Trump Calls for Firing of Fox Reporter Who Confirmed Atlantic Article on Veterans

President Donald Trump has called for reporter Jennifer Griffin, the national security correspondent for Fox News Channel, to be fired for her reporting on claims made about Trump in an article published Thursday by The Atlantic.

The article claimed the president referred to American World War I veterans buried in France's Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, as "losers" and "suckers" back in 2018, a claim which Griffin admitted she had not confirmed, while claiming other details of the article had been confirmed by some of her sources.

The article, titled Trump: Americans Who Died in War Are 'Losers' and 'Suckers,' was reportedly based on several sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, The Atlantic noted.

Griffin claimed one or two of her anonymous sources had confirmed several details noted in The Atlantic story, in addition to other related details about Trump in a series of several posts published Thursday on her official Twitter account.

She told Fox News' Special Report host Bret Baier that she could not confirm "the most salacious" part of the article, referring to the claim that Trump referred to the American war veterans buried in northern France as "losers" and "suckers."

On Saturday, Trump noted these claims were "all refuted by many witnesses. Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting. Never even called us for comment. @FoxNews is gone!," on his official Twitter account.

Griffin also told Baier that her anonymous sources confirmed the president had referred to Americans who fought in the Vietnam War as "suckers."

She claimed to have confirmed that Trump questioned why veterans fought in the war, asking "What's in it for them? They don't make any money."

Jennifer Griffin of Fox News Did Not Confirm ‘Most Salacious‘ Part of Atlantic Story https://t.co/rUpbSWhHac via @BreitbartNews All refuted by many witnesses. Jennifer Griffin should be fired for this kind of reporting. Never even called us for comment. @FoxNews is gone! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2020

Griffin noted on Twitter: "Two former sr [senior] Trump admin officials confirm .@JeffreyGoldberg reporting that President Trump disparaged veterans and did not want to drive to honor American war dead at Aisne-Marne Cemetery outside Paris.

"According to one former senior Trump administration official: "When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, 'It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker'."

"This former official heard the President say about American veterans: 'What's in it for them? They don't make any money.' Source: 'It was a character flaw of the President. He could not understand why someone would die for their country, not worth it.'

"I read the source a few quotes from The Atlantic article. This former Trump admin official said, "The President would say things like that. He doesn't know why people join the military. He would muse, 'Why do they do it'?," Griffin noted on Twitter.

According to one former senior Trump administration official: "When the President spoke about the Vietnam War, he said, 'It was a stupid war. Anyone who went was a sucker'." — Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) September 4, 2020

Griffin also noted more details around Trump's canceled visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery, which was allegedly canceled because the president "feared his hair would become disheveled in the rain, and because he did not believe it important to honor American war dead, according to four people with firsthand knowledge of the discussion that day," The Atlantic reported.

Griffin claimed: "President Trump's staff explained he could cancel (his visit to the cemetery), but he was warned, 'They (the press) are going to kill you for this'." The President was mad as a hornet when they did," in a post on Twitter.

"When asked IF the President could have driven to the Aisne-Marne Cemetery, this former official said confidently: 'The President drives a lot. The other world leaders drove to the cemeteries. He just didn't want to go'," Griffin noted on a post on Twitter.

Griffin also noted her sources revealed several other details, including on the late Senator John McCain, a Vietnam War veteran who died in 2018, and remarks made by Trump regarding a July 4 military parade.

Griffin noted on Twitter: "Regarding McCain, 'The President just hated John McCain. He always asked, 'Why do you see him as a hero?' Two sources confirmed the President did not want flags lowered but others in the White House ordered them at half mast. There was a stand off and then the President relented."

"Regarding Trump's July 4th military parade, during a planning session at the White House after seeing the Bastille Day parade in 2017, the President said regarding the inclusion of 'wounded guys' 'that's not a good look' 'Americans don't like that,' source confirms," she noted in another post on Twitter.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for The White House, Alyssa Farah, told The Atlantic this week: "This report is false. President Trump holds the military in the highest regard.

"He's demonstrated his commitment to them at every turn: delivering on his promise to give our troops a much needed pay raise, increasing military spending, signing critical veterans reforms, and supporting military spouses. This has no basis in fact," she added.

Newsweek has contacted The White House for further comment.