Top figures in the Republican Party on Thursday remembered the sacrifices that thousands of American soldiers made as they stormed the beaches of northern France to liberate Europe from Nazi control.

Their statements came on the 80th anniversary of the June 6, 1944, invasion of Normandy — dubbed Operation Overlord — the largest amphibious invasion in world history. More than 2,500 Americans were killed on that day.

“Today, we honor the immortal heroes who landed at Normandy 80 years ago,” said former President Donald Trump, the party’s presumptive presidential nominee. “The men of D-Day will live forever in history as among the bravest, noblest, and greatest Americans ever to walk the earth. They shed their blood, and thousands gave their lives, in defense of American Freedom. They are in our hearts today and for all time.”

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis posted a video on X to commemorate the event and wrote: “Eighty years ago, on June 6th, 1944, over 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy to defend liberty and defeat evil. They are to be remembered as some of the bravest and most courageous in American history. We celebrate them and honor them.”

“I am pleased to announce that I will be presenting the Florida Medal of Merit to five brave Floridians who landed on those beaches and displayed that extraordinary courage,” he wrote. “Florida expresses its deepest gratitude to every American who answered the call to serve in WWII and solemnly honors those who gave all and did not return home.”

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Eighty years ago, on June 6th, 1944, over 150,000 Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy to defend liberty and defeat evil. They are to be remembered as some of the bravest and most courageous in American history. We celebrate them and honor them.

I am pleased to… pic.twitter.com/rwli851H5J

— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) June 6, 2024

House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) wrote in a post on X: “Today, we remember the extraordinary efforts of nearly 160,000 Allied troops who landed on the beaches of Normandy to fight Nazi Germany—the turning point in WWII.”

“We are forever grateful for their courage and always remember their sacrifice,” he added.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) wrote an op-ed in The New York Times about remembering the sacrifices that were made and the mistakes that happened in the 1930s that led to World War II.

“American soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines joined allies and took the fight to the Axis powers not as a first instinct, but as a last resort. They ended a war that the free world’s inaction had left them no choice but to fight,” he said. “Generations have taken pride in the triumph of the West’s wartime bravery and ingenuity, from the assembly lines to the front lines. We reflect less often on the fact that the world was plunged into war, and millions of innocents died, because European powers and the United States met the rise of a militant authoritarian with appeasement or naïve neglect in the first place.”

“We forget how influential isolationists persuaded millions of Americans that the fate of allies and partners mattered little to our own security and prosperity. We gloss over the powerful political forces that downplayed growing danger, resisted providing assistance to allies and partners, and tried to limit America’s ability to defend its national interests,” he warned. “Today, America and our allies face some of the gravest threats to our security since Axis forces marched across Europe and the Pacific. And as these threats grow, some of the same forces that hampered our response in the 1930s have re-emerged.”

Eighty years after D-Day, we remember the brave heroes who ended a war and liberated the free world. It’s time for America and our allies to honor their sacrifice with our actions and meet today’s axis of authoritarians with unity and strength.

My thoughts in today’s…

— Leader McConnell (@LeaderMcConnell) June 6, 2024