Donald Trump blasted over vile British troop slur by minister as outrage grows
Donald Trump provoked outrage when he falsely claimed America’s allies had ‘stayed a little back’ in Afghanistan – a comment minister Stephen Kinnock said was ‘plainly wrong’ as anger grows
Donald Trump sparked fury with his false claim(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Donald Trump was “plainly wrong” to make his vile slur against British and allied troops, a Government minister has hit back.
Health minister Stephen Kinnock voiced his outrage after US President falsely claimed America’s allies “stayed a little back, off the front line” in Afghanistan. Mr Kinnock said there was no basis for the remark and said he agreed with the mum of British hero Rifleman William Aldridge, who was among 457 who lost their lives in the conflict.
William’s mum Lucy Aldridge told The Mirror the President’s remarks were “extremely upsetting”. Responding to the remark on Sky News, Mr Kinnock said British and European troops had come to the aid of America after 9/11, suffering huge casualties in operations in the Middle East.
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He said: “It just doesn’t really, add up what he said, because the fact of the matter is, the only time that Article 5 (of the NATO charter) has been invoked was to go to the aid of the United States after 9/11, and many, many British soldiers and many soldiers from other European NATO allies gave their lives in support of American missions, American led missions in places like Afghanistan and Iraq.
“I am incredibly proud of our armed forces. They have put their lives on the line for our country. They are the definition of honour and valour and patriotism. And I think anybody who seeks to to criticise what they have done in the sacrifices that they make, it is plainly wrong.
“And I think the reaction to President Trump’s comments are very clear from right across the political spectrum. And I think the British public feels very strongly about the need to defend our armed forces and to support them in the incredibly important work that they do in the dangerous and turbulent world in which we live.”
Mr Kinnock was asked if Trump had “trashed the legacy” of hundreds of British heroes like Rifleman Aldridge – the youngest soldier to die in Afghanistan. The Labour minister said: “President Trump’s comments are deeply disappointing. There is no other way to say that, I don’t know really why he said them.
“I don’t think there’s any basis for him to make those comments. It’s clear that the mother of that brave soldier is absolutely right when she talks about the sacrifice that her child, the child that she loved so much, made in the interests of our country, in the interests of our own, national security.
“And, there’s a long history of the British armed forces standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the United States. We will always stand up for the values that we cherish.”
Trump made the vile insult as he continued to pressure NATO allies to grant him greater control over Greenland. Veterans and bereaved families of people who served in Afghanistan were left furious by the remarks, made in a TV interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Ms Aldridge told the Mirror : “We live the trauma daily for the rest of our lives because of the contribution that our loved ones made. And they were absolutely on the front line.”
Her son died in a bomb blast in 2009, 47 days after his 18th birthday. Ms Aldridge said: “William himself was in Sangin, in Helmand Province. They were patrolling the Pharmacy Road in 2009/2010, which were the worst years for casualties for allied forces because it was the singularly most dangerous place in the world at the time.
“And to ignore that because, let’s face it, Trump isn’t particularly hot on history… He is so out of touch with the reality and what it costs in human life. He has no compassion whatsoever for anyone who doesn’t serve him.”
Speaking to Fox News, Trump repeated his complaint that the US had been treated “unfairly” by NATO – despite the US being the only country ever to seek help from the group of nations under Article 5 of the Nato treaty.
And he crassly dismissed the sacrifice of Nato allies in the interview, saying: “We’ve never needed them. They’ll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan and this or that. And they did. They stayed a little back, off the front lines.”
