President Trump tweets photoshopped image of him honoring hero dog Conan who cornered IS chief al-Baghdadi
President Trump shared a photoshopped image of himself placing a medal of honor around the neck of Conan, the brave canine who chased down terrorist Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi before he detonated a suicide vest.
"AMERICAN HERO", the commander-in-chief wrote in the caption.
The altered image, which is lifted from Conan's official government portrait, puts his face over that of Vietnam veteran James McCloughan, who received the Medal of Honor to in 2017.
Trump announced in a follow-up tweet that sometime next week Conan would actually be visiting the White House.
Unsurprisingly, critics of the president slammed him for being disrespectful towards McCloughan by posting the photoshopped image. But the war veteran later said he didn't mind and that, in fact, it was a fitting tribute to Conan.
"This recognizes the dog is part of that team of brave people," McCloughan told The New York Times.
When a reporter showed him the altered image, McCloughan laughed and noted that he himself had worked with one military canine in Vietnam. "They are very courageous," he said of military dogs.
McCloughan became the first veteran to be awarded a Medal of Honor during the Trump administration. He was just 23 when he ran into the line of fire to save 10 US soldiers and one Vietnamese person during the Battle of Nui Yon Hill on May 19, 1969.
In August 2017, five of the soldiers he saved attended the solemn White House ceremony. "It was as if the strength and the pride of our whole nation were beating inside Jim's heart. He just kept on going," Trump remarked at the time.
However, CNN star Jim Acosta clarified the situation for those who were confused, saying a White House source had confirmed that Conan was not actually present at the White House.
The hero dog sustained severe injuries after coming in contact with a live electrical wire as he cornered the ISIS leader into a tunnel, Marine Corps General Kenneth F McKenzie Jr, the operational commander of the Delta Force raid on Baghdadi's compound, revealed Wednesday.
That said, the unstoppable Conan has already returned to service.
Meanwhile, the president latched on to the military dog's inspirational story earlier this week. "We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi!" Trump tweeted Monday.