Trump Awards Medals Of Honor To Two Pilots During State Of The Union
Trump awarded Medals of Honor to Eric Slover, wounded in the Jan. 3 Maduro raid, and 100-year-old Royce Williams for a Nov. 18, 1952 dogfight.
Overview
President Donald Trump presented Medals of Honor to Army Chief Warrant Officer 5 Eric Slover and retired Navy Capt. E. Royce Williams during his State of the Union address Tuesday.
Slover’s award recognizes his actions as the lead CH-47 Chinook pilot in the raid that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, and Williams’s medal recognizes a previously classified Nov. 18, 1952 dogfight.
Slover and his wife received a standing ovation and chants of "USA, USA, USA" as they entered the chamber, and first lady Melania Trump placed the Medal of Honor around Williams’s neck.
Trump said Slover was hit four times, "absorbed four agonizing shots," and that the operation left seven U.S. service members wounded while 10 other participants will receive medals at a private White House ceremony.
Officials said Slover continues to recover from his wounds, and the presentations marked the first time a Medal of Honor has been bestowed during the annual State of the Union address.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame this story around heroic U.S. military action and presidential praise, privileging valor and mission success while omitting dissenting or international perspectives. Editorial choices — using phrases like "heavily protected military fortress" and "absorbed four agonizing shots," quote selection, and SOTU placement — build a patriotic, triumphalist narrative.
Sources (10)
FAQ
The raid aimed to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. Months of covert planning led to the operation, which involved troops infiltrating Maduro's heavily protected military fortress and whisking him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.[1]
Seven U.S. service members were wounded in the raid, suffering from gunshot wounds and shrapnel-related injuries.[1] Eric Slover specifically was hit four times in the leg and hip, with one bullet after another striking him and shredding his leg into numerous pieces.[1]
According to a witness account from a Venezuelan guard, the U.S. used advanced technology that caused Venezuelan soldiers to suffer severe physical symptoms, including bleeding through the nose and vomiting blood. The guard described the American forces as using technology 'unlike anything he has ever seen' and noted that radar systems were shut down and drones were deployed before helicopters arrived with U.S. troops.[2]
An estimated 100 Venezuelan security forces were killed in the January 3 attack, according to the country's Interior Ministry.[2]
Yes, Trump said that 10 other service members who took part in the operation will be receiving medals at a private ceremony to be held at the White House.[1]
History
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