A barefaced President Trump and his masked rival, presumptive President-elect Joseph R. Biden, held dueling Veterans Day ceremonies in separate cities Wednesday as the Democrat vowed to lead as a better commander-in-chief than the man who hasn’t conceded the election.
In his first public appearance since losing the still-contested election to Mr. Biden, Mr. Trump stood without an umbrella in a steady rain for a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown at Arlington National Cemetery.
Perhaps for the last time, his arrival was announced by the crack of rifles from the Army’s Old Guard, and the boom of artillery.
The rain-soaked Mr. Trump didn’t speak at the solemn event. Neither he, Vice President Mike Pence, first lady Melania Trump nor second lady Karen Pence, wore masks despite the cemetery’s policy posted online earlier in the day that visitors without them would be refused entry.
Nearly 150 miles away, in Philadelphia, Mr. Biden and his wife, Jill Biden, wore masks as they placed wreaths at the Korean War Memorial near Penn’s Landing. Municipal Court President Judge Patrick Dugan introduced Mrs. Biden as “first lady.”
They were accompanied by Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney, a Democrat who last week called on Mr. Trump to put on his “big-boy pants” and concede the election.
A crowd of about 100 onlookers clapped, cheered and took cellphone pictures of the Bidens. The Philadelphia Police Department provided a three-gun salute.
Mr. Biden used the holiday as an opportunity to advance the inevitability of his inauguration on Jan. 20, despite the Trump campaign’s ongoing legal challenges in several states.
“This Veterans Day, I feel the full weight of the honor and the responsibility that has been entrusted to me by the American people as the next president, and I vow to honor our country’s sacred obligation,” he said in a statement.
The Democrat also made a thinly veiled reference to pre-election accusations by anonymous Trump opponents that the president doesn’t respect the sacrifice of military service members. Mr. Trump and numerous allies have disputed those reports.
“To all of our proud veterans, know that I will be a commander in chief who respects your sacrifice, understands your service, and who will never betray the values you fought so bravely to defend,” Mr. Biden said. “I will never treat you or your families with anything less than the honor you deserve.”
In a Veterans Day proclamation, Mr. Trump said, “As Commander in Chief, I have relentlessly fought to support America’s veterans.”
“I recognize that this country and its people are duty-bound to care for our exceptional veterans, their families, and their survivors,” he said. “That is why, throughout my time in office, I have worked tirelessly to improve the health, welfare, and economic prosperity of these treasured people.”
Mr. Biden said he will ensure that veterans receive “world-class health care provided by the VA,” and also spelled out his priority of “women and LGBTQ+ veterans receiving culturally competent care.”
As Mr. Trump has emphasized, the Democrat said the government must do a better job addressing the “epidemic of suicide” among veterans and active-duty personnel. He also said he will make sure as president that “no veteran is locked out of treatment for conditions related to toxic exposures or traumatic brain injuries experienced in the line of duty.”
There are about 17.4 million veterans in the U.S., about 9 million of whom are served each year by the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA’s budget has grown to more than $240 billion, enjoying substantial increases under Mr. Trump.
Neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Biden is a veteran. The Democrat received five student draft deferments during the Vietnam War, and later was disqualified from service due to asthma reportedly dating from his teenage years.
Mr. Trump also received five deferments during the Vietnam War. Four were for education and the fifth was a medical waiver for bone spurs. His ex-lawyer-turned-adversary, Michael Cohen, told Congress last year that Mr. Trump invented the medical problem to avoid military service.
But Mr. Biden reminded the public Wednesday that both of his sons served in the military; Mr. Trump’s adult sons have not.
“For the Biden family, this is also a personal commitment,” Mr. Biden said. “We learned what it really means to be part of a military family the year that Beau deployed to Iraq with his National Guard unit. We prayed every night and morning for his safety, and we missed him at every family gathering or when tucking his children in at night. It was hard. It hurt. These are challenges most American families never have to face.”
Judge Dugan said of the Bidens at the ceremony, “If anybody understands what veterans go through, it’s this family. Their son — think about it — joined the military. Who does that now, except you veterans and this family here?”
There are about 1.4 million active-duty service members, all of whom joined the military as volunteers. Another 850,000 or so Americans serve in the military reserves.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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