U.S. President Joe Biden traveled to a World War I cemetery in France on Sunday in a visit seen as a jab at his predecessor Donald Trump, who skipped the visit in 2018 and reportedly called American war dead “losers.”
Biden, an 81-year-old Democrat, will face Trump, a 77-year-old Republican, later this year in a presidential election that commentators predict will put American democracy to a severe test.
On the final day of his five-day tour, Biden visited the sprawling Aisne-Marne American Cemetery and Memorial near the village of Belleau in northern France.
The cemetery contains the graves of 2,289 war victims, most of whom fought in the surrounding area and in the Marne Valley in 1918.
During the visit, Biden greeted military officers standing next to a wreath of flowers at the bottom of the steps of a cemetery chapel.
He then approached the wreath, touched it, stood still for a few moments and made the sign of the cross.
– Controversy over Trump’s troops –
Then-President Trump canceled his visit to the site in 2018, officially citing bad weather that made helicopter travel risky.
But the Atlantic magazine, citing sources, said Trump refused to visit the cemetery because he did not consider it important and because he was also concerned about his hair.
“Why would I go to that cemetery? It’s full of losers,” the magazine quoted Trump telling his staffers.
In a separate conversation, Trump called the Marines who died at Belleau Wood “suckers,” the Atlantic reported.
The billionaire has denied making these comments.
Biden has repeatedly confronted Trump about the report.
“He said they are ‘losers’ and ‘suckers,’” Biden said at a recent fundraiser.
“Who the hell does he think he is? This man does not deserve to be president,” he said in comments from the White House.
However, Biden preferred not to discuss the controversy on Sunday.
When asked by reporters what message he wanted to send to voters, Biden replied: “Any question?”
Biden has been in France since Wednesday and took part in this week’s commemorations marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings.
Those landings in northern France, involving American, British, Canadian and other foreign forces, changed the course of World War II.
On Saturday, French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Biden in a state visit overshadowed by Ukraine’s fight against the Russian invasion.
Biden said he had traveled to France many times, but “this was the most remarkable trip I have ever taken.”
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