Trump blames the media for confusion over his veterans donations

An angry Donald Trump lashed out at the media on Tuesday for questioning the speed and legitimacy of his promised donations to veterans organizations earlier this year, insisting that $5.6 million has been dispersed to more than 40 groups.

“I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job,” the presumed Republican presidential nominee said at a New York press conference. “Much of this money was paid out very early, but you have to vet all of these different groups … when you send checks for hundreds of thousands of dollars.”

The announcement came after weeks of criticism from outside groups that Trump had either exaggerated his fundraising totals or failed to hand out large sums of donations.

In January, Trump held a veterans fundraising event in Iowa in protest of Fox News choice of moderator for a planned primary debate. After the event, he announced that $6 million had been raised for veterans, and promised to send that money out quickly.

But several groups named by Trump’s campaign said they still hadn’t see money months later. Trump said Tuesday all of the groups have now received their checks, including a $1 million payout from his own fortune sent to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation.
“I don't want the credit for it, but I shouldn't be lambasted,” he said. “I'm the only one in the world who could raise almost $6 million for the veterans, have uniform applause by the veterans' groups and end up being criticized by the press.”

He blamed the press for unfairly attacking donation delays caused by background checks, and claimed veterans groups have praised him behind the scenes for the work.

But Trump’s political critics called the donation confusion another example of his questionable character, and said the repeated inquiries into the missing money were the only reason he ended up giving out any cash.

Democratic groups held a series of events and conference calls across the country Tuesday to attack Trump not just on the donations scandal but also on his integrity and leadership.

“One of the first the first things you learn in the military is the importance of your word,” said Iraq war veteran Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass. “You do what you say you will do, not what a lot of people outside pressure you to do.

“We need a commander in chief we can respect and trust from day one, not someone who will be pressured into doing the right thing several months later.”

The Associated Press reported that about a dozen local New York veterans protested outside Trump Tower, holding signs such as "Vets vs. Hate” and calling his national security policies dangerous for the country.
For his part, Trump blamed the media for the confusion over the charity payouts.

“I think the political press is among the most dishonest people that I've ever met,” he told the room of reporters, calling out several as “sleazy” and incompetent.

Trump has also taken criticism in recent weeks for comments he made last summer ridiculing Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., for his capture by enemy soldiers during Vietnam and his dismissal of policies protecting the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Democrats said they also plan on using this controversy to highlight plans by Trump to privatize parts of the Department of Veterans Affairs, calling it potentially devastating for veterans’ medical care.