Palin said some vets question the support they receive from Obama when they return home.
Sarah Palin is taking heat for linking her son’s arrest to President Barack Obama.
Her oldest son, 26-year-old Iraqi war veteran, Track, was arrested on domestic abuse charges on Monday for allegedly punching his girlfriend and also allegedly threatening to kill himself.
Speaking about the arrest during a rally in Tulsa on Wednesday, Palin said: “My son, like so many others, came back [from war] a bit different, they come back hardened.
Read: Sarah Palin's Son Track, 26, is Arrested For Allegedly Punching His Girlfriend
"They come back wondering if there is that respect for what it is that their fellow soldiers and airman and every other member of the military so sacrificially have given to this country. And that starts from the top.”
She continued: “That comes from our own President. They have to look at him and wonder, 'do you know what we go through? Do you know what we're trying to do to secure America?'"
On Thursday, the White House responded to her remarks.
“I don’t know if the president saw the remarks,” Press Secretary Josh Earnest said. “I can tell you that the reaction of some people is to make light of the rhetoric that we see on the campaign trail, particularly from governor Palin, but the fact is domestic violence is not a joke. The issues that she's talking about are quite serious.”
Speaking to INSIDE EDITION, David Chasteen, the Western Regional Director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said he felt compassion for the Palin family.
“When I heard Sarah Palin make her comments about President Obama, my first response was concern for her and her son, who’s a veteran, and understanding for her anger,” he said.
But he added: “It’s tempting to lash out at someone who may or may not be responsible. At the end of the day, blaming someone is not going to make her son better but the kinds of programs that the VA and others offer might.”
Track started his deployment in Iraq in 2008 and also served in Afghanistan. In 2011, he divorced his high school sweetheart, Britta Hanson, after a year of marriage. He also has a daughter, Kyla.
Read: Trump: I'd Give Sarah Palin a Role in My Administration
He was arrested on Monday following the alleged incident at his mom’s home, where he lives, in Wasilla, Alaska.
According to the police report, Track’s girlfriend hid under a bed inside a dark bedroom to get away from him. Track reportedly told police officers that he fought with his girlfriend because she was still in touch with an ex.
Track was arraigned Tuesday on charges of domestic violence assault, interfering with a report of domestic violence crime and possession of a firearm while intoxicated.
An attorney for the Palin family asked for respect for the family’s privacy "as Track receives the help that he and many of our returning veterans need."
Watch: Sarah Palin Says Trump Would Be 'Fun to Belly Up at the Bar With'
