U.S. President Joe Biden promised he would never politicize the military as he made his first visit to the Pentagon as commander-in-chief on Wednesday, seeking to draw a contrast with the Trump-era in a far-reaching speech that emphasized diversity in the armed forces.
Biden, whose late son, Beau, was a soldier who deployed to Iraq, bristled at former President Donald Trump's approach to the military during the presidential campaign, including a report that Trump once privately called American soldiers killed during World War I "losers" and "suckers."
Critics say Trump openly flouted norms of behavior in open pursuit of political support among U.S. troops, who are meant to be loyal to the U.S. Constitution — not any party or political movement.