Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), one of the nation’s largest and oldest veteran advocacy organizations, on Friday condemned former President Trump’s comparing the Medal of Honor to a presidential award for civilians, calling his remarks “asinine.” “These asinine comments not only diminish the significance of our nation’s highest award for valor, but also crassly characterized the sacrifices of those who have risked their lives above and beyond the call of duty,” wrote VFW National Commander Al Lipphardt in a statement Friday. The VFW’s reaction comes after Trump the Presidential Medal of Freedom, awarded to civilians, to the Medal of Honor, which is awarded to soldiers wounded in the line of combat.
“That’s the highest award you can get as a civilian. It’s the equivalent of the congressional Medal of Honor, but civilian version,” Trump told attendees at an event at his Bedminister, N.J.
club, attended by GOP mega donor Miriam Adelson, who was awarded the Medal of Freedom in 2018. “It’s actually much better, because everyone who gets the congressional Medal of Honor, that’s soldiers, they’re either in very bad shape because they’ve been hit so many times by bullets, or they’re dead. She gets it, and she’s a healthy, beautiful woman,” Trump said in reference to Adelson.
“And they’re rated equal.” The moment sparked an onslaught of commendations from veteran rights advocates and allies. This is not the first time the former president .