Some worry over Trump’s presence at D-Day event

Associated Press

NEW YORK

World leaders will gather in solemn assembly this week above the sandy beaches of Normandy to mark the 75th anniversary of the world-changing D-Day invasion of France. It’s typically a heartfelt tribute to alliance and sacrifice and a unified vow for enduring unity, outweighing any national or political skirmish of the moment.

That’s what has some U.S. veterans and others worried about President Donald Trump’s attendance. The president has shown a repeated willingness to inject nationalistic rhetoric and political partisanship into moments once aimed at unity.

It’s a pattern that is set to get more scrutiny in coming days, as Trump heads overseas for the D-Day memorial where he will be joined at the service by, among others, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat whom he has called “crazy Nancy.”

“It’s unfortunate we have to be even concerned that this historic commemoration will be overly politicized, but this is the command climate he’s created and the reality we have,” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder and former head of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America

More than 9,000 Americans are buried in the cemeteries dedicated to the D-Day operation that marked a turning point in World War II, beginning the Allied push to drive the Nazis out of France and eventually Europe.

“In situations like these, it’s best for President Trump to focus on his positive vision for reforming the Department of Veterans Affairs,” said Dan Caldwell, a senior adviser for Concerned Veterans for America.