Trump awards Medal of Honor to hero pilot wounded in Maduro raid at State of the Union 2026 address
President Trump awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to one of the pilots in the Venezuela raid, praising his courage under fire during his State of the Union address Tuesday.
Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover and his wife, Amy, were in the House chamber for the speech, garnering a standing ovation and shouts of “USA, USA, USA” from the crowd.
Trump described in detail how Slover, a US Army helicopter pilot, was wounded during the Nicolas Maduro raid.
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Slover was “hit very badly in the leg and hip” while preparing to land, the president said.
“The success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain,” Trump said.
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Slover piloted a twin-rotor MH-47 Chinook, the lead aircraft, tasked with inserting the assault team in the heavily fortified compound where Maduro was believed to be holed up.
As the helicopters approached, Venezuelan defense systems opened fire.
Slover was struck three times in the leg, the New York Times reported in its account of the raid.
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Trump noted Slover is still recovering. About a half-dozen American soldiers were injured in the January raid.
The president also said other members of the military involved in the mission would be honored at the White House at a later date.
