By STEVE PEOPLES and SARAH BLAKE MORGAN
Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - The relationship between the nation’s veterans and President Donald Trump has been strained repeatedly over the last four years. But just four months before Election Day, new cracks with dangerous political ramifications are being exposed amid reports that Trump either ignored, or was unaware of, a Russian plot to kill U.S. troops. There was a significant outcry this week from retired servicemen, elected officials in both parties and families of fallen soldiers who have lost confidence in the president’s commitment to the troops. Any erosion in Trump support from the national security community could damage his reelection prospects, particularly in swing states with large military communities.

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