Vice President Joe Biden defended veterans during an impassioned speech Monday after Donald Trump’s comments about soldiers who suffer from PTSD.
The Republican presidential nominee was addressing PTSD and suicides among those returning home from war before a veterans group in Virginia when he said those in the room were “strong” and could “handle” the horrors of war. However, “a lot of people can’t handle it,” Trump added. Many took his phrasing to mean soldiers who can’t handle PTSD are weak.
Biden, who said he has been “in and out” of Afghanistan and Iraq more than 29 times, said Trump was not intentionally trying to offend but that the real estate mogul “doesn’t get it,” according to The Hill.
“I don’t think he was trying to be mean. He is just so thoroughly, completely uninformed,” Biden said.
“We only have one sacred obligation,” the vice president added, “to care for those we send to war and to care for them and their families when they come home.”
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Donald Trump Is TIME's 2024 Person of the Year
- Why We Chose Trump as Person of the Year
- Is Intermittent Fasting Good or Bad for You?
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- The 20 Best Christmas TV Episodes
- Column: If Optimism Feels Ridiculous Now, Try Hope
- The Future of Climate Action Is Trade Policy
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com