Trump used his Veterans Day speech to honor Gold Star families, even though he's publicly feuded with them
- President Donald Trump spoke at New York City's Veterans Day parade on Monday, where he offered condolences to the families of slain service members.
- "To every Gold Star family, we will stand by your side forever," Trump said in prepared remarks.
- That comment comes two years after Trump feuded with the widow and parents of two US Army soldiers who were killed while serving overseas.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
President Donald Trump on Monday an uncontroversial speech for New York City's Veterans Day parade offered his condolences to the families of slain service members, and appeared to briefly bury the hatchet against his political rivals.
On the day of the year dedicated to US troops and veterans, Trump focused his ire on the US's enemies, namely ISIS, and made few attacks on those who've voiced grievances during his tenure.
"To every Gold Star family, we will stand by your side forever," Trump said in prepared remarks.
"Thanks to American warriors, al-Baghdadi is dead," Trump added, referring to the former ISIS leader killed in a raid by US troops in northern Syria in late October. "His second-in-charge is dead. We have our eyes on number three. His reign of terror is over, and our enemies are running very, very scared."
'A very respectful conversation'
Gold Star families are the immediate family members of troops killed in service to the US. Families of troops deployed to a conflict zone are allowed to display the US Service Flag banner, which has a blue star for each service member. If the service member is killed, the blue star is replaced with a gold star.
Trump's remarks come two years after he feuded with two Gold Star families — that of US Army Sgt. La David Johnson, one of four soldiers killed in an ambush in Niger, and the family of US Army Capt. Humayun Khan, who was killed in Iraq in 2004.
Shortly after Johnson was killed in October 2017, Myeshia, his widow, said Trump had called her and offered his condolences. Myeshia said in a "Good Morning America" interview that Trump had forgotten the name of her husband, and that she was "very upset and hurt."
"If my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country, why can't you remember his name," Myeshia said.
"I didn't say anything," she added. "I just listened."
Following the interview, Trump said on Twitter that he "had a very respectful conversation," and that he had mentioned Johnson's name "from beginning, without hesitation!"
'This hate is un-American'
Khizr and wife Ghazala, the parents of Capt. Humayun Khan, also drew fire from Trump after they criticized Trump's presidential candidacy.
"There comes a time in an ordinary citizen's life where you have to gather all the courage you have and you stand up and speak against tyranny and speak against un-American hate," Khizr said in 2016, referring to the then-presidential candidate's proposed immigration policies.
"This hate is un-American," Khizr added.
Trump responded to the criticism by claiming he was "viciously attacked" by Khizr and disparaged Ghazala by suggesting her silence during her husband's remarks symbolized a stereotype of Muslim women.
More recently, Khizr Khan criticized the Trump family over a passage in Donald Trump Jr.'s book, which compared his family's work on Trump's presidential campaign to the sacrifices of troops buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
"They have no idea what service and sacrifice is when his turn, meaning Donald trump's turn, came to serve , he ran away," Khan said in an interview with MSNBC.
The 2016 feud with the Khan family struck a chord with other Gold Star families, including Karen Meredith, the mother of US Army 1st Lt. Kenneth Ballard, who was killed in Iraq in May 2004.
"You don't attack one Gold Star family, because if you do, you're attacking a lot of us," Meredith said in 2016.
"Most people in this country, before this, did not know what a Gold Star family was, let alone what our sacrifice was," Meredith added. "For [Trump] to attack a Gold Star family and not understand the grief that Mrs. Khan was going through and why she wouldn't have spoken, just validated my feelings toward Mr. Trump as an unfeeling, empty person."
Trump became the first sitting president to attend the Veterans Day parade in New York City. Trump and first lady Melania Trump were joined by military leaders and veterans from World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
"To every veteran here today, and all across our land, you are America's greatest living heroes, and we will cherish you now, always, and forever," Trump said.
As Trump spoke, protesters nearby brought attention to the House impeachment inquiry, which will be seen live for the first time when senior US officials participate in public hearings starting Wednesday.
Protesters chanted "lock him up" and "traitor," according to Associated Press White House reporter Zeke Miller. Photos shared on social media also showed a sign reading "Impeach" displayed in windows of a nearby building.
SEE ALSO: 4 times the Navy SEAL admiral who oversaw the Osama bin Laden raid has lambasted Trump