Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump’s plan to boycott the Fox News debate and instead hold a fundraiser for veterans may be backfiring.
If there’s one thing that marks a veteran’s organization and it’s membership, it’s that no matter what side of the political aisle you may fall on, they don’t appreciate being used as pawns.
This can be seen in the tweets sent out by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America founder Paul Rieckhoff, who lashed out at both Trump and Ted Cruz for trying to score political points at their expense.
If offered, @IAVA will decline donations from Trump’s event. We need strong policies from candidates, not to be used for political stunts.
— Paul (PJ) Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) January 27, 2016
Now it’s Cruz yanking vets into the nastiness of the presidential fights before Iowa. This is not what vets need. https://t.co/xY9zwQX11n
— Paul (PJ) Rieckhoff (@PaulRieckhoff) January 28, 2016
But the news is getting worse for Trump. Reports have resurfaced about the real estate mogul’s efforts to oust disabled veterans from peddling outside his Fifth Avenue headquarters at Trump Tower.
In a 1991 letter, Trump argues to the New York state Assembly Committee on Cities that “While disabled veterans should be given every opportunity to earn a living,” it shouldn’t come to the “detriment of the city as a whole or its tax paying citizens and businesses.”
He added, “Do we allow Fifth Ave., one of the world’s finest and most luxurious shopping districts, to be turned into an outdoor flea market, clogging and seriously downgrading the area?”
Trump has rallied conservatives during his presidential campaign with policies that they strongly support, the treatment of veterans being amongst the most important.
Will his past viewpoint on disabled vets effect his current outlook today?
Comment: Does Trump’s previous treatment of veterans matter to you? Does this change how you view the Republican front runner, or is the past the past? Share your thoughts below.