Did President Trump Say If Soldiers Were ‘Real Patriots,’ They Wouldn’t Take a Pay Raise?

No, it's not odd to me. He's making a point. We have some politicians campaigning against the raise. They're saying that the raises in defense spending should have been applied to social and entitlement programs, and that the Defense Department was being given monies that they didn't ask for. Isn't it reasonable for the President to respond with that question?

It's actually the second biggest pay raise in a decade.

Well I am retired, but yes they deserve a pay raise, even bigger than the one they got. The sacrifices made by active serving soldiers is incredible.