A Marine veteran who was severely wounded while serving in Iraq has written a scathing open letter to Donald Trump explaining why he thinks no veteran should vote for him.
"It's critical that all veterans take a close look at you and what you stand for," retired Lt. Col. Justin Constantine wrote in the letter, which was publicized Thursday on the Huffington Post. "Many of the outrageous statements you've made over the last year not only provide us insight into your mindset and desired agenda, but demonstrate what little regard you have for veterans and the national security issues which affect all of us."
On Oct. 18, 2006, a sniper's bullet hit Constantine behind his ear and exploded out of his mouth. His recovery has been grueling, including about two dozen surgeries to reconstruct his face. He is a motivational speaker who explains to civilians how they should interact with wounded warriors.
Constantine told Marine Corps Times on Monday that he wrote his open letter to Trump after listening to Trump's comments, which he felt lacked thought and introspection.
"My personal feeling is that Trump does not represent veterans," Constantine said. "He is someone who deferred from military service by choice. He had an opportunity to serve; he chose not to. As far as I know, Trump has done very little for vets besides recently raising $6 million, and the Washington Post reported that he did not make those donations until pressured by the media."
I haven't seen anything that he proposes that would support veterans."
Since his letter was posted online, Constantine has received a lot of feedback from veterans and civilians, most of which has been positive, he said.
"A very small percentage of people attacked me personally, which was hard to read but kind of expected. Stuff like I'm a weak Marine; I don't know anything about the military; I'm not even a real person; I'm some POG; I don't know what I'm talking about — stuff like that," Constantine said.
In his letter, Constantine wrote that he was outraged when Trump allegedly mocked a disabled New York Times reporter last year: "Why should we think you would treat wounded warriors like myself any differently?"
Maj. Justine Constantine recovers from one of many reconstructive surgeries.
Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy of Justine Constantine
In November, Trump flailed his arms while criticizing a disabled New York Times reporter who suffers from a condition that limits flexibility in his arms. Even though Trump has repeatedly denied he was impersonating the reporter, Constantine thinks that's exactly what he was doing, he wrote.
"What type of person does that?" Constantine wrote. "I do not want that kind of person representing me or my nation. As a wounded warrior who has had to deal with very severe physical and mental challenges since being shot in the head in Iraq, your juvenile actions could not offend me more."
Constantine slammed Trump for saying that Sen. John McCain of Arizona was not a war hero and claimed that Trump has shown "a shocking lack of integrity and has lied to us over and over again."
Retired Marine Lt. Col. Justin Constantine survived a sniper's bullet that struck him in the head during a 2006 deployment in Iraq. Now a motivational speaker, he wants to help civilians better understand how to talk to wounded veterans.
Photo Credit: Alan Lessig/Staff
He also took issue with Trump's affinity for world leaders whom veterans consider a security threat, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, and he lambasted Trump's comments about Mexicans being rapists, noting that Medal of Honor recipient Alfred Rascon was born in Mexico.
"But perhaps you are most known for your proposal to ban all Muslims from entering the United States, although the Pentagon and a wide number of U.S. leaders countered that this would be a direct threat to our national security," Constantine wrote.
"This in fact led to an open letter specifically against you authored by a long list of GOP national security leaders. Your tone and message resonate with white supremacists and you have not only been endorsed by the Ku Klux Klan former Grand Wizard David Duke, but a slew of other white supremacist organizations."
On Monday, Constantine stressed that the United States' commitment to protecting democracy and human rights around the world is key to defeating extremists.
"That will bring down terrorism, not saying 'No Muslims can come to our country,'" he said.
Trump's spokeswoman did not respond to phone calls and emails requesting comment by deadline on Monday.
