“I heard that they had headaches,” Trump says. Traumatic brain injuries are potentially fatal.
President Donald Trump says he doers not consider the potential traumatic brain injuries suffered by at least 11 U.S. soldiers injured during Iran’s airstrikes on two Iraqi bases to be “very serious.” On January 7, immediately after Iran bombed the airbases housing U.S. troops the Commander-in-Chief declared “All is well!” and insisted no one had been injured. He has repeatedly made that claim despite contrary evidence.
At Davos CBS News White House Correspondent Weijia Jiang asked Trump about his claims.
“Initially you said repeatedly to Americans, after Iran retaliated for the Soleimani strike, ‘No Americans were injured.’ We now know that at least 11 U.S. servicemen were airlifted from Iraq. Can you explain the discrepancy”
“No,” Trump responded, “I heard that they had headaches, and a couple of other things but I would say, and I can report, it is not very serious.”
“You don’t think that a potential traumatic brain injury is very serious?” the reporter asked.
“Um, they told me about it numerous days later – you’d have to ask the Dept. of Defense,” Trump replied. “No, I don’t consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries that I’ve seen.
Jiang notes that “Trump has said many times that no Americans were hurt when Iran retaliated for the Soleimani strike, and that was a big reason he declared victory.”
The Mayo Clinic says a traumatic brain injury suffered during combat “significantly disrupts brain function,” and they can “result in long-term complications or death.” Traumatic brain injury can also lead to “severe permanent brain damage.”
Watch Trump respond to the reporter’s questions:
UPDATE:
Four Star U.S. Army General Barry McCaffrey (Ret.), Joint Commander Latin America, a West Point National Security Professor, and former member of the Council Foreign Relations blasts President Trump: