EXCLUSIVE: Donald Trump Under Fire Over Payouts to Families of Fallen Troops
Donald Trump has been facing backlash over payouts to families of fallen troops.
Sept. 8 2026, Published 11:18 a.m. ET
Donald Trump is facing fierce criticism over the treatment of families of US troops killed during military operations against Iran, amid complaints Pentagon rules and confusing classifications have left grieving relatives struggling to establish what payments they are owed.
RadarOnline.com can reveal the dispute emerged after Libby Klinner said she had initially been told by the US Air Force some additional benefits would not apply following the death of her husband, Major Alex Klinner, 33, because Congress had not formally declared war.
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Libby Klinner seeks clear answers about her late husband's benefits.
Klinner was among six crew members killed when a KC-135 refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq in March while supporting US strikes against Iran. Eighteen US service members have been killed and 780 wounded since the conflict began more than six months ago.
Klinner told the Associated Press: "My husband lost his life, because we're in a war, and then I was told that because it's not technically a war, we lose out on something. It all comes down to principle."
A military source exclusively told Radar about the backlash against Trump amid the case: "The anger is not simply about one payment or one mistake on a paycheck. Families are sending their husbands, wives, sons and daughters into operations where Americans are being killed and wounded, and they expect the government to recognize the reality of what those troops are being asked to do."
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Donald Trump called the conflict small potatoes.
The military source added: "When a family has just lost somebody, the last thing they should be doing is fighting through layers of bureaucracy or trying to understand whether Washington considers something a war, a conflict, or an operation. Those distinctions may matter inside government, but they mean very little to somebody whose loved one did not come home.
"This is politically uncomfortable for the Trump administration because the President has himself used the language of war. Families will inevitably ask why that description can be used when discussing military success but suddenly becomes more complicated when questions are raised about casualties and benefits.
"Nobody is suggesting the president personally calculates a fallen service member's final paycheck. The criticism is about responsibility at the top. If American personnel are being placed in harm's way, the administration has to make certain their families encounter a system that is accurate, straightforward and compassionate.
"There is particular sensitivity around Gold Star families because these are people who have already made an unimaginable sacrifice. Even an administrative mistake can become deeply distressing when somebody is grieving.
"The Pentagon ultimately clarified this case, but families want confidence that nobody else will have to fight for answers. Whatever Washington chooses to call the operation, troops and their relatives need absolute clarity about what they are entitled to."
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Libby Klinner protested the confusing payout rules.
Klinner's case gained widespread attention after she described her experience online, prompting the Air Force to contact her and clarify the payments included in her husband's final paycheck.
Officials acknowledged the Major had initially received inaccurate information. They said her husband's final payment did include hazard pay and combat-related tax benefits, although combat pay had been incorrectly itemized.
The additional combat payment was worth $225 a month and did not depend upon Congress having formally declared war.
Klinner added in a statement: "What this experience made clear to me is how difficult it can be for a grieving family to navigate classifications, terminology and government processes at the very moment we are least equipped to do so."
She also said: "No Gold Star family should have to become an expert in government language to understand what they are entitled to. Alex understood the risks that came with his service, and he trusted that if the worst happened, his family would be taken care of."
Trump Claims Iran Conflict Is Small Potatoes
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JD Vance rejected the war label for Iran strikes.
The controversy reached the White House when Vice President JD Vance was questioned about Klinner's case during a briefing.
Vance said: "We want to be as helpful as we can and ensure she gets everything that she is entitled to."
He added: "My message to her would be, 'We love ya, we're grateful for the sacrifice and we very much take very seriously our commitment to get you what you need to get.'"
Vance also resisted describing American operations against Iran as a war, saying there was "no active shooting."
Trump, who has previously referred to the military campaign as a "war," subsequently defended his vice president's characterization and said US strikes against Iran were intermittent.
He said: "A lot of people don't call it a war. I call it a military conflict, because it's small potatoes for us."
Other military families have separately accused the Pentagon of minimizing some injuries by describing them as minor and have questioned whether wounded personnel were being properly recognized as combat casualties.
The US Army has denied that allegation.
US Central Command is not required to publicly disclose every injury suffered by service members, particularly in cases where personnel are able to return to duty shortly afterward.
