President Trump and first lady Melania Trump spent a good portion of Earth Day at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center just outside the nation’s capital, visiting wounded troops and their families.
While there, Mr. Trump himself presented the Purple Heart to U.S. Army Sergeant First Class Alvaro Barrientos, injured while deployed in Afghanistan. It was a personal matter for the president.
“I wanted to do this myself,” Mr. Trump told the soldier.
He did not neglect his Earth Day duties, however.
“Our Nation is blessed with abundant natural resources and awe-inspiring beauty. Americans are rightly grateful for these God-given gifts and have an obligation to safeguard them for future generations,” Mr. Trump said in a statement.
“Economic growth enhances environmental protection. We can and must protect our environment without harming America’s working families. That is why my administration is reducing unnecessary burdens on American workers and American companies, while being mindful that our actions must also protect the environment” Mr. Trump continued.
The president also acknowledged the March for Science, a daylong event on the National Mall. Mr. Trump and his spouse, in fact, passed “dozens of protesters” from the event positioned along his route through town, according to the White House pool report.
“Rigorous science is critical to my Administration’s efforts to achieve the twin goals of economic growth and environmental protection. My administration is committed to advancing scientific research that leads to a better understanding of our environment and of environmental risks. As we do so, we should remember that rigorous science depends not on ideology, but on a spirit of honest inquiry and robust debate,” Mr. Trump said.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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