In a Thursday appearance on the Rachel Maddow Show, Texas U.S. Senate candidate MJ Hegar did not mince words about Donald Trump following a bombshell by The Atlantic story that reported the president had called dead American veterans “losers” and “suckers.”
Trump made the comments during a canceled visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris in 2018. “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers,” Trump said. The White House has denied the comments were ever said.
“It is not easy to speak on TV after hearing these things, frankly,” Hegar said on Maddow. “I am having a very physical and visceral response to the reporting because as a medevac pilot, I medevaced so many wounded and dying and dead patriots that have served this country.”
“[Donald Trump] is somebody who is damn lucky that those of us who have put the uniform on to sacrifice for this country have done so,” Hegar said later. “The men and women in uniform will fight and die for his right to express his opinions. All we ask is that the people who send us into harm’s way are doing so with a clear mind and a true heart, and are doing it as a last resort, and are doing it with the respect for the sacrifices that we make.”
You can view the full interview here.
Hegar is also pressuring her opponent, Sen. John Cornyn to condemn the comments made by Trump.
Recent polling shows Coryn leading the race by several points, but still within striking distance of Hegar.
Photo: MSNBC
Fernando covers Texas politics and government at the Texas Signal. Before joining the Signal, Fernando spent two years at the Houston Chronicle and previously interned at Houston’s NPR station News 88.7. He is a graduate of the University of Houston, Jack J. Valenti School of Communication, and enjoys reading, highlighting things, and arguing on social media. You can follow him on Twitter at @fernramirez93 or email at fernando@texassignalarchive.com
