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President Donald Trump on Wednesday attended the dignified transfer of the remains of four service members killed in Iranian attacks this month after hostilities ramped up following the collapse of the ceasefire.
The four service members being flown from the Middle East to Dover Air Force Base were 28-year-old Angel S. Rampersad of New York, 30-year-old Michael Emmanuel Swinton of North Carolina, 25-year-old Tyler James Feehan of Hawaii and 19-year-old Isabella Gonzales of Texas.
Dignified transfers are some of the most solemn occasions for presidents, who often attend to pay respects to troops killed in conflicts overseen by themselves as commander in chief. Trump has attended two prior dignified transfers since the war began in February, but this is his first since he declared on July 8 that the ceasefire was over.
The event marked the latest impact of the war, which has garnered criticism from lawmakers from both sides of the aisle who question the administration’s strategy in the months-long conflict. The hostilities, which were temporarily paused after the two sides agreed to a peace plan that quickly fell apart, have thrown the region into chaos, leaving at least 18 Americans dead, costing at least $37.5 billion and inflating the price of oil.
The president and his administration have vigorously defended their handling of the war, arguing it is necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.
Trump told reporters earlier Wednesday, “We’re going to Dover. Some of you are going with us. To honor our heroes, and they are indeed great heroes, actually. They said, and all of them said very strongly, we can’t let, we cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon. They won’t have a nuclear weapon. So we’re going to honor them. And it’s one of the hardest things to do, for me, it’s one of the hardest things to do as a president, but has to be done.”
The family members of the fallen troops attended the dignified transfer, where the bodies of their loved ones were moved in American flag-draped transfer cases from a plane into waiting vans.
Uniformed service members marched the transfer cases past officials including Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., and Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., also attended.
Trump and other officials saluted as the remains passed before them, while others placed their hands on their hearts. The president also met privately with the families of the fallen troops, the White House confirmed.
Gonzales was killed Friday and Feehan was killed Saturday, the Pentagon said. The department also said that Swinton was killed on Sunday “during a controlled detonation” of an attack drone.
Rampersad was “believed to have been killed” in Jordan, the Pentagon said, adding that “the incident is under investigation.” The Pentagon has said that she is believed to have been the missing soldier who is presumed dead.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced questions from senators on Tuesday about the cost and strategy of the war during a tense hearing on the Pentagon’s budget request.
During one particularly heated exchange, Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., called the Trump administration’s efforts “an utter and complete failure” and pressed the Defense Secretary on what the long-term plan is to end the war.
“You have over a trillion dollars,” Peters said. “You’re asking for one and a half trillion dollars. It’s not a question of money. It’s a question of leadership and understanding what it takes to actually win.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
