President Donald Trump’s Veterans Day remarks at Arlington National Cemetery have sparked fierce backlash, with critics accusing him of glorifying war and disrespecting the solemnity of the occasion.
Speaking Tuesday afternoon at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Trump praised his Cabinet secretaries—including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whom he introduced using the antiquated title “Secretary of War.” The department hasn’t used that name since World War II, when it was reorganized and renamed the Department of Defense.
“We’re opening up our country, should have never been closed,” Trump said. “I want to thank [Veterans Administration] Secretary Doug Collins, who’s outstanding, just done a fantastic job for the veterans. We have a 92 percent approval rating. We took that up from 38 percent from a certain previous administration that we won’t mention. Also, Secretary of War, we like the sound of that better than the other way, Secretary Pete Hegseth. Pete, thank you very much. Thank you Pete.”
What might have been a routine ceremonial speech quickly turned into another lightning rod moment for the president. Social media exploded with outrage, accusing Trump of turning a day meant to honor peace and sacrifice into a self-congratulatory show of bravado.
“This is a day that literally celebrates the end of war,” posted journalist Timothy Burke, summing up the sentiment of many viewers who found Trump’s comments tone-deaf and disrespectful.
Freelance artist Luke Russell didn’t hold back: “I come from a long family history of veterans and while they were proud to serve their country, they felt no pride in what they saw or what they had to do. May this entire administration burn in the eternal flames of Hell.”
Others pointed out Trump’s long history of awkward moments involving military commemorations. “I, for one, am shocked — shocked — that the guy who couldn’t be bothered to fully participate in the 2018 WWI Armistice centennial because of rain is desecrating Veterans Day,” wrote Mark Copelovitch, a political science professor at the University of Wisconsin.
“After a term and a half, he still doesn’t know the difference between Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day,” added Bluesky user Randy Cain. “Just a hint, Mr. President, it’s not Memorial Day.”
Historian Kevin Kruse cut right to the heart of the critique: “Only Donald Trump could assert, in all seriousness, that the most important factor in a superpower’s military might is … branding.”
And even Trump’s praise for Hegseth raised eyebrows. “Fun fact, Hegseth is still just officially titled the Defense Secretary,” noted Bluesky user Jase. “The title Secretary of War is literally just a nickname they reverted to just to sound tough.”
