WASHINGTON, DC -- President Trump recently dismissed head trauma suffered by servicemembers in Iraq who came under heavy missile fire, by saying: "I heard that they had headaches.  And a couple of other things – but I would say and I can report it is not very serious."  Today, after the Pentagon announced that thirty-four U.S. servicemembers have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries following the Iranian missile attack on U.S. forces in Iraq, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:

“It’s become clear that 34 U.S. military personnel suffered traumatic brain injuries from Iran’s missile attack in Iraq.  TBI is a serious matter.  It is not a ‘headache,’ and it’s plain wrong for President Trump to diminish their wounds.  He may not have meant to disrespect them, but President Trump’s comments were an insult to our troops.  He owes them an apology. 

“The United States military has invested considerably in educating our personnel about the signs and dangers of TBI, the need to take it seriously, and lift the stigma.  President Trump needs to quickly clarify his comments or they could cause further damage.”