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- Joe Biden and Donald Trump are both vying for the veteran vote as they seek a second term in office.
- Biden and Trump both signed laws to expand veteran benefits: the PACT and Mission Acts, respectively.
- Both acts were praised by veterans, but implementation faced challenges under each administration.
President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump have both sought to claim the mantle of veterans champion as each vies for a second term in office.
The campaign has often focused on the symbolic and intangible, such as Biden visiting a World War I cemetery during a recent trip to France that Trump opted against visiting during his tenure after since the law’s implementation.
Another major element of the Mission Act, a commission that studied the VA’s infrastructure needs, fizzled out when it recommended closing 17 medical centers and dozens of aging or underused clinics. Lawmakers in both parties who had facilities on the chopping block over allegations she did not adequately respond to concerns from whistleblowers and Republican lawmakers that an IT system was exposing veterans’ personal information.
There have been some calls from Republicans for officials involved in the PACT Act bonus scandal to resign, including at least one call for McDonough to step down. But the pressure has so far not reached a groundswell resulting in any resignations, with McDonough saying last month he continues to have faith in his leadership team.
Overall, the highest trust scores for the VA under each administration were nearly tied, according to Wisconsin Watch, a nonpartisan investigative news outlet. They were at 80.2% in 2021 under Trump and 80.4% in 2024 under Biden.