Veterans are speaking out on the Trump administration’s plans to cut the VA’s budget

Stephen Watson served in the Marines for 22 years and receives care through the Department of Veterans Affairs for a traumatic brain injury. He supports President Donald Trump and adviser Elon Musk’s cost-cutting program — even if it affects the VA.

“We’re no better because we’re veterans,” said Watson, 68, of Jesup, Georgia. “We all need to take a step back and realize that everybody’s gonna have to take a little bit on the chin to get these budget matters under control.”

Gregg Bafundo served during the first Gulf War and has nerve damage to his feet from carrying loads of weight as a Marine mortarman. He says he may need to turn to the VA for care after being fired as a wilderness ranger and firefighter through the layoffs at the U.S. Forest Service.

“They’re going to put guys like me and my fellow Marines that rely on the VA in the ground,” said Bafundo, 53, who lives in Tonasket, Washington.

The Trump administration’s move to end hundreds of VA contracts — initially paused after public outcry — and ongoing layoffs are affecting the nation’s veterans, a critical and politically influential constituency. More than 9 million veterans get physical and mental health care from the VA, which is now being examined by Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.

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