Donald Trump to skip US soldier memorial, White House confirms (2025)

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Khaleda Rahman is Newsweek's National Correspondent based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on education and national news. Khaleda joined Newsweek in 2019 and had previously worked at the MailOnline in London, New York and Sydney. She is a graduate of University College London. Languages: English. You can get in touch with Khaleda by emailing k.rahman@newsweek.com

National Correspondent

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President Donald Trump will not attend the dignified transfer of the bodies of four American troops who died during a recent training exercise in Lithuania.

"The Secretary of Defense will represent the Administration at the dignified transfer for the four brave U.S. service members who tragically died during a training exercise in Lithuania," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Newsweek.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to Dover Air Force Base mid-morning to participate in a dignified transfer instead, the Department of Defense has confirmed.

Why It Matters

The dignified transfer is considered one of the most solemn traditions in U.S. military protocol. It offers an opportunity for the commander-in-chief to publicly honor fallen service members and offer condolences to their families. Critics have noted that Trump has rarely attended such events. According to a 2020 HuffPost report, Trump was present at only four of the 96 dignified transfers that occurred during his first term.

However, dignified transfer attendance was also rare under former President Joe Biden. During his tenure, Biden attended two such ceremonies—one in August 2021, following the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in a Kabul airport bombing, and another in February 2024 for three soldiers killed in a drone attack in Jordan.

What to Know

The four soldiers—Troy S. Knutson-Collins, 28; Jose Duenez Jr., 25; Edvin F. Franco, 25; and Dante D. Taitano, 21—were part of the 1st Armored Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division. They went missing during a tactical training mission in Lithuania on March 25. Their armored vehicle was discovered submerged in a peat bog the next day, and it took days to recover their bodies.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda attended a departure ceremony in Vilnius on Thursday as the soldiers' remains were repatriated.

Back in the United States, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will travel to Dover Air Force Base mid-morning to participate in a dignified transfer of four U.S. soldiers.

What People Are Saying

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, told Newsweek: "The Secretary of Defense will represent the Administration at the dignified transfer for the four brave U.S. service members who tragically died during a training exercise in Lithuania."

Zac Petkanas, a former senior adviser to Hillary Clinton, wrote on X: "Trump is refusing to go to Dover Air Force Base to meet the coffins of the four US soldiers who died in Lithuania. He's attending a golf dinner reception instead. However, the Lithuanian president found time to meet our soldiers' coffins at his airport."

What Happens Next

The president's public schedule states that he will attend a dinner at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida at 7.30 p.m. ET on Friday.