‘Lying draft dodger’: Republican veterans release attack ad against Trump
Louise Hall // www.independent.co.uk // August 6, 2020
Republican veterans who are voting against Donald Trump in November’s election have released a scathing new attack ad against the president.
The advert, released by Republican Voters Against Trump, complies clips from a number of US veterans detailing why they refuse to vote for Mr Trump.
The group is a political initiative that brings together “Republicans, former Republicans, conservatives, and former Trump voters who can’t support Trump this fall”.
The advert opens with veterans detailing their previous roles in the US military and their political beliefs, saying they are “life long Republicans”.
“At least I was until Donald Trump came into the picture,” says Mark, an Air Force veteran from Virginia.
The veterans then berate the president, saying “he does not care about you, he does not care about this country” or the “constitution”.
They make reference to Mr Trump’s deferments from military service during the Vietnam war, calling him a “coward” and a “lying draft dodger”.
Mr Trump has previously received scrutiny over his deferral from the Vietnam War, with claims he suffered bone spurs at the time never having been held up by verifiable facts or evidence.
One speaker also hits out at claims over alleged Russian bounties on US troops in Afghanistan, for which Mr Trump has drawn intense scrutiny.
“My friends are still out there and they’re still being targeted by the Russian federation with paid bounties,” says Will, an Army veteran from Texas.