Trump Promises Reinstatement and Back Pay for Discharged Military Members Over COVID Mandate

President Donald Trump made a triumphant comeback to the campaign trail in Asheboro, North Carolina, where he held his first outdoor rally since the attempt on his life one month ago.

With thousands of supporters cheering him on, Trump and Senator JD Vance outlined their plans for revitalizing America’s global position following the Harris-Biden administration’s perceived failures.

Some of the highlights from the rally:

• Saluting Local Law Enforcement: President Trump took a moment to honor local sheriffs on stage, stating, “You are the reason that we’re able to be here and have a safe state — and a great state.” His appreciation for law enforcement resonated deeply with attendees.

• Compassion in Action: Trump comforted a member of the crowd who suffered a medical emergency.

• A Record of Success: Reflecting on his first term, Trump reminded supporters of his administration’s significant foreign policy achievements: “We defeated ISIS, we killed the world’s top terrorists, we secured our borders, we achieved Energy Independence, we stood up to China, we protected Israel, we made peace in the Middle East … and we didn’t start wars.”

• Critique of Afghanistan Withdrawal: Trump lamented the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan under the current administration: “Under my leadership, we were getting out of Afghanistan — but we were going to get out with dignity, pride, and with strength.” He emphasized that during his tenure, no American service members were lost in combat in Afghanistan for 18 months.

• Restoring Peace Through Strength: Looking ahead to a potential second term, Trump pledged to restore America’s strength immediately after taking office: “Starting the moment I lift my hand from the Bible after taking the oath of office, I will move to restore America to maximum strength and return the world to peace.”

• Border Security Accountability: Senator Vance did not hold back in his criticism of Vice President Kamala Harris’s handling of border security: “As Border Czar, Kamala Harris has allowed a literal invasion of this country … If we give Kamala Harris a promotion and make her the president of the United States, the southern border is going to look like Walmart on Black Friday.”

• The Stakes of This Election: Vance encapsulated the choice facing voters: “Let’s be honest, folks: mean tweets and world peace has a pretty nice ring to it — and I think we ought to bring it back.”

Additionally, at the rally, President Trump declared that any military personnel who were discharged for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine mandate would be reinstated with full back pay and receive an apology from the government.

“A thousand service members from our military for refusing their COVID vaccine mandate. They refuse to do it. We didn’t want a mandate. The mandate, you just can’t do that. I will rehire every Patriot who was fired from the military with an apology and with back pay. They will get their back pay and an apology from our government.”

WATCH:

BREAKING: President Trump has announced that all military members who were discharged for refusing the COVID mandate will be reinstated and receive full back pay, along with a formal apology from the United States Government. pic.twitter.com/wwJbvxQo6q

— 🇺🇸 Larry 🇺🇸 (@LarryDJonesJr) August 21, 2024

In July 2023, Frankman stepped down from his position in response to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s enforcement of the 2021 COVID-19 shot mandate, which has since been revoked.

According to the letter, “over 8,600 service members (SMs) were involuntarily discharged while the military’s total end strength fell by 60 thousand in the mandate’s first year.” For him, the damage to readiness that was caused by the shot must be addressed—and HASC Republicans have an opportunity to make it happen.

Following the January 2023 reversal of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s August 2021 military vaccine mandate, service members continue to endure the consequences of its unproven and illegal enforcement.

The Gateway Pundit interviewed Captain Rebecca Tummers, an officer scheduled to depart from the Army at the end of August after a decade of service. During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Capt. Tummers, along with numerous other service members, hesitated to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to apprehensions about its rapid development, testing, and production process.

According to her, “This rush to failure attitude did not take adequate time to identify possible negative side effects to the vaccine, nor populations that may be at increased risk of negative side effects.”

After repeatedly refusing the COVID-19 shot for months, she was firmly informed that her chances of receiving a high evaluation would diminish if she continued to decline. Additionally, the Army threatened to discharge her from service.

Many service members felt pressured into getting the shot, believing it was necessary for career advancement and retention.

Lieutenant Ted Macie, an active-duty officer in the Navy Medical Service Corps and a whistleblower, disclosed Department of Defense data showing a significant increase in heart-related problems among military pilots after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to Lt. Macie’s findings, there has been a notable surge in various heart-related conditions among fixed-wing and helicopter pilots. The data indicates rises in ailments such as hypertensive disease (36%), ischemic heart disease (69%), pulmonary heart disease (62%), heart failure (973%), other forms of heart disease (63%), and cardiomyopathy (152%) compared to the five-year average prior to 2022.

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