Trump Honors Nearly 100 Purple Heart Recipients at White House Ceremony

On Thursday, President Donald Trump paid tribute to nearly 100 recipients of the Purple Heart at the White House. 

Among those honored were three service members who had previously bestowed their medals upon him following his injury in an assassination attempt during his 2024 campaign.

The ceremony, held in the East Room, commemorated National Purple Heart Day, a significant annual event that takes place on August 7. In a heartfelt gesture, Trump expressed his “everlasting thanks” to the decorated service members and their families, highlighting the trio who presented him with their medals after the July 2024 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, which resulted in an injury to the upper part of his right ear.

“Receiving those Purple Hearts is truly a tremendous honor,” Trump remarked. “In a certain sense, it was not exactly straightforward for me either, when you consider it.” However, your experiences were far more challenging than mine, and I truly value that.

The White House announced that certain veterans were invited to Trump’s campaign events to return their medals to them.

At the ceremony, notable figures included Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley, and Marine veteran Chris LaCivita, who is also a Purple Heart recipient and former campaign co-manager.

The Purple Heart, a distinguished military honor established in 1782, remains the oldest active award of its kind today. It is bestowed upon service members who have been killed or injured in combat or as a result of acts of terrorism. According to the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, over 1.8 million medals have been conferred.

Trump emphasized additional tales of bravery, such as that of Army Spc. Kevin Jensen, who was injured in a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan in 2008. In a heroic act, Jensen endured severe burns during the daring rescue of Capt. Sam Brown from a blazing Humvee.

“He soared 10 feet into the sky, bursting into flames,” Trump remarked about Brown. “In the face of immense pain, [Jensen] heroically rushed to support his platoon leader.”

The president reflected on his 2020 choice to greenlight a drone strike that resulted in the death of Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani, referring to him as the “father of the roadside bomb” and eliciting laughter when he inquired, “Where is Soleimani?”