ALBAWABA - Former U.S. President Donald Trump caused more trouble when he made fun of the late Iranian military leader Qassem Soleimani at a public event on "Purple Heart Day," a national holiday in the US that honors troops who have been hurt or killed in action.
Trump joked with the crowd as he signed an executive order related to the event by asking, "Where is he?" He was referring to Soleimani, who was killed in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad Airport in January 2020. Some people in the room laughed at the statement.
Honoring U.S. military members who were hurt or killed in action is what Purple Heart Day is all about every August 7.
This made people think of another time, in 2020, when Trump said mean things about Soleimani at a gathering in Milwaukee. In a speech to fans soon after Soleimani's death, Trump used insulting language to describe him, calling him "the king of roadside bombs" and blaming him indirectly for hurting many Americans.
At the time, Trump said, "A lot of people lost arms and legs because of that son of a... well, you know." He didn't finish the swear word.
There was also a meeting between Soleimani and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, who is the head of the Kataib Hezbollah group. He made fun of it by saying, "They were talking like Hillary Clinton—weddings and work, maybe even golf and grandchildren."
"But I don't think I could talk about them for 45 minutes straight," he said. "I like golf and I love my grandchildren."
Even though these words were meant to be funny, they have been criticized in the past for being offensive, especially since Soleimani's death, when relations between the US and Iran were already high. But Trump has always said that the strike was vital to protect American lives from immediate danger.
