During the entire 2016 election, Donald Trump often brought up how he would help veterans if he were to be elected president . After nearly a year in office and it appears that the president is making a critical cut to a key veterans program.

Trump on vets

When Donald Trump kicked off his campaign for president back in the summer of 2015, he had several talking points that he knew would play well with the conservative base. Trump made sure to push hard for immigration and tax reform, as well as the repeal of the Affordable Care Act. Another area that Trump dialed in on was veterans, often speaking out in praise of the military during his campaign events.

A long-time Republican position, Trump vowed to be the best commander in chief for veterans, despite often finding himself in controversial situations, including his insulting remarks about Arizona Sen. John McCain not being a war hero because he was captured and made a POW during the Vietnam War. Fast forward to present day and the former host of "The Apprentice" has been in office for nearly 11 months, but little has been done in the way for veterans and current members of the military. As reported by The Hill on December 6, Trump has decided to slash nearly a half a billion dollars from a veterans program designed to help homeless vets find housing.

First reported by Politico on Wednesday, the Department of Veterans Affairs announced on a conference call that they were cutting a program used to help get Homeless Veterans off the street and into housing.

According VA Secretary David Schulkin, the program's $460 million budget will all but be eliminated, with some of the funds being allocated to VA hospitals who will then be allowed to use the money in other ways.

On the conference call was Elisha Harig-Blaine of the National League of Cities who warned that cutting the funding to the group in question would be "putting at risk the lives of men and women who’ve served this country." Democrat Sen.

Patty Murray also gave her thoughts, blasting Donald Trump and the administration, saying it was a "new low" for the White House.

Quick shots

Responding to the cuts to the veterans program, critics of Donald Trump made sure to hit back. "As a Vet, this makes me want to punch everyone associated with @realDonaldTrump even more," one Twitter user wrote.

"Can't have those people who served our country actually living here. Thanks Trump," one sarcastic tweet read. "Trump is a fraud," another tweet read, with an additional calling the president a "scam artist." "Not content with just insulting POWs and Gold Star families I guess," a social media user stated.

"Everyone please retweet what he is doing to our beloved veterans I am pissed off!" a follow-up tweet noted.

"I hope his choppers fall on the floor and Mike Pence steps on them. What a bum. We're better off attacking Trump on his record, not so much his ethics," another post noted. The backlash to Donald Trump showed no signs of ending after less than a year in office.
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