Hundreds of thousands of bikers gathered on the National Mall for the annual gathering.
Advertisement
USA military veterans attended the rally honoring the U.S. prisoners of war, killed or missing in action on the occasion of Memorial Day, observed annually on the last Sunday of May.
“Thousands of people are dying waiting in line to see a doctor”.
Trump also reiterated his promise to build a wall to keep out people from entering the country illegally.
“We have to take care of vets”, the presumptive GOP presidential nominee told the group, dedicated to remembering prisoners of war and those killed in action. As many as 40 patients died while awaiting care at the Phoenix VA hospital alone.
The annual event, first organized in 1988, is billed as a tribute to prisoners of war and Americans missing in action. “And they won’t mention the kinds of massive crowds we have here today”.
The remark was a dig at Arizona GOP Sen. McCain was a Navy pilot during the Vietnam War and was held for more than five years as a prisoner of war after his plane was shot down. Trump has refused to apologize to McCain.
Trump has worked to try to fix the damage. He frequently honors veterans at his rallies and he has come out with a plan to overhaul the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Trump himself avoided the draft through four student deferments and was later medically disqualified from service.
He said Sunday that he would hold a press conference Tuesday to announce the names of the charities selected to receive the money. “I like people that weren’t captured, OK?”
Trump’s comments on McCain were also on the minds of many at the event, including John LeBoutillier, a former NY congressman who spoke at the event.
But he said Mr Trump “is for the good stuff” when it comes to policy questions such as gun rights.
“What I like is he can’t be bought”, said Yade, who works in veterans services.
“We’re going to make it bigger and bigger and better and stronger than ever before”, Trump said.
A spokeswoman for McCain did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but McCain has long advocated improving veterans’ care.
Motorcycle enthusiasts have frequently attended Trump campaign rallies to show their support for the candidate they believe is different from career politicians they accuse of degrading the military and ignoring veterans.
Advertisement
Trump’s presence was “a little bit of a distraction”, said Frank Carbone, 73, a retired construction worker from Pittsburgh and treasurer of the Motorcycle Riders Foundation.
