For more than three decades, Marines and their families, as well as staff stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, were exposed to toxic drinking water. Up to a million people drank, cooked with, and bathed in the contaminated water, which has been linked to several serious health conditions, including kidney cancer, liver cancer, bladder cancer, leukemia, and Parkinson’s disease.
The Camp Lejeune Justice Act, a part of the PACT Act, passed under a Democratic-controlled Congress and signed into law by former President Joe Biden, allows eligible people harmed by contaminated drinking water at the military base to seek compensation from the government.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated the government will eventually pay out as much as 15 billion when all lawsuits have been settled. Only $879 million has been paid as of Oct. 21, 2026.
At a rally supporting Republican candidates two weeks before the midterm elections, President Donald Trump told a crowd in Greenville that he would direct the Department of Justice to settle the remaining claims, but only if Republicans win the midterms.
“If we win the House and the Senate, I am directing the Department of Justice to settle all remaining legitimate claims as soon as possible and get it off the books and get it finished,” Trump said. “So, if we don’t win, there’s no money. If we do win, you’re getting it.”
Trump’s rally included Republican US Senate nominee Michael Whatley, 1st Congressional District candidate retired Army Col. Laurie Buckhout, 11th Congressional District nominee Jennifer Balkcom, and US Sens. Ted Budd (R-NC) and Tim Scott (R-SC).
Cardinal & Pine reached out to the Whatley and Buckhout campaigns for comment but had not heard back at the time of publishing.
Ironically, just after making support for veterans exposed to contaminated water conditional on an electoral victory, Trump claimed to support the troops and veterans.
“We will never abandon the heroes who served America,” he said.
What was the reaction to Trump’s remarks?
While Trump was still speaking, Gov. Josh Stein (D) condemned the president’s remarks in a post to X.
“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,” Stein said.
Former Gov. Roy Cooper, Whatley’s opponent for the US Senate, blasted Trump’s comments and wondered where Whatley stood.
“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,” Cooper said on X.
Common Defense, a grassroots veterans organization founded in 2016 to combat authoritarianism, also criticized the president for tying support to the election.
“President Trump’s threat to withhold funding for military families and veterans poisoned by toxic water at Camp Lejeune unless Republicans keep control of the House and Senate is disgusting, shameful, and anti-American,” Tariq Smith, deputy organizing director for Common Defense, told Cardinal & Pine in a statement.
Smith, a North Carolinian and military family member, also hit out at what he described as Trump’s broken promises to veterans and all Americans.
“He promised no cuts to vital VA services – that was a lie. He promised no new forever wars – that was a lie. He promised to bring down prices for military families – that was a lie. The victims of Camp Lejeune deserve justice, not jokes,” Smith said.
