U.S. veteran group 'expects' Trump apology for brain injury comment
By Mike Stone
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. war veteran group is "expecting" an apology from U.S. President Donald Trump for his comments that downplayed traumatic brain injuries, an official said on Friday.
Speaking in Davos on Wednesday, Trump said he did not consider the brain injuries suffered by U.S. service members in Iran's recent attack on a base in Iraq as serious.
But the Veterans of Foreign Wars group "expects an apology from the president to our service men and women for his misguided remarks," William Schmitz, VFW National Commander said in a statement on Friday.
The White House did not immediately respond to request for comment on Saturday.
Earlier on Friday the Pentagon said 34 service members had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following missile strikes by Iran on a base in Iraq, a number higher than the military had previously announced.
The Veterans of Foreign Wars, a group with 1.6 million members, said traumatic brain injury (TBI) is serious and cannot be taken lightly. "TBI is known to cause depression, memory loss, severe headaches, dizziness and fatigue -- all injuries that come with both short- and long-term effects," the group said.
(Reporting by Mike Stone; editing by Diane Craft)
