Trump Skips Dover Transfer for Fallen Soldier After ‘USA Hat’ Ceremony Backlash
President Donald Trump did not attend the dignified transfer of a U.S. soldier killed in the Iran conflict, a ceremony that took place Monday night at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.
The absence came days after Trump faced heavy criticism for wearing a branded “USA” baseball cap during an earlier transfer for six service members killed in the same conflict.
According to reporting from The Independent, the ceremony honored U.S. Army Sgt. Benjamin N. Pennington, 26, of Glendale, Kentucky, who died from injuries sustained during a March 1 attack on U.S. forces at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Vice President JD Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Caine attended the transfer alongside military officials and the soldier’s family.
Trump’s schedule showed he spent the day in Florida attending a House Republican policy retreat at his Doral golf club and was traveling back to Washington during the ceremony, according to press pool reports.
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Former Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele criticized Trump’s earlier appearance at the previous ceremony, writing online that the president should “take your damn hat off.”
The controversy stems from a March 7 dignified transfer where Trump attended but kept a white “USA” baseball cap on during the ceremony honoring six fallen troops, which critics said violated traditional military etiquette to remove headwear as a sign of respect.
The incident also sparked a separate media dispute after Fox News aired archival footage showing Trump without a hat while discussing the ceremony and later issued an on-air apology for the mistake.
The White House has defended Trump’s conduct at the earlier ceremony, saying his presence reflected grief and appreciation for the fallen soldiers and their families.
For now, the focus has returned to the growing number of U.S. casualties as the conflict linked to Iran continues.
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