On ‘sacred soil,’ Trump lauds those who’ve fallen in service

CATHERINE LUCEY
Virginia, US.- President Donald Trump paid a Memorial Day tribute at Arlington National Cemetery on Monday, saying he came to “sacred soil” to “honor the lives and deeds of America’s greatest heroes.”

The commander in chief, speaking before an audience of Cabinet members, military leaders, veterans and families assembled in the marble amphitheater near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, said, “We mourn alongside their families and we strive to be worthy of their sacrifice.”

Trump’s somber tone contrasted with a self-promotional tweet earlier Monday in which he said fallen soldiers would be “very proud and happy at how well our country is doing today,” citing the economy and low unemployment.

During his second Memorial Day trip to Arlington as president, Trump laid a wreath at the tomb before making his remarks. He recognized military figures, including Bob Dole, the former senator and 1996 Republican presidential nominee, who served in World War II.