Trump Attacks Report He Refused To Attend World War II Memorial Over Fear Of Getting Hair Wet

President Donald Trump attacked The Atlantic on Thursday, after it published a report detailing a series of disrespectful comments he made towards war veterans.

“The Atlantic Magazine is dying, like most magazines, so they make up a fake story in order to gain some relevance,” Trump tweeted. “Story already refuted, but this is what we are up against. Just like the Fake Dossier. You fight and and [sic] fight, and then people realize it was a total fraud!”

The Atlantic‘s editor-in-chief Jeffrey Goldberg cited multiple anonymous sources who recalled remarks the president made in 2018 right before he canceled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery where 2,289 American veterans are buried.

“Trump rejected the idea of the visit because he feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day,” Goldberg wrote.

He added that one source claimed Trump said: “Why should I go to that cemetery? It’s filled with losers.”

On the same trip, Trump also reportedly called the more than 1,800 marines killed at Belleau Wood as “suckers” for getting killed. That battle was a critical step in preventing the German’s advance towards Paris in 1918.

The article also referenced Trump’s disparaging comments towards Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona), a Purple Heart recipient and former prisoner of war.

During an Iowa campaign event in 2015, Trump said “I don’t like losers,” referring to McCain’s 2008 presidential bid.

He also called the senator a “dummy” and said “he’s not a war hero.”

Trump also called McCain a “dummy,” a point we’ve made previously regarding the latter’s ill-conceived foreign policy views.

“He’s a war hero because he was captured, okay,” Trump said. “I like people that weren’t captured.”

He later revised his remarks, tweeting that “captured or not, all our soldiers are heroes.”

On Thursday, Trump denied calling McCain a “loser” and noted he was responsible for approving his funeral.

“I was never a big fan of John McCain, disagreed with him on many things including ridiculous endless wars and the lack of success he had in dealing with the VA and our great Vets, but the lowering of our Nations American Flags, and the first class funeral he was given by our […] Country, had to be approved by me, as President, & I did so without hesitation or complaint,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Quite the contrary, I felt it was well deserved. I even sent Air Force One to bring his body, in casket, from Arizona to Washington. It was my honor to do so.”

He continued: “Also, I never called […] John a loser and swear on whatever, or whoever, I was asked to swear on, that I never called our great fallen soldiers anything other than HEROES. This is more made up Fake News given by disgusting & jealous failures in a disgraceful attempt to influence the 2020 Election!”

White House spokesman Judd Deere condemned the publication for using anonymous sources.

“Not a soul brave enough to put their name on any of these accusations,” Deere said. “That’s because they are false. Just another anonymously sourced story meant to tear down a Commander-in-Chief who loves our military and has delivered on the promises he’s made. What a disgrace!”