Donald Trump Has 'Failed Miserably' In Supporting Troops and Their Families, Says Democratic Senator and Iraq Veteran

President Donald Trump has "failed miserably" with efforts to support the country's troops, according to a Democratic senator and Iraq war veteran on Thursday citing recent actions taken by Trump and his administration.

Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois blasted Trump over his canceling an appearance at a ceremony in France to honor troops killed during World War I, the failure of the Department of Veterans Affairs to pay out certain benefits to veterans and Trump sending troops to the southern border to fend off an "invasion" of immigrants.

"He's failed miserably when it comes to supporting our troops and their families," Duckworth told CNN.

"If he truly cared about the troops he would go visit them in a combat zone, he would go to the cemetery whether it was raining or snowing to honor our heroic dead," Duckworth added.

Duckworth noted the almost 6,000 troops the president sent to the southern border as another point that demonstrated his lack of true support for the military.

During his 2016 campaign and his almost two years in office, Trump has publicly praised the military and promised to improve the treatment of veterans. He secured a record budget for the Defense Department, while Congress also passed last year a bill that would expand benefits for veterans and their families.

But Veterans Affairs has struggled to give out housing benefits to veterans due to technology issues, with Duckworth stating "80,000 veterans" had yet to receive the payments as they headed back to school.

Duckworth said Trump could remedy the situation by forming a real strategy to deal with North Korea and to work on filling "the 40,000 vacancies that exist within the VA right now in programs that have everything to do with homelessness to mental health."

Trump received significant public blowback after he failed to attend the ceremony honoring American troops in France over the weekend due to rain. The president, however, said his helicopter could not fly to the ceremony and that the Secret Service said driving would have caused a "shutdown" of Paris.

"By the way, when the helicopter couldn't fly to the first cemetery in France because of almost zero visibility, I suggested driving. Secret Service said NO, too far from airport & big Paris shutdown. Speech next day at American Cemetery in pouring rain! Little reported-Fake News!" Trump tweeted Tuesday.

On Thursday, the president and first lady headed to the Marine barracks in Washington and he later delivered remarks at the White House in support of veterans and their families.