President Donald Trump delivered a forceful insult to the military on Wednesday during his address to the nation, and a new column argued that the insult will be measured in "empty billets and early graves."
During his speech on Wednesday, Trump announced that his administration is sending 1.45 million enlisted military members a $1,776 check that they're calling a "Warrior Dividend" before Christmas. Trump claimed that the dividend was funded by revenue from his tariffs. However, Politico later reported that the funds were moved from a federal account that helps servicemembers find affordable housing.
Alain Stephens, an investigative reporter for The Intercept, wrote in a new article on Thursday that the "Warrior Dividend" is just "another empty, Trump-branded PR exercise."
"That context matters. Trump’s sudden burst of generosity comes after years of deliberate harm to veterans, military families, and the institutions meant to support them," Stephens wrote. "Set against that record, the 'warrior dividend' isn’t gratitude — it’s the latest insult."
Stephens noted instances in Trump's past where he called veterans "losers" and "suckers," and his administration's efforts to dismantle the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"When you set aside Trump’s checks, this is how he really regards the military. Not just insult, but attrition," Stephens continued. "Not just cruelty, but vulnerability. An all-volunteer force depends on belief — that service will be rewarded with dignity, care, and reciprocity."
"When that belief collapses, the consequences are measured in empty billets and early graves," he added. "Trump doesn’t care if you served. And more young Americans, seeing the discarded generation before them, are quietly deciding they don’t want to be 'suckers,' either."