Former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg called Donald Trump “unfit to be commander-in-chief” after a political action committee linked to the president sent a fundraising email using images from the return of dead soldiers to the United States.
“Any politician who does that has no business leading American troops into war,” he told CNN‘s Jake Tapper on Sunday. “If the president is willing to raise campaign funds over the bodies of America’s war dead, he is unfit to be the commander in chief.”
Trump had already drawn ire from critics for wearing a baseball cap to the ritual return of military members killed in action, known as a dignified transfer, last week. The white cap with gold lettering is a bit of Trump merch, currently on sale for $55. The fundraising email was sent by Never Surrender Inc. on Thursday and featured photos from the event.
The email promised access to special security briefings for donors.
“As a National Security Briefing Member, you’ll receive my private national security briefings, unfiltered updates on the threats facing America,” the email states. “The straight truth on border invasions, foreign adversaries, deep state sabotage, and every danger the fake news hides.”
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Speaking to Tapper, Buttigieg said the Trump administration was not taking the idea of fighting a war seriously.
“They’re putting out videos treating this like a video game,” he said. “It’s not a video game to the families of the fallen.
Buttigieg: "The president's political operation was raising money off images at a dignified transfer. Any politician who does that has no business leading American troops into war. If the president is willing to raise campaign funds over the bodies of America's war dead, he is… pic.twitter.com/OXmLsBYLFe
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 15, 2026
