President Joe Biden choked up and had to take a moment to gather his thoughts while remembering his late son, Beau Biden, on Friday in Michigan – telling a crowd that he misses his child while harkening back to comments former President Donald Trump reportedly made about American war dead.
Speaking about his administration’s economic agenda in Ann Arbor Friday, Biden described the United States as the “indispensable nation in the world,” contrasting his view with Trump’s repeated descriptions of the country as a failing nation.
He then referenced comments Trump reportedly made in France when he was president in 2018.
“He refused to visit (an) American cemetery in France – that I was just near – because, according to his own chief of staff – a four-star Marine general – Trump said those servicemen buried there are ‘suckers’ and ‘losers,’” Biden said. Trump has repeatedly denied making those comments, but his former chief of staff, retired Marine Gen. John Kelly, has said he did so. Kelly’s son was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2010
“My son died because of –, ” Biden said before pausing and appearing to get choked up, “a year in Iraq.”
Beau Biden died from brain cancer in 2015, which his dad has said was a consequence of serving near military burn pits during his time in the service.
“I’m just happy, I mean this from the bottom of my heart, I’m glad I wasn’t there. I think I would have done something,” Biden said. “No, I think you would, too.”
He continued: “They’re heroes. He’s the sucker, he’s the loser, the way he talks about them.” The audience cheered as Biden took a moment to grip the podium and paused in apparent contemplation. “Thank you, Joe!” the Michigan audience chanted.
After composing himself, Biden apologized to the crowd: “I’m sorry. I’m sorry to get emotional about that.” An audience member could be heard shouting “It’s all right!”
“But I miss him,” Biden said. Another member of the audience shouted: “You’re his dad!”
Biden has repeatedly criticized Trump for those reported comments – he called Trump a sucker and loser to his face during one of his few strong moments during his June CNN debate that eventually tanked his candidacy – but his visceral display of emotion shows just how much his son’s untimely death affects the president nearly a decade later, and the intensely personal tone this campaign has taken.
He has also repeatedly capped the story of Trump’s reported remarks by saying some version of “I’m glad I wasn’t there,” implying there might have been a strong verbal or even physical response if he was.
After Biden confronted Trump on his reported comments during the CNN debate, Trump said the quote attributed to him was “made up.”
But since then, the former president has had several other questionable comments about military valor or incidents at hallowed grounds.
Last month, Trump said the Presidential Medal of Freedom – which honors civilians who have made contributions to American society – “is actually much better” than the Medal of Honor, because service members who receive the nation’s highest military decoration are often wounded or awarded it posthumously.
The former president also ignited a firestorm of controversy over his campaign’s actions at Arlington National Cemetery on the third anniversary of a bombing that killed 13 American troops in Afghanistan. A confrontation took place between Trump staffers and a cemetery worker who tried to prevent Trump’s campaign from taking pictures or videos around the section where the US’ most recent war dead are buried.
