Staff Reports
The Democratic National Committee made a terrible choice on Memorial Day and then scrambled to delete the evidence. The DNC posted a graphic that used the photos of the 13 U.S. service members killed in Operation Epic Fury and tied their deaths to “Trump’s war with Iran.” The post lasted only hours before it was pulled after criticism from both sides of the aisle — including Democrats who served in uniform.
What the DNC posted — and then deleted
The DNC’s official social account shared a Memorial Day image listing the 13 fallen service members from Operation Epic Fury and added a message blaming President Trump for the conflict. That move turned what should have been a solemn tribute into a political attack. The post was taken down after a rapid backlash. Deleting the image was the right move — but deleting it doesn’t make the mistake disappear. It shows the DNC’s staff either didn’t think through the moral line they were crossing or simply didn’t care.
Bipartisan backlash was swift
Criticism wasn’t limited to conservative outlets. Senator Tammy Duckworth, a Democrat and combat veteran, called the DNC post “incredibly distasteful” and said using the dead for a political attack was wrong. Representative Jason Crow, another Democrat and combat veteran, urged better judgment and said politicizing Memorial Day is unacceptable. A Pentagon-aligned rapid-response account called the post “classless, disrespectful, and vile.” Even with all that, the DNC offered no full public apology, only a deletion and a quieter, conventional tribute in its place.
Why politicizing Memorial Day is a bad look
Memorial Day is about honoring sacrifice, not scoring campaign points. The people who died in Operation Epic Fury are real Americans. Their families deserve respect, not a political headline. The DNC’s graphic made a cheap political claim at the expense of grieving families and veterans. Meanwhile, President Trump marked the holiday at Arlington and publicly honored the 13 fallen service members, which made the DNC’s timing look even worse by contrast. This wasn’t clever messaging — it was tone-deaf messaging.
What to watch next
The real questions now are whether the DNC will explain who signed off on the post and whether the party will clean up its communications operation. DNC Chair Ken Martin should answer for this lapse and reassure voters that Memorial Day won’t be used as a political prop again. Voters of any party should demand better. Using the faces of the fallen to score political points is beneath the dignity of a national party, and it should be beneath the dignity of anyone who calls themselves a public servant.
