Trump awards Medal of Honor to hero pilot wounded in Maduro raid at State of the Union 2026 address

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President Trump awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to one of the pilots in the Venezuela raid, praising his courage under fire.

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.

Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover, who was wounded in the Nicolas Maduro abduction raid in Venezuela, receives the Congressional Medal of Honor during the State of the Union address in the House Chamber of the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 24, 2026.Chief Warrant Officer Eric Slover received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his role in the raid to capture Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro. AFP via Getty Images

Trump described in detail how Slover, a US Army helicopter pilot, was wounded during the Nicolas Maduro raid.

“The success of the entire mission and the lives of his fellow warriors hinged on Eric’s ability to take searing pain,” Trump said. “It was unbelievable what’s happened to his legs because of the bullets and keep on flying and landing.”


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He noted Slover is still recovering from his wounds. About a half dozen American soldiers were injured in the January raid.

Trump said other members of military involved in the mission would be honored at the White House at a later date.

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