SerpApi.Org
President Donald Trump and his retinue traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware on Wednesday to participate in the dignified transfer of four Americans who were killed in Iran.
The president and his entourage arrived at the base for the transfer, which was moved from Tuesday, earning the ire of many Americans. Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, who was killed on Friday during an attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, and 1st Lieutenant Tyler James Feehan, who was also killed in action on Saturday, were returned to American soil to be laid to rest.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon announced that Sgt. Angel S. Rampersad and Sgt. Michael E. Swinton was also believed to have been killed on Friday. The sergeants also accompanied his comrades home.
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It was reported that during the off-camera transfer, the president, who was accompanied by Karoline Leavitt, Natalie Harp, and several others, departed the ceremony five minutes before it was officially called to a close. According to a press pool report, the president's motorcade departed the Air Force Base at 12:06 p.m., three minutes before the families of the fallen soldiers departed toward Air Force One.
Photographs from the event show the president saluting the fallen soldiers, which some have criticized due to the president being a civilian rather than a military figure. However, that is not as important as the president appears to have shut his eyes.
Several people also commented that he was not wearing a MAGA hat, which sparked fury among Americans during another dignified transfer in March. "Oh, good, someone told him to take off his stupid hat," one person said.
"At least dementia didn’t wear a hat this time," another person said.
Shifting schedule
The transfer, which was supposed to happen Tuesday night, was pushed back after press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X about the schedule change. "President Trump will attend the dignified transfer of our fallen heroes tomorrow evening at Dover Air Force Base," Leavitt wrote in a post.
"The President and the entire White House are praying for their families," she added. The post was a retweet of the White House's Rapid Response account that posted an image of a Truth Social post from the president declaring that "Every time Iran kills an American Soldier they will pay for that killing many times over!"
Leavitt followed up the post by saying that, "the dignified transfer is no longer taking place tomorrow. The exact day and time are still being finalized." The White House did not announce the time or date until late Tuesday evening.
Social media users were not happy with the White House. "Such disrespect for the families of the fallen," one person seethed on X.
"Change the date depending on whether Donnie's in the mood or not. Disgusting," they added. Other people on the social media site agreed that the transfer should not be based on the president's schedule.
"To when? When Trump can fit it in between rounds of golf?" another person added. A third person blamed the deaths on the president due to his involvement with the war in Iran.
"Oh, God! Make sure he isn’t wearing any of his disrespectful merchandise, please," a fourth person commented. "He is so disgraceful.0"
