Context:

Former Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Trump’s remarks minimizing U.S. troops’ brain injuries from the 2020 Iraqi strike are clearly inaccurate, citing self-reported, serious damages among service members. The comment follows Trump’s Milwaukee rally where he questioned whether injuries constituted true injuries, despite officials noting dozens of troops suffering traumatic brain injuries. The incident, retaliatory for Trump’s order against Iran’s Soleimani, initially showed few injuries but later revealed more than 100 cases as soldiers reported symptoms. Esper recalled visiting injured personnel at Walter Reed and emphasized the nighttime assessment and subsequent health impacts. He also stated he will not vote for Trump in the 2024 election.

Dive Deeper:

• Esper, speaking on CNN, asserted that the former president’s dismissal of brain injuries as merely headaches is not accurate, pointing to credible assessments of damage to troops.

• Trump addressed supporters in Milwaukee by questioning the meaning of 'injured' and claimed that missiles did not hit the fort, suggesting no one was hurt aside from noise-related discomfort.

• The 2020 Iranian missile strike on an Iraqi base led to more than 100 U.S. troops experiencing traumatic brain injuries, with initial reports undercounting the impact.

• Esper described the night of the attack as traumatic and recalled how the full scope of injuries emerged only after further evaluations and soldiers self-reporting symptoms.

• He recounted visiting injured service members at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and reflected on the long process of understanding the damage.

• Esper, a Trump administration veteran, indicated he would not vote for Trump in the 2024 election, framing his view in the context of accountability for the damage to troops.