We remembered why we fought – but has America forgot?

AS the world paused last week to commemorate VE Day - the anniversary marking the end of the Second World War in Europe - we honoured the courage and sacrifice of those who fought to defeat fascism.

- Chris Bucktin

But, in the United States, that legacy is under assault - not from a foreign power but from within.

Donald Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement claims to champion American values. Yet, its actions are a direct affront to the very generation that secured victory in Europe 80 years ago.

It’s hard to overstate just how deeply offensive Trump's worldview is to what we rightly call the Greatest Generation. These were men and women who gave their lives to push back tyranny.

They defended sovereign nations, stood with allies, and upheld democratic ideals against the darkest forces of the 20th century.

Today, Trump shrugs off America’s responsibilities abroad, cosies up to autocrats, and dismisses NATO as if it were a bad business deal. What makes his role as commander-in-chief of the US military worse is his disgraceful views on those who fought for his freedom.

During his first term in 2018, he famously cancelled a visit to the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery near Paris, where more than 1,800 US Marines are buried.