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SOLDIERS ON TRUMP'S SPEECH: Honoring fallen SEAL was to 'score political points,' while others say it was 'sincere'

Mar 3, 2017, 04:10 IST

Ellsworth Honor Guardsmen practice live-firing party movements at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., Feb. 9, 2015.Senior Airman Zachary Hada/USAF

While some pundits have praised President Donald Trump's recent speech to a joint session of Congress, in which he mentioned the death of Navy SEAL Chief William "Ryan" Owens, others have criticized Trump for using Owens' wife Carryn as a "political prop."

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"Ryan's legacy is etched into eternity," Trump said on Tuesday, as cameras captured Carryn tearing up and mouthing the words, "I love you," while looking up to the heavens.

It was perhaps the most emotional moment of Trump's speech, and yet, also one of the most controversial, as a tweet from Brandon Friedman, a former Army officer who now runs a strategic communications firm, made clear.

"Media people in my feed viewed Trump's Navy SEAL moment very differently from the veterans," Friedman wrote, including a side-by-side view of journalists vs. veterans opinions on the matter.

Business Insider asked veterans for their thoughts on that moment, and many were happy to share their views (lightly edited for clarity), pro or con. But one thing became very clear: The opinions of veterans can vary greatly.

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