteran said the comment was hard for him to accept, adding that Trump had previously received five military draft deferments during the Vietnam War and was “now putting at risk 40,000 military members’ lives with a possible war with Iran.”
According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the Medal of Honor is the highest award for military valor in action, reserved for service members who display exceptional bravery, courage, and sacrifice in combat.
Netizens’ Reactions to the Veteran’s Criticism
Many viewers in the comments agreed with the New York veteran’s assessment of how the service members were presented during the address. “Every military person he had there was just a prop. It was sad to see,” one commenter wrote. Another person who identified as a veteran said, “I was appalled at how callously he handed them out. It completely denigrated the value by doing it to create a show.” A third added, “Pure insult to all who have risked their lives not just for country but for each other.”
