Trump’s cuts are hitting veterans hard as they face job cuts and benefit reductions, sparking backlash and political tension as Democrats push to protect their rights

As Congress rushes to react to U.S. President Donald Trump’s cuts to the federal budget, a particular cohort has emerged at the forefront: military veterans.

When the Department of Veterans Affairs experienced layoffs and the Pentagon removed records documenting diversity within the military, veterans were disproportionately impacted by Trump’s policies. With the GOP president set on further reducing the size of the federal government, this trend is likely to worsen for veterans—who account for about 30 percent of the federal workforce—and frequently rely on government assistance programs linked to their military service.

“In this critical time for our veterans, the Trump administration has shockingly and shamefully threatened the VA’s system of healthcare and benefits,” stated Senator Richard Blumenthal, who leads the Senate Veterans’ Affairs (VA) Committee, during a press briefing last week.

A significant majority of veterans cast their votes for Trump last year—approximately six out of every ten, based on an Associated Press poll involving over 120,000 voters. However, despite widespread opposition from constituents back home, many congressional Republicans remain steadfast in backing Trump’s agenda. During various town hall meetings this week, angered veteran attendees challenged Republican representatives who were defending budget reductions implemented under the direction of Trump advisor Elon Musk at his fictional Department of Government Efficiency (Doge).

“Get back to work!” shouted military veteran Jay Carey to Republican Chuck Edwards during a town hall meeting in North Carolina.

“I’m a retired military officer,” an attendee at another forum in Wyoming told Republican Harriet Hageman before questioning whether Doge had actually discovered any “fraud.”

Even though Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson urged his members to avoid attending the town halls and alleged that these events were packed with paid agitators, several Republicans continued to hold them and attempted to address the backlash.

Although it may seem extreme, it really isn’t. In my view, this concept should be called stewardship,” remarked Republican Gus Bilirakis from Florida during a tele-town hall meeting. “In my opinion, they are acting in the best interest of the American taxpayers, and I back the principle behind Doge.

Nevertheless, certain Republicans have voiced concerns over what appears to be haphazard dismissals of military personnel, particularly when these individuals were left unaware of the administration’s strategies. During a town hall event on Friday, Texas Republican Dan Crenshaw addressed the crowd saying, “Like all of us, we’re getting updates as fast as possible. There seems to have been an instance where valuable people got caught up in the mix inadvertently. However, our team continues to gather more details.”

Crenshaw, who previously served as a Navy SEAL, stated, “Should you be performing a task that’s essential and you’re excelling at it, yes, we must advocate for your support.”

The chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, who belongs to the Republican Party, Mike Bost, told participants during an online town hall meeting that he frequently communicates with Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. While the VA is working on cutting around 80,000 positions as part of their plan, Bost stated that he is carefully monitoring this situation. However, he has also voiced his backing for these changes and reaffirmed Collins’ statements assuring that essential services such as healthcare and benefits for veterans will not be reduced.

“They have made significant cuts, yet comprehend this: Essential positions are not affected,” Bost stated, though he also mentioned that his office was working to notify the VA when individuals with critical roles were mistakenly let go.

This month, two federal judges instructed the Trump administration to reinstate the probationary workers who had been dismissed en masse. Although some of these employees at the VA have since been placed on administrative leave, many within the broader federal workforce continue to feel a pervasive atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

“We’re all curious about what comes next?” remarked Dan Foster, a Washington state Army veteran who was laid off after the VA terminated a contract aimed at helping service members learn how to utilize their benefits and VA programs.

Some are upset because they feel unfairly depicted as unproductive and removed from positions where they believed they made a significant impact in assisting veterans access medical care.

“For someone to appear on television claiming we are inept or idle — that statement is entirely untrue,” stated Future Zhou, a former military member with service in the Army, who previously handled inventory management of medical supplies for operation rooms at the VA center in Puget Sound, Washington, until her dismissal in February.

While Democrats seek direction and unity within their party, they’ve focused intently on safeguarding the interests of veterans. Legislation has been proposed in both the House and Senate with provisions aimed at preventing large-scale layoffs among veteran employees. During his address to Congress this month, President Trump was joined by several legislators who had brought veteran guests as their special invitees.

Senator Tammy Duckworth, an Illinois Democrat and Iraq War veteran who formerly served as an assistant secretary at the VA, stated, “They are furious.” She added, “‘Trump assured us he would look after their interests. Yet his very first action was to dismiss them.’”

Democrats are urging Republicans to demonstrate their backing for veterans’ issues. During talks aimed at passing a GOP-supported government spending bill this month, Democrats managed to secure a provision ensuring protection for veterans against potential layoffs through an amendment. However, the measure was blocked along partisan lines partly due to the fact that adding this late-stage modification could have led to missing the crucial cutoff date needed to prevent a governmental shutdown.

As the midterm elections approach, VoteVets, a progressive organization representing veterans, has begun airing videos where veterans recount experiences of losing jobs and criticize congresspeople for failing to act. These advertisements target five competitive districts currently represented by Republican veterans.

Senator Ruben Gallego, a Democrat from Arizona and a veteran himself, expressed uncertainty about whether veterans might change their political stance.

However, he admitted that it is evident the veterans are “extremely angry.”

Gallego indicated that there’s a chance for Democrats to emphasize the point that “Elon Musk and his associates prefer focusing solely on profits, aiming to cut costs by billions to secure additional tax breaks, even if it comes at the veterans’ expense.”

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The article initially appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), which serves as the premier source for news coverage of China and Asia.

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