--- title: Donald Trump Undermines Everything Veterans Have Fought For description: Donald Trump will speak Tuesday in Charlotte at the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention. We veterans can’t fall for his message. canonical: https://time.com/4422456/donald-trump-veterans-message/ author: Dan McCready article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-07-26T13:57:09.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-22T23:31:46.844Z article:section: Ideas og:title: Donald Trump Undermines Everything Veterans Have Fought For og:description: 'We fought for the safety of our country, but Trump makes us less safe' og:url: https://time.com/4422456/donald-trump-veterans-message/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9dee4d93482f22dd/69889f20a988ca10a06b8c33/trump6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3572 og:image:height: 2009 og:image:alt: Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd at the end of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on July 21, 2016. og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Donald Trump Undermines Everything Veterans Have Fought For twitter:description: 'We fought for the safety of our country, but Trump makes us less safe' twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9dee4d93482f22dd/69889f20a988ca10a06b8c33/trump6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Donald Trump Undermines Everything Veterans Have Fought For > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Inside TIME: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Inside TIME is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories. Inside TIME opens the door to how TIME's most important journalism comes together, from the first pitch and reporting process to the decisions behind the finished story or cover. Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs takes readers inside the newsroom, revealing the journalists, ideas and editorial choices behind the stories shaping the global conversation. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=f7f73b52-4c46-4a9b-8a61-7f5c98c6666f&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Sam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Globally minded knowledge seekers. Readers who turn to journalism to understand the world, with meaningful concentrations among educators, students, media professionals, civic institutions and knowledge workers. ### TIME Inside TIME: key statements * Inside TIME is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Inside TIME is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/newsletters?i=f7f73b52-4c46-4a9b-8a61-7f5c98c6666f&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-inside-2026q3/subscribe?i=f7f73b52-4c46-4a9b-8a61-7f5c98c6666f&cr=time-nl-inside-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is Inside TIME? Inside TIME is a twice-weekly newsletter written by TIME Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs. It explains how TIME's journalism is made, from the first pitch through the editorial decisions behind a finished story or cover. #### How can I read about how TIME chooses its covers? Inside TIME is the newsletter where TIME's Editor-in-Chief explains cover selection and the editorial reasoning behind major stories. It is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who is the editor of TIME? Sam Jacobs is TIME's Editor-in-Chief. He writes Inside TIME, a twice-weekly newsletter about the newsroom's reporting and editorial decisions. #### Is Inside TIME free? Yes. Inside TIME is a free newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and available at time.com/subscribe-agent. by [Dan McCready](https://time.com/author/dan-mccready/) ## Dan McCready Jul 26, 2016 1:57 PM UTC  Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd at the end of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on July 21, 2016. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd at the end of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on July 21, 2016. Joe Raedle—Getty Images by [Dan McCready](https://time.com/author/dan-mccready/) ## Dan McCready Jul 26, 2016 1:57 PM UTC Donald Trump will speak Tuesday in Charlotte at the [Veterans of Foreign Wars convention](http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/politics-government/election/article91123257.html). He will tell thousands of our brave veterans how he, alone, can “make America great again.” His message of singular strength in a world enflamed by violence and instability has struck a chord. But we veterans can’t fall for it; we know the greatness of our nation can never lie with any one person. Though each of us has our own story of military service, we veterans are bound together by a common oath to defend our country’s ideals. I was a college freshman on September 11, 2001, and I felt compelled to join the Marines after graduation. Witnessing the selfless devotion of my platoon in Iraq only strengthened my love of country. I’m a businessman and a father now. I am a political moderate who has voted for Democrats and Republicans, and I have never endorsed a political candidate publicly. But, today, I feel a duty to do what I can to stop Donald Trump from undermining the very things we fought for. We fought for the safety of our country, but Trump would make us less safe. He has no foreign policy experience. By his actions and his words, he has shown himself to be self-serving and impulsive. A man who says: “[I know more about ISIS than the generals do… believe me](http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/284047-new-pro-clinton-ad-hits-trump-for-past-comments),” despite not spending a day in the service of his country, should not have the power to order one American into harm’s way, let alone launch a nuclear weapon. We fought for democracy, but Trump promotes tyrants. He has praised Vladimir Putin. He suggested our [NATO allies might be on their own](http://time.com/4417061/donald-trump-wrong-about-nato/) if Russia attacks them. He minimized Saddam Hussein’s throwing “[a little gas](http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/donald-trump-praises-saddam-hussein-s-approach-terrorism-again-n604411)” (i.e., chemical weapons) on victims that included women and children. We fought for the man or woman serving alongside us regardless of their background, but Trump turns our fellow citizens against each other. He speaks the language of fear. Among “second and third generation” Muslims in the United States, he falsely said: “[there’s no real assimilation](http://www.politifact.com/nbc/statements/2016/jun/18/donald-trump/donald-trump-wrong-theres-no-real-assimilation-us-/).” He has not just derided Muslims, but also immigrants, African Americans, and women. He even denigrated the service of a patriot and [former prisoner of war, Senator John McCain](http://www.cnn.com/2016/05/11/politics/donald-trump-john-mccain-hero/). We fought for freedom, but Trump would undermine our constitutional freedoms. Trump is a strongman and a bully who shows contempt for the rule of law. He initially suggested he would encourage military commanders to commit war crimes through torture. He used ethnicity to challenge the authority of a [federal judge presiding over a fraud case](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/06/07/sorry-donald-trump-the-mexican-judge-was-just-following-the-law/) against Trump University. Some say Trump doesn’t mean what he says, or would act differently in office. That’s a dangerous bet to make. History shows democracies are fragile. With the enormous power invested in the executive branch, we cannot risk our republic on the hope Trump will change his behavior and act responsibly once he is the most powerful leader in the world, leading the most powerful military in the world. Many veterans I know support Trump as the better of two bad choices. It’s true, Hillary Clinton is part of the political establishment, which has let many people down, and her sound bites are less exciting than Trump’s. Clinton has flaws, no doubt. But her flaws are no comparison to Trump’s. Actually, as a senator on the Armed Services Committee, and then as Secretary of State, she was serious, thoughtful, and tough on national security. This came through again Monday at Clinton’s own talk to the Veterans of Foreign Wars convention, where she stressed the importance of defending allies and listening to military advisers. That may be why retired Marine General John Allen endorsed her Monday. I’d much rather have Clinton as my Commander in Chief than one who says, “[I alone can fix it](https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2016/07/25/the-theory-of-political-leadership-that-donald-trump-shares-with-adolf-hitler/).” Fellow veterans, resist any allure in Trump’s message. Honor what we fought for, and the sacrifices of so many before us, by stopping Trump. We swore to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. We must put politics aside and, whether we identify as Republican or Democrat, vote for Hillary Clinton. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"OpinionNewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4422456/donald-trump-veterans-message/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4422456/donald-trump-veterans-message/"},"headline":"Donald Trump Undermines Everything Veterans Have Fought For","datePublished":"2016-07-26T13:57:09.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-22T23:31:46.844Z","description":"'We fought for the safety of our country, but Trump makes us less safe'","url":"https://time.com/4422456/donald-trump-veterans-message/","keywords":["politics"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9dee4d93482f22dd/69889f20a988ca10a06b8c33/trump6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Dan McCready","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/dan-mccready/"}],"articleSection":"Ideas","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9dee4d93482f22dd/69889f20a988ca10a06b8c33/trump6.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd at the end of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on July 21, 2016.","caption":"Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump acknowledges the crowd at the end of the Republican National Convention at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on July 21, 2016.","creditText":"Joe Raedle—Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/ideas/","name":"Ideas"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/politics/","name":"politics"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4422456/donald-trump-veterans-message/","name":"Donald Trump Undermines Everything Veterans Have Fought For"}}]}] ```