It’s Not Taken Out Of Context!’ ABC’s Jon Karl Calls BS When Pro-Trump Senator Tries To Defend Medal Of Honor Attack

ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl called BS when Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) tried to defend former President Donald Trump’s attacks on the Congressional Medal of Honor as inferior to the Medal of Freedom.

Trump has taken heat from many military veterans over things like his infamous quote — reported by Trump’s then-Chief of Staff John Kelly — calling American war dead “suckers” and “losers.”

In a speech last week, Trump unfavorably compared the Medal of Honor as he recalled giving the civilian Presidential Medal of Freedom to mega-MAGA donor Miriam Adelson. Then he did it again.

On Sunday’s edition of ABC’s This Week, Karl pressed Cotton about the remarks — and hit back when Cotton tried to insist Karl was taking Trump “out of context”:

KARL: I want to ask you about something else that Trump had to say recently, is saying the presidential Medal of Freedom which is something presidents give out. I mean, Trump gave one to Devin Nunes, the former Congressman, is the equivalent and much better than the Medal of Honor, which of course, is the fact — as you know, as a combat veteran, it’s sacred. I mean, it’s the military’s highest military honor. What do you make of that?

COTTON: It’s totally taken out of context.

KARL: It’s not taken out of context.

COTTON: He was — the point he was making is that he gives the presidential Medal of Freedom, just like other presidents do, to civilians who have done important things for their nation, but who haven’t sacrificed life and limb. And when you go to a Medal of Honor ceremony at the White House and you’re presenting it to a soldier who has sacrificed his body, or to his parents or to his children, or his spouse, that it is of a different order of magnitude. It’s totally out of context. Donald Trump was trying to —

KARL: Do you agree that the presidential Medal of Freedom is much better? Those are his words.

COTTON: Jon, you’re totally taking that out of context. Donald Trump was great for our military. He is great for our veterans. Kamala Harris is the one who’s proposed, for instance, to cut the military every single year. Kamala Harris is the one who voted for military cuts when she was in the Senate. Donald trump has utmost respect for our veterans and our troops, and you see that by his record in office.

Watch above via ABC’s This Week.