I'm joined tonight by the Veterans of Foreign Wars National Commander, Retired Army Captain Al Lippard. Captain, I just want to say first, thank you for your service, and thank you for joining us on this. Obviously, Donald Trump had every right to be at the cemetery with the Gold Star families who wanted him there. But in your view, do you think it's appropriate to use an event like that one for political purposes, or do you think it crosses a line?

Well, the Veterans of Foreign Wars has been in existence for 125 years, and our 1.4 million members, I can assure you, would be against anyone to try to politicize, especially on that hallowed ground. But the fact that that family or those families invited Mr. Trump to be there to show the respect for the last full measure of devotion that those individuals gave and to allow him to photograph it or have it photographed, that's a prerogative that they had. And again, I would not presume to know the law that is on the books about holding a political event on the National Cemetery. But I know that the Veterans of Foreign Wars, when we were founded, the purpose is fraternal, patriotic, historical, charitable, and educational. And we respect and honor those that have paid the ultimate price. Everybody that serves in uniform is due respect. But those who have deployed, well, that's what we're for. And I really can't. You'd have to take that up with the families on allowing that to be done because I don't know what the law is.

Well, yeah. And I looked into this earlier because I was curious. I've been to Arlington many times. I used to live in Washington and would go there periodically. It's essentially saying not even blatant political activities, it's just even the impression of it, given, of course, you can't presume the politics or anything of any of those people and those who gave their lives. I just want to ask, though, the army is saying one thing, Trump is saying another. You served in the army from 1965 to 1979. Would you believe that anything they have said would be dishonest or not exactly what happened?

I live in the same country as you, Kaitlyn, and I'm around the same people as you. And when I hear something, I hear it. If I didn't see it, I don't know I can't believe everything that I hear. That's my way of saying that, yeah, I think there are people that will say anything. This is just a shame that this happened to be the election season. I mean, for a former President, and there have been a number, I know that President Obama and President Clinton, as well as a number of others, have been to the National Cemetery and done what Mr. Trump did, and that was to honor those that gave the ultimate sacrifice. But now, to say that he went beyond that, I can't say. I didn't see it. The army says it. I wasn't there.

Yeah, they're saying a campaign staffer pushed someone aside. And I should note, your group is apolitical, and you're joining us here tonight. After Trump said that the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is for civilians, was was much better to get than the Medal of Honor, obviously, which is for our military, people who often give their lives in their service here. You said those remarks were, quote, ascinine. It was a remarkable moment because you're not a group that often speaks out in moments like that. As I said, you're apolitical. Do you stand by those comments? Absolutely.

But they were not directed at Mr. Trump. Those comments were anybody that would say that the presidential Medal of Freedom is comparable or actually more prestigious than the Medal of Honor, that's an asinine statement. And when you look in the dictionary to find the definition of asinine, it says extraordinarily stupid, and that is an extraordinarily stupid remark for anybody to make that those who have gone above and beyond the call of duty to sacrifice their life so others can live to say that it should not be held in higher esteem Then the presidential Medal of Freedom is ludicrous. You know, the presidential of a Medal of Freedom only takes one person to nominate it. That would be the President. The Medal of Honor is not awarded by the President. It is presented by the President. The Medal of Honor is a Congressional medal. That is the people of the United States. The people of the United States is who awards or approves that medal for those individuals. Yeah, again, it's just not... But unfortunately, Some people, again, it's an election season. If people read into it, I don't take back my remark. It was an asinine thing to say, but it was not He just happened to be the one that was there when he said it.

And that's what the veterans are for, and this is for. I mean, we take care of veterans. We want to make sure that the promises were made are the promises that are kept.

And we appreciate that so much. And your service, Captain Al Lepart, thank you for joining tonight.

Well, Kaylyn, thank you. Again, I'm humbled to be here.

Thank you very much. We're humbled to have you. Thank you very much. And Alyssa Fair-Griffin is back here with me. And obviously, the captain, he does not represent a political group. I mean, his comments about what Trump had said about that were remarkable. And it's also just the broader pattern of what this all fits in. What happened at Arlington Cemetery, the fact that they are in this argument with the staff, or the comments that he described as ascinine about the medal of Freedom and the Medal of Honor.

And it's twofold. Donald Trump just never understood service and sacrifice as it applies to the US military. He himself didn't serve. He didn't try to learn it as he was in office, asking questions about salaries that people made in the military or wondering why they'd go into service. The other is when you make a mistake, just own I did a bunch of visits to Arlington National Cemetery with Vice President, pence. There's protocols, there's procies, especially in Section 60, you don't do photography. But if you made that mistake-Which is where those from Iraq and Afghanistan, the war dead, are buried and still have family members. And by the way, when you go, you will almost always see somebody mourning someone at a gravesite. It's an incredibly quiet, intimate place. And if those families asked for it and he took the picture, I don't know why he's smiling and thumbs-upping, then just own it and don't let It's going to be a weeks long story that really continues to fuel this fire that you don't respect those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for our nation. But that's classic Trumpism. You just have to double down. You can't admit fault.

And the way that his staff has handled it is almost worse than the offense itself in some ways.

Yeah, saying the staff was having a mental breakdown.

A mental breakdown. And by the way, all of this-A mental health episode. Yes. And distracting from something very important, which there should be more scrutiny over the withdrawal from Afghanistan. That is an incredibly legitimate point for Donald Trump to highlight. That's not what's being talked about. It's him not properly handling himself in a very, very sacred American spot.