This story was originally published on August 2, 2016 at 3:18 p.m.
A veteran gave Donald Trump a Purple Heart medal during a Tuesday campaign stop after the Republican presidential candidate spent a week taking flak from the a week spent in the crosshairs of the military defense and veteran community over ies for his criticism of a Gold Star Ffamily and a retired military general, a veteran gave respectively, Donald Trump was gifted 's luck seemed to have taken a positive turn Tuesday when a veteran gifted him a Purple Heart by a veteran at a Virginia campaign stop Tuesday.
The Washington Post first reported that tTrump he Republican presidential nominee was given the award, which is designated for American service members injured in combat, at an event in Ashburn, Virginia, the Washington Post first reported. It was presented by retired Army Lt. Col. Louis Dorfman, who received the medal Purple Heart after being wounded in action in Iraq, according to Politico reported.
"That's my real Purple Heart," Trump said Dorfman told him, calling the moment an honor. "I have such confidence in you."According to CNN video of Trump's speech at the event, the veteran was identified as retired Lt. Col. Louis Dorfman, who received the Purple Heart "after being wounded in action in Iraq," Politico reported.
Trump is taking some heat for his response, though, after he said he "always wanted to get the Purple Heart — this was much easier," before placing the medal in his suit jacket pocket, Politico reported.
And the criticism wasn't limited to social media. U.S. House candidate Sean Barney, a Purple Heart recipient and former Marine veteran who was severely injured after a sniper shot him through the neck in Iraq fought in the Iraq war, issued a statement calling ondemning Trump's the comments "flippant and repugnant Tuesday afternoon."
"Today, a Donald Trump supporter handed him a Purple Heart," Bratton said. "Trump's flippant and repugnant reply: 'I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier.'"
"As someone who fought for our country in Iraq, was injured, and was awarded a Purple Heart, I can tell you, no one should ever 'want' to get a Purple Heart," said Barney, a Democrat from Delaware the statement continued.
Others took to social media to sound off on the event.
But despite Trump's in-speech insistence that the medal was the actual award given to Dorfman in recognition of his service, NBC's Katy Tur told Twitter that Dorfman said the medal given to Trump was a reproduction, as the Charlotte Observer reported. In any case, the reactions to Dorfman's gift — and to Trump's enthusiastic reaction — were mixed.
Trump's campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
