The families of service members killed in the Middle East sought privacy during the dignified transfer of their remains in the aftermath of one of President Donald Trump’s grim cash grabs.
Trump, 79, traveled to the Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday to honor the six military members who died last week after a refueling tanker crashed in western Iraq, raising the death toll of American troops in the Iran war to at least 13.
Fox News’ John Roberts said during the day’s broadcast of America Reports that the troops’ kin asked for the transfer to remain private, banning cameras from capturing Trump welcoming the fallen service members back home.
The six service members killed on March 12 have been identified by the Pentagon as Maj. John Klinner, 33; Capt. Ariana Savino, 31; Tech. Sgt. Ashley Pruitt, 34; Capt. Seth Koval, 38; Capt. Curtis Angst, 30; and Tech. Sgt. Tyler Simmons, 28. They were from Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, and Washington state.
It marked the second time that Trump attended the solemn military ritual since waging war on Iran last month. The second dignified transfer notably had more muted coverage. Though the White House did share photos of the solemn ceremony on X.
In the post, the president was named first. The accompanying image showed Trump saluting and soldiers carrying a coffin.
The request from families followed Trump’s controversial appearance during the dignified transfer of six other service members last week, when he wore a white hat embroidered with “USA” in gold as coffins covered in American flags were solemnly carried from an aircraft to a waiting vehicle in Dover.
Trump doubled down on the shocking display of disrespect by later using images of himself from that dignified transfer to beg for cash from supporters.
A MAGA PAC named Never Surrender Inc. used a shot of Trump saluting one of the coffins to promote a private newsletter group receiving “national security briefings.”
“This is President Donald J. Trump,” the email read. “For the very first time ever, I’m opening up spots on the National Security Briefing Membership. Very few spots remaining!”
The email linked to a website by Never Surrender Inc. that seeks contributions of as much as $1,000 and beyond to support the “MAGA agenda.”
Trump proceeded to triple down on the controversy by snapping at a reporter who confronted him about it on Sunday.
“Your PAC put out a fundraising email a couple of days ago, and it’s being criticized for using official White House photos of you at the dignified transfer,” a female reporter began, before being cut off by Trump.
“Well, I was at the dignified transfer, unlike a lot of people,” he said.
“Do you think it’s an appropriate email to send?” the reporter pressed.
“Yeah, I do,” Trump replied. “I didn’t see it. I mean, somebody puts it up. We have a lot of people working for us.”
After learning that the reporter was with ABC News, the president fumed at the outlet as “one of the worst, most fake, most corrupt” organizations.
“I think they’re terrible. I don’t want any more from ABC,” he said as he moved on to take questions from another reporter.
Later in the same press gaggle, another reporter asked Trump for comment on the six service members who were killed.
The president ignored the question and said, “Who else?” to the other journalists.
Trump did not attend a dignified transfer for one service member killed in an Iranian attack on an air base in Saudi Arabia. His schedule and press pool reports showed that he was traveling back to Washington, D.C. from Florida at the time.
