Friend —

Service members who make the ultimate sacrifice to keep our country safe aren’t “losers” or “suckers.” They’re heroes.

I was outraged to hear President Trump disrespect Americans who died in combat— but I wasn’t surprised. We’ve known that President Trump’s understanding of patriotism and service is lacking. We’ve heard him disrespect prisoners of war, mock war heroes, and attack Gold Star families. It seems like he doesn’t understand the sacrifice that these brave people and their families have made for our country.

We should all honor that sacrifice. That’s why I spent my time as Governor and as Senator working to make sure that members of our military have the physical and mental health resources they need during and after their service. I’ve fought to make sure that Gold Star families have the benefits they’re entitled to. And I’ve worked with military families to hold private housing corporations accountable for living conditions in military housing. And I’ll continue to work hard to make sure our service members, veterans, and military families are cared for.

The sacrifice that members of our military and their families make for our country is great — and deserves great respect.

— Mark Warner