At a rally in Greenville, North Carolina on Tuesday, President Trump announced that his administration has paid $1 billion in settlements to veterans and families sickened by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune, the U.S. Marine Corps base in Jacksonville, NC.
[NOTE: In September, the U.S. Department of Justice reported that Camp Lejeune settlement offers exceeded $1.1 billion and payouts totaled $879 million. According to Forbes, more than 400,000 claims were filed under the 2022 Camp Lejeune Justice Act, which was signed into law by President Joe Biden.]
Trump added, “If we win the House and the Senate, I am directing the Department of Justice to settle all remaining legitimate claims.” He added, “If we don’t win, there’s no money. If we do win, you’re getting it.”
Trump on Camp Lejeune water contamination claims: “If we win the House and Senate, I am directing the Department of Justice to settle all remaining legitimate claims as soon as possible … if we don’t win, there’s no money.” https://t.co/tcSEivg0PJ
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 21, 2026
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein, a Democrat, responded to Trump’s political caveat: “Real leaders fight for the people, not for power. To condition doing the right thing by sick North Carolinians on who wins the election is foul.”
Real leaders fight for the people, not for power. To condition doing the right thing by sick North Carolinians on who wins the election is foul.
— Josh Stein (@JoshStein_) October 21, 2026
Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, who’s running for U.S. Senate against Trump’s pick, former RNC chairman Michael Whatley, responded, “Nobody should be extorted for their votes, least of all our veterans who have sacrificed for this country. Interested to see if @WhatleyNC thinks the same.”
The group Veterans For Responsible Leadership responded by calling Trump “the most anti-veteran President in American history,” and added, “Veterans and the troops are nothing more than political pawns to this cowardly draft dodger.”
Note: On Monday, Trump’s Attorney General Todd Blanche argued against right-wing activist Laura Loomer, who had accused Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward of “sending these veterans insulting lowball offers.”
Loomer warned that Democrats would “weaponize this against President Trump,” and Blanche replied: “Laura, you should be transparent with your followers, and you are dead wrong about Stanley.” He added: “Find a different obsession other than going after one of DOJ’s best fighters.”
Laura, you should be transparent with your followers, and you are dead wrong about Stanley. He is a patriot who is fighting for POTUS and the American people every day. Decisions in cases like Camp Lejeune are made by me, ODAG, Stanley’s team, the civil division and the trial team, consulting with and keeping the White House counsel’s office and DOW updated along the way. We love our veterans and we want to get these cases right. Find a different obsession other than going after one of DOJ’s best fighters.
— Attorney General Todd Blanche (@AGToddBlanche) October 20, 2026