WH: Kelly Felt Trump's Remarks to Widow Were 'Respectful'By Todd Beamon | Wednesday, 18 Oct 2017
White House chief of staff John Kelly thought President Donald Trump's remarks in a call to the widow of a Green Beret slain by Islamic State terrorists in guy were "completely appropriate" and "respectful," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday.
"Gen. Kelly was present for the call and thought it was completely appropriate," Sanders told reporters at the daily briefing.
"He thought the call was respectful — and he thought that the president did the best job he could under those circumstances to offer condolences on the part of the country."
Trump has no recording of Tuesday's call to Myeshia Johnson, 24, of Miami Gardens, Florida, but Kelly was among "several people in the room from the administration who were on the call," Sanders said.
Kelly, who became chief of staff in July, is a retired Marine Corps general whose son was killed in Afghanistan in 2010.
Trump referenced Kelly's situation Tuesday in arguing former President Barack Obama did not call every Gold Star family in explaining why he had not yet reached out to the family of the dead Green Beret, Army Sgt. La David Johnson, 25, of Miami Gardens, Florida, sooner.
President Trump's remarks to Johnson's pregnant widow Tuesday were slammed as insensitive by Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla.
Wilson charged that Trump told Mrs. Johnson of her slain husband: "He knew what he signed up for . . . but when it happens it hurts anyway."
The four-term representative was in a limousine with Johnson when President Trump called. They were on their way to meet the slain Green Beret's body, which had arrived at Miami International Airport.
La David Johnson was killed with three others in an Oct. 4 ambush by 50 ISIS terrorists in guy.
Two other Berets were wounded — and four Nigerian soldiers also died in the attack.
Johnson's body was left behind. It was found two days later — and the Pentagon was investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
The Johnsons also have a 2-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter.
Trump took to Twitter Wednesday to rip Wilson's attack:
Follow
Donald J. Trump ✔@realDonaldTrump
Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad!
1:25 AM - Oct 18, 2017
75,781 75,781 Replies 24,060 24,060 Retweets 91,820 91,820 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
She later responded:
Follow
Rep Frederica Wilson ✔@RepWilson
I stand my account of the call with @realDonaldTrump and was not the only one who heard and was dismayed by his insensitive remarks.
3:31 AM - Oct 18, 2017 · Washington, DC
1,448 1,448 Replies 5,956 5,956 Retweets 15,431 15,431 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
Follow
Rep Frederica Wilson ✔@RepWilson
I still stand by my account of the call b/t @realDonaldTrump and Myeshia Johnson. That is her name, Mr. Trump. Not "the woman" or "the wife"
6:34 AM - Oct 18, 2017
1,997 1,997 Replies 19,215 19,215 Retweets 52,077 52,077 likes
Twitter Ads info and privacy
At the briefing, Sanders told reporters the Defense Department provided the information on Johnson's death last Thursday and was confirmed by the White House Military Office on Monday.
Letters were drafted to Johnson's widow over the weekend — and they were mailed once all the information was confirmed.
The call with Myeshia Johnson was scheduled Monday for the following day, Sanders said.
"As accounted by multiple people in the room" President Trump was "completely respectful, very sympathetic and expressed the condolences of himself and the rest of the country," she told reporters.
He "thanked the family for their service, commended them for having an American hero in their family — and I don't know how you could take that any other way."
Sanders also attacked the press for its coverage of the matter, saying that it was "a disgrace of the media to try to portray an act of kindness like that and that gesture and to try to make it into something that it isn't."
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/john-kelly-remarks-army-widow-respectful/2017/10/18/id/820614/
