Trump Excludes Media from Solemn Transfer Yet Shares Photos Online
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, Del. – The return of six service members killed in Iraq was marked by a notable absence of media coverage, as the White House opted to share images on social media instead. This decision followed the administration's choice to bar journalists from witnessing the dignified transfer, a term used by the military for such solemn events.
Among the images shared on X, one prominently features Trump at the transfer, with the flag-draped case partially visible as airmen carried it off a C-17 transport plane. Additional photos posted to the White House's Flickr account depict airmen loading a transfer case into a van.
According to the press pool present at the event, families of the deceased Air Force crew members requested no media coverage. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, “The families did not agree to press. They agreed to official photography.” However, she did not clarify whether families were informed that these images would be publicly shared rather than archived.
During a previous dignified transfer on March 8, Trump was seen wearing a white campaign baseball cap, a product sold by his family business for $55 plus shipping. This choice drew criticism from various quarters.
“Absolutely disgusting,” remarked Fred Wellman, a former Army helicopter pilot and current Democratic congressional candidate in Missouri. “I don’t know of any veterans who have been OK with it.”
In a fundraising email, Trump later used an image from that earlier transfer, which included a transfer case of a soldier who died early in his Iran war. The email promised donors “private national security briefings” and unfiltered updates on threats facing America. However, clicking the links redirected users to a donation page for Never Surrender Inc., Trump's political action committee, with no mention of national security briefings.
When questioned about the appropriateness of this email aboard Air Force One, Trump defended it, asserting, “I do. I mean, I didn’t see it. Somebody puts it out. We have a lot of people working for us, but there’s nobody that’s better to the military than me.”
This solicitation prompted backlash during a Senate hearing. “The American people need to know that the president of the United States is fundraising for his political campaign using images of American service members killed in action and it’s a disgrace,” stated Georgia Senator Jon Ossoff.
Arizona Senator Mark Kelly pressed CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard on whether supporters should pay for private national security briefings. Both officials claimed they were unaware of the fundraising email.
“I wouldn’t have worn it,” Kelly said regarding Trump’s cap. “What’s worse is that he used that picture of a solemn moment to raise money for his campaign.”
As of now, Trump has not utilized images from Wednesday’s transfer in any new fundraising efforts. During this visit, he refrained from wearing any headgear and appeared with his hair blowing in the wind.
Trump's military service record is contentious; he avoided service in Vietnam due to “bone spurs,” a diagnosis from a physician friend of his father. He has made light of this by referring to his personal experiences as his “personal Vietnam.”
As president, he infamously skipped a visit to a French cemetery honoring 1,800 U.S. Marines who died in World War I due to rain, leaving his chief of staff to attend in his stead. John Kelly later confirmed that Trump referred to fallen American service members as “suckers” and “losers.”
During his first dignified transfer in 2017 for a Navy SEAL killed in Yemen—a mission he approved despite previous objections from Obama—Trump faced criticism from the soldier's father for his recklessness. Following that incident, he avoided dignified transfers for nearly two years until attending another service in early 2020, which was marred by controversy as he brought along attendees from a reelection rally.
