I Requested Veterans To Anonymously Share If They’re Voting For Kamala Harris Or Donald Trump — Here is What They Revealed
Hey, everybody! With 61 days till Election Day, we’re again for one more spherical of BuzzFeed’s 2024 Election Diaries!
This weekly sequence highlights totally different teams of voters nationwide to seek out out what political points are most essential to them AND who they plan to assist for president in 2024.
Veterans have been a scorching subject after Donald Trump’s most up-to-date scandal at a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington Nationwide Cemetery.
In , Trump is seen smiling and holding a thumbs-up whereas standing over the gravesite of fallen troopers. It is also been reported that with a cemetery worker who tried to cease them from filming and photographing in a selected revered space of the cemetery.
Many have referred to as out Trump for seemingly utilizing the go to as a photograph alternative, whereas others have praised him for exhibiting his assist for army households. We needed to listen to from veterans themselves, so we asked them to share which presidential candidate they plan to assist and what points matter most to them.
We obtained lots of of responses, and our discovered that 82.1% of veteran respondents assist Kamala Harris for president.
15.7% expressed assist for Donald Trump.
Whether or not you agree with their political beliefs or not, here is what 19 Veterans needed to say anonymously:
All images are AI-generated.
1.“My prime precedence is just not utilizing Veterans as a political energy seize, akin to calling them suckers/losers or placing a thumbs-up at a gravesite for photos.”
“I am voting for Kamala Harris as a result of Donald Trump is a con artist, and he has fermented the requires civil warfare if he loses; his Challenge 2025 will tear aside democracy and act like an authoritarian, demanding full loyalty over beliefs. I’ll by no means assist this poor excuse of a person.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Think about
2.“I fear about my trans associates having the continued means to serve alongside me if Trump will get elected. I additionally fear about Trump’s statements about changing into a ‘dictator on day 1,’ saying folks will not must vote once more, and so on. We do not want a Putin or Hitler.”
3.“I actually wish to see a pay improve for energetic responsibility members. I am voting for Trump as a result of he has constantly demonstrated his assist for our army members and their wants and can proceed to enhance the army when reelected.”
“I don’t agree with all he says and discover him infantile when he feels the necessity to have interaction with the ignorant who assault him on social media. He’ll reverse lots of the dangerous insurance policies the failed Biden-Harris administration enacted, which will likely be higher for all. Life in our nation was significantly better throughout Trump’s final time period.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Think about
4.“The truth that is speaking about solely letting Veterans get both retirement or incapacity is absurd. Trump’s bizarre relationship with dictators is troubling, in addition to the truth that he acknowledged that nobody must vote once more after this election.”
“His cult is completely ridiculous, they usually imagine all the pieces they hear on Fox Information. Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are healthful. They appear like they really care about folks. Plus, they appear much less more likely to begin a warfare by speaking shit on social media.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Think about
5.“Military disabled Veteran and mother of a daughter right here. I’m voting for Harris. I do not give a single crap we left crap in a warfare zone. I am uninterested in everybody utilizing that as a catalyst for Biden’s administration. What issues to me is my daughter’s well being and future. Whereas I’ll battle our enemies for our nation, I refuse to imagine hate ought to rule this nation.”
“I really imagine love, kindness, and acceptance are the one issues that can save us all. I do not give a crap about grocery and gasoline costs. What I do care about is my little one being harmed by somebody and ruining her life. I imagine we have now the proper to our our bodies and our selections. Girls matter. Women matter. LGBTQ+ group issues, Black lives matter, immigration issues. I’ll do something I can to guard our folks, however I refuse to have interaction with the hate that has stemmed from Republicans. I see day-after-day these are wanna-be troopers for America however cannot hack an actual day within the army.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Think about
6.“Fight readiness and VA advantages are my prime priorities. Like many Veterans, I really like this nation and have zero belief in our authorities. Anybody with a ‘D’ or an ‘R’ after their title in the end cares nothing concerning the public or those that have served and sacrificed for this nation. They’re elected to serve. They do the dance for the election cycle after which simply observe orders from their respective get together, not their constituents.”
“So many concepts are sometimes bounced round about what’s greatest for our nation. Abolish the political events, set up time period limits in all elected positions, maintain these elected accountable, and watch huge change occur.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Think about
7.“Trump actually has no respect for energetic army and Veterans. I depend on my VA incapacity advantages to outlive, and I am additionally uninterested in males making selections about ladies’s our bodies.”
8.“My largest concern is the opportunity of one other warfare. I imagine Trump is a harmful man. I imagine Harris will make the very best selections for our nation and our allies. My husband can also be an 11-year Veteran and feels the identical method. My ex-husband is an eight-year Veteran and also will be voting for Harris.”
9.“I can’t, in good religion, assist somebody like Tim Walz, who has and claimed to be a fight Veteran. That’s flat-out stolen valor. I’m not arguing his years of service, however EVERY person who served is aware of precisely what their Rank was after they exited.”
10.“I am supporting VPOTUS Harris. She has demonstrated respect for the rule of regulation over her lengthy, distinguished career. As a Veteran, I fought to guard our nation and our values””
“I explicitly labored on instilling the rule of regulation in Iraq, and Donald Trump has proven he has no respect for the rule of regulation and thinks he’s above the regulation. The scarier half is that he appointed so many activist federal judges throughout his earlier time period, and they’re ignoring precedent and the Structure.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Think about
11.“I merely dislike Trump’s notion of what he thinks he’s and might do. His perspective towards army personnel and veterans is skewed by the truth that he was a silver spoon inheritor.”
“His statements about army personnel, particularly Purple Coronary heart and , have been blasphemous, particularly for an individual who was as soon as the ‘Commander in Chief.’ His perspective leads me to imagine that he may reduce VA advantages. This isn’t to say I belief Harris 100%; Democrats are notoriously not very pro-military.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Think about
12.“The character of the commander-in-chief is most essential. Kamala and Tim care about veterans and everybody else. Donald solely cares about himself and his wealthy associates. Additional, I really imagine that if allowed, he would use the army to punish people who disagreed with him and/or to remain in energy previous his four-year time period.”
13.“Passing the is my prime precedence. I’m voting for Trump as a result of he’s the one one truly certified to be president. A vote for Harris and the phony Walz will seemingly deliver us nearer to communism and will get us into WW III if Biden would not earlier than the election.”
14.“I’ve fears of the US slowly turning into an authoritarian theocracy below conservative rule. I’m involved with insurance policies through the years from conservatives that appear to indicate a propaganda love of energetic responsibility service members whereas concurrently dismissing or neglecting Veterans.”
15.“Trump deliberately hid secret paperwork, lied, and has been very disrespectful to the Veteran group. If I had ever had a commander behave like that, they’d have been reprimanded and relieved of command! Additionally, how can he preserve his safety clearance after being a convicted legal?”
16.“Our nationwide safety is my prime precedence, particularly relating to our southern border. From what I’ve seen, the Democratic platform is extraordinarily weak on unlawful immigration.”
17.“I’m voting for Kamala Harris as a result of I do know that Trump doesn’t respect the Structure. I raised my proper hand to defend it. Additionally, he’s a draft dodger; he has referred to as us suckers and losers and is a humiliation to the USA.”
18.” is egregious. This problem must be addressed instantly, and sources have to be deployed to these Veterans who proceed to endure from their experiences.”
“I’m voting for Kamala as a result of she makes me imagine the change she’s going to lead our nation via will likely be extra substantial than a reasonable get together candidate.”
Michaela Bramwell / Meta Think about
And eventually…
19.“Trump would not belong wherever close to hallowed websites like Arlington or Normandy. He is accomplished nothing however disparage Veterans and their sacrifices. He is a traitor. He is a coward and has completely no concept what selfless service is.”
Tell us your ideas within the feedback beneath, and we’ll see you subsequent spherical!
Responses have been edited for size/readability.
