Biden camp courts Michigan veterans

Democrats in the state of Michigan on Monday explained to war veterans why they should support President Joe Biden’s re-election campaign.

Biden is currently resisting calls to step down and let someone else run for office following his shaky performance in last month’s debate.

Theron Tingstad, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party’s veterans committee, said the Biden administration has done more for soldiers and their families than his expected Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.

“We don’t have the luxury of playing with semantics and wondering if someone mumbled or stuttered. We have to look at what is really being done for us. And I think as far as the former president is concerned, we just have to look at his words and actions,” Tingstad said.

During Monday’s press conference, speakers hammered home this point. They addressed expansions of VA health care, Support for veterans exposed to toxic chemicals and unemployment rates among veterans.

Adam Hollier, a former Democratic senator and director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, argued that federal benefits and resources for veterans have been more responsive and helpful under Biden.

“That says a lot to people when it’s thousands of dollars at stake, when it’s medical care. And when it’s taking care of people, not just the soldiers, but their families,” Hollier said.

But Republicans argue that Trump has also accomplished a lot for veterans.

While Democrats pointed to the PACT Act – a 2022 bill that provides hundreds of millions of dollars in resources for veterans exposed to toxic substances while serving – Republicans pointed to the VA Choice and VA MISSION Acts, which expand community-based health care options for veterans, as examples of Trump’s accomplishments.

“Veterans and military families across Michigan stand behind President Trump because he has done more for them than any other administration. Veterans know that in President Trump, our nation has a leader who fought to honor the sacrifices of them and their families. While Joe Biden forgot that U.S. soldiers died on his watch, President Trump reformed the Department of Veterans Affairs, expanded access to telemedicine and veterans’ access to education, and increased resources for job training and career programs,” said a statement from Victoria LaCivita, spokeswoman for Trump Michigan.

Many experts consider Michigan to be a crucial state on both candidates’ path back to the White House in November.