Yesterday 3:16 am
The rumor originated from a 2020 story by The Atlantic. After it was published, a number of reputable news outlets reported on the alleged comments, relying entirely on anonymous sourcesAtticusFinch » Today, 2:52 am » wrote: ↑ John Kelly confirms Trump privately disparaged U.S. service members and veterans
Trump called fallen soldiers "suckers” and "losers" during his presidency, according to a 2020 report in The Atlantic.
https://www.snopes.com/news/2024/11/11/ ... rs-losers/
In sum, the claim stemmed from a story by The Atlantic, which relied on anonymous, secondhand reports of Trump's alleged words; there was no independent footage or documented proof to substantiate the in-question comments; and Trump vehemently denies that he once called service members "losers" and "suckers." While it is certainly possible that he said those things, Snopes was unable to independently verify the claim.