Trump grieves with families during return of soldiers killed in war in the Middle East

 President Donald Trump on Saturday joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base at the dignified transfer for the six U.S. soldiers killed in the war in the Middle East.

The dignified transfer, a ritual that returns the remains of U.S. service members killed in action, is considered one of the most somber duties of any commander in chief. During his first term, Trump said bearing witness to the transfer was “the toughest thing I have to do” as president.

“It’s a very sad day,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One as he returned to Florida later Saturday afternoon, saying that he was “glad we paid our respects.” He said the relatives of the deceased are “great people, great parents, wives, family” and said that the “parents were so proud.”

Both Trump and Vice President JD Vance were present for the transfer, as were their spouses. A host of top administration officials were in attendance, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who wrote in a social media post Friday of “an unbreakable spirit to honor their memory and the resolve they embodied”; Attorney General Pam Bondi, White House ...