Bedminster, New Jersey - Donald Trump is facing mounting criticism after he claimed an award he gave to his favorite campaign mega donor is far better than the coveted Medal of Honor.

On Thursday night, a few hours after the Republican presidential candidate delivered a lengthy press conference, Trump gave a speech at his golf club for an event titled "Fighting Antisemitism."

At one point, he began praising Miriam Adelson, the widow of the late GOP mega-donor Sheldon Adelson who continues to contribute to his campaign, and reminisced about how he awarded her the Medal of Freedom back in 2018.

"That's the highest award you can get as a civilian, it's the equivalent of the Congressional Medal of Honor, but civilian version," Trump told the crowd.

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"It's actually much better, because everyone gets the Congressional Medal of Honor – that's soldiers," he continued.

"They're either in very bad shape because they've been hit so many times by bullets, or they're dead.

"She gets it, and she's a healthy, beautiful woman, and they're rated equal," he added.

According to The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, the medal is the "highest award for military valor in action" that is given to any military service member who "distinguishes [themselves] conspicuously by gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of [their] life above and beyond the call of duty."

The White House defines the Medal of Freedom as "the nation's highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors."

Critics, including several veterans and Medal of Honor recipients, have argued that Trump's comments are offensive and disparaging.

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Some critics have also pointed out that being wounded is not a prerequisite to receiving the Medal of Honor, as Trump made it out to be.

On Friday, during a press conference in Milwaukee, Trump's running mate, JD Vance, was asked about the backlash surrounding his boss' remarks.

Vance, who served in the US Marine Corps as a military journalist from 2003 to 2005, insisted that Trump's comments were not at all "denigrating" towards those that have received military honors.

"They are two different awards, and I think the president was saying some nice things about a person he liked, and that's a totally reasonable thing to do," Vance added.