2024 presidential candidates on veterans

2024 presidential candidates on the issues

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Presidential election
Presidential candidates
Republican nomination

Democratic nomination

This page includes statements from the 2024 presidential candidates on veterans. These statements were compiled from each candidate's official campaign website.

The candidates featured on this page were the noteworthy Democratic and Republican candidates in the 2024 presidential election. Only candidates who addressed this page's issue on their campaign website, in public statements, or in public speeches have a quote featured on this page. See something we missed? Email us. The active noteworthy presidential candidates as of November 5, 2025, were:

Kamala Harris (D)
Donald Trump (R)
Chase Oliver (L)
Jill Stein (G)

Veterans

Democratic candidates

Kamala D. Harris

Harris' campaign website said, "Vice President Harris and Governor Walz believe we have a sacred obligation to care for our nation’s service members, veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors. These Americans represent the bravest among us who have put their lives on the line to defend the promise of America, stand up for our values, and protect our fundamental freedoms. Vice President Harris and President Biden have delivered the most significant expansion of benefits and services for veterans exposed to burn pits, Agent Orange, and other toxic substances in more than 30 years. The son of an Army veteran who served as a command sergeant major, Governor Walz was the ranking member on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, where he passed legislation to help stem veterans’ suicides. They will fight to end veteran homelessness, investing in mental health and suicide prevention efforts, and eliminating barriers to employment and expanding economic opportunity for military and veteran families. A Harris-Walz administration will continue to ensure that service members, veterans and their families receive the benefits they have earned." ^{[source, as of 2024-09-09]}

Dean Phillips

Phillips' campaign website said, "I lost my birth father, Artie, in the Vietnam War, so I know all too well the sacrifices made by our veterans and their families. As a Gold Star Son and member of Congress, I’m on a mission to ensure we take care of those who risk their lives in service to our country—and that we don’t forget about the families they leave behind." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-19]}

Marianne Williamson

Williamson's campaign website said, "I have a deep sense of gratitude for the women and men that serve in our armed forces. It saddens me that some Veterans don’t always have access to the best care and attention that they have earned. That’s why, if I am elected president, I will work closely with veteran advocacy groups to put forth policies that matter most to our nation’s active duty service members and veterans." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-19]}

Republican candidates

Ron DeSantis

DeSantis’ campaign website listed the following policies, “Address root causes, facilitate timely access to care, and increase support for PTS, depression, and substance abuse. Expand benefits, educational training, and work opportunities to assist veterans in the transition to civilian life. Expand the VA FOX Grant program and ensure funding goes to state and local entities. Make the Executive Director of VA Suicide Prevention a politically appointed position that reports directly to the Secretary. Create a uniform veteran status verification tool for local counties and municipalities, ensuring better data on veteran suicide.” ^{[source, as of 2023-12-19]}

Nikki Haley

In an op-ed Haley wrote, “The Department of Veterans Affairs is a bureaucratic maze, still plagued by red tape, delays, and lack of transparency. It would be challenging for the most experienced government lawyer to navigate this mess, let alone our veterans who are transitioning from military to civilian life. I would like to see members of Congress try to navigate the VA system and get the care they need. In fact, that is exactly what I’m proposing. Members of Congress should live with the same VA healthcare as our veterans. They should experience the same delays, get the same bureaucratic runaround, and endure the same frustration as our heroes. They always say they understand what veterans are going through. They don’t. But with my proposal, they will. After decades of well-meaning but insufficient reforms, the best way to get Congress to act is to make it personal. Let’s make Congress a stakeholder in our veterans’ care.” ^{[source, as of 2023-05-24]}

Donald Trump

Trump's campaign website said, "President Donald J. Trump passed the largest reform of the Department of Veterans Affairs in a generation, including VA Accountability and VA Choice, and fired 11,500 federal workers who failed to give our wounded warriors the quality and timely care they so richly deserve. He secured record funding for mental health services, and expanded access to telehealth and suicide prevention resources. To secure the blessings of freedom for those who risked their lives to defend it, President Trump decreased veteran homelessness, increased educational benefits, and achieved record-low veteran unemployment." ^{[source, as of 2023-12-21]}