Donald Trump is getting slammed over a Twitter image that has been perceived as disrespectful toward a war hero.
On Wednesday night, the president shared a doctored photo of himself placing a medal around the neck of a Delta Force dog. The canine was reportedly wounded in a recent military raid that resulted in the death of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
"AMERICAN HERO!" Trump captioned the Photoshopped picture, which was originally shared by conservative outlet The Daily Wire.
Trump has continued to praise the male Belgian Malinois since al-Baghdadi's death was announced over the weekend. According to the Washington Post, the dog, whose name has not been released for security reasons, had chased al-Baghdadi into a tunnel near the Syria-Turkey border, and was injured after the ISIS leader detonated a suicide vest.
POTUS declassified a picture of the dog on Monday, after Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed the dog had returned to duty.
As pointed out by the Washington Post, the injured dog is not eligible for a combat decoration, such as the Purple Heart. The publication notes U.S. military dogs were once given medals in recognition for their service; however, that practice ended after it was argued that such awards were an insult to human service members.
Trump's Twitter photo appears to be a Photoshopped version of a 2017 picture in which he is seen awarding the Medal of Honor to James C. McCloughan—a Vietnam veteran who saved nearly a dozen lives during the war. Twitter users were quick to criticize Trump for sharing the altered image, and accused him of diminishing McCloughan's service.
You can read some of the reactions below.
