Trump’s ‘disgusting’ reaction to troops killed in Iran attack slammed by critics
His response focused more on Iran than the two soldiers killed.
Ryan Cooper 
President Donald Trump is facing intense backlash following comments regarding the deaths of two U.S. servicemembers killed in an Iranian attack in Jordan last Friday. Critics are labeling his public reaction as “disgusting,” arguing the president prioritized talking about Iran over acknowledging the lives of the fallen soldiers.
A Disputed Response
During a press gaggle at Joint Base Andrews on Sunday night, the President was questioned about the tragedy. Rather than focusing on the service members, Trump diverted the conversation toward the military status of Iran. As reported by 205focus.com, Trump said: “Well, we feel very badly, but you know those great people, those great patriots are out there fighting [so] that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. If Iran has been very, very badly damaged. They lost everything almost, militarily... We control the Strait. They don’t control anything. So we’ll see what happens, but we hit them very hard again tonight.”
Backlash from Critics
The response triggered a wave of condemnation from political opponents and influencers. Democratic congressional candidate Fred Wellman criticized the lack of empathy, tweeting, “Not an ounce of respect, empathy, or concern for troops dying under his command.” Other critics, including Joanne Carducci (JoJofromJerz) and administration critic @dcpoll, joined the chorus of disapproval, suggesting the President’s tone showed a lack of concern for troops serving in the ongoing conflict.
Honoring the Fallen
Following the attack, the military officially identified the two soldiers killed in Jordan as 19-year-old Pvt. Isabella Gonzales of Carrollton, Texas, and 25-year-old 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan of Ewa Beach, Hawaii. This identification was shared via the Associated Press updates.
The deaths bring the total number of U.S. service members killed since the start of the war to 17, underscoring the lethal risks inherent in the current geopolitical climate.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
