President Trump has long prided himself on being a champion of the armed services, claiming during an interview with AP last month that he has done "more for the military than any president in many, many years." But his rhetorical history paints another picture.

The big picture: Trump has a history of sparring with and criticizing military officials and service members, even before his presidency, though he frequently points to his prioritization of funding for the Pentagon as a sign of his commitment to the troops. Yet two years after his election, he hasn't visited troops in combat zones, and former Trump administration official and retired Marine Col. David Lapan told the New York Times that Trump doesn't understand "the proper use and role of the military and what we can, and can't, do."

What's happened: Most recently, Trump took a dig at retired Navy Adm. William McRaven — a military official who served for over 37 years and organized the Osama bin Laden raid — calling him a "Hillary Clinton backer," and saying it would "have been nice if we got Osama bin Laden a lot sooner."

The bottom line, from retired Gen. Wesley Clark, a former NATO supreme allied commander: "Trump’s actions and behavior have led service members and veterans to question whether he really understands who a commander in chief is, or what he does."

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