The Democratic National Committee deleted a Memorial Day social media post after drawing bipartisan criticism for using fallen U.S. service members in a political attack on the Trump administration on Monday.
In the since-deleted post, the official social media account for the Democratic Party wrote, “Today, we honor the American heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in Trump’s war with Iran,” alongside photos of the 13 U.S. service members killed during “Operation Epic Fury,” the large-scale U.S. military operation launched in conjunction with Israel against Iran.
The post quickly sparked backlash, including from Democratic lawmakers and veterans.
“It is incredibly distasteful to use our heroic dead for a political attack on Memorial Day,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), an Iraq War veteran who lost both legs in combat, wrote. “I’m a Democrat, and I condemn this post by the DNC.”
Rep. Jason Crow (D-Colo.), an Army veteran who served in Iraq and Afghanistan, also criticized the message.
“If we want the moral high ground, we have to be better,” Crow wrote. “I fought for our country and served with those who made the ultimate sacrifice. It’s wrong to politicize this day.”
“I won’t hesitate to call out my own team when we fall short,” he stated.
Joe Gruters, chairman of the Republican National Committee, called the post “appalling and disgraceful.”
“Using Memorial Day to politically exploit fallen service members is appalling and disgraceful,” Gruters wrote. “One of the most disgusting posts I have ever seen.”
After deleting the original message, the DNC posted an image of an American flag with the caption: “This Memorial Day, we remember and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our country and defend our freedoms.”
