The White House doesn't have recordings of Donald Trump's conversation with Sergeant Johnson's widow
During a press conference on Friday, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told the press that the White House doesn’t have any recordings or transcripts of President Donald Trump’s conversation with Sgt. La David Johnson’s widow, Myeshia Johnson.
On October 4, 2017, Sgt. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, and Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson were killed in Niger after being ambushed by approximately 50 ISIS fighters.
Johnson’s body was discovered two days later in a remote area, approximately a mile away from where the attack occurred.
An investigation has been launched into the soldiers’ deaths. The question about the possible White House tapes and or transcripts arose after Rep. Fredericka Wilson (D-FL), who had a mentoring program in which Sgt. Johnson was a member of as a youth, alleged that Donald Trump was insensitive to the fallen soldier’s widow.
According to Wilson, Trump said to the widow, “Well, I guess he knew what he signed up for… but I guess it still hurts.”
Wilson said that she was present during the call and when she heard Trump’s comment she wanted to “curse him out” but the military officer wouldn’t give her the phone to curse out the president.
Trump denies he made the comment. When asked by reporters if he said what the congresswoman said he said, Trump told the reporters, “I didn’t say what that congresswoman said. Didn’t say it at all. She knows it…I did not say what she said.”
He also tweeted that the congresswoman had misrepresented what he said for her own political gain and that he had evidence of the fact.
Trump tweeted, “Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action and I have proof. Sad”
Welp, it turns out that Trump doesn’t have proof and that Congresswoman Wilson is right in her description of the conversation.
Sgt. La David Johnson’s mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, supported the congresswoman’s claims. Jones-Johnson told the Washington Post, “Trump did disrespect my son.”
And to add salt and lemon juice to this wound, Trump supporter Ed Martin and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly came out and said that Trump said what he said he didn’t say.
Last Wednesday, during an appearance on CNN’s New Day, Ed Martin told host Alisyn Camerota that Trump “actually was saying something nice” when he told Sgt. Johnson’s young widow that the fallen soldier “knew what he signed up for” because Trump was highlighting that Johnson was the type of man who would place himself in danger in order to help others.
Kelly reiterated this point by quoting his casualty officer whom Kelly says told him the same thing about his son, Robert Kelly, that Trump told to Myeshia Johnson.
Kelly quoted his casualty officer as saying to him, “He was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into by joining that 1%. He knew what the possibilities were because we’re at war. And when he died-he was surrounded by the best men on this Earth, his friends.”
To be fair, I understand what Martin and Kelly are trying to say. It’s understandable that someone would try to provide a little bit of relief to a grieving family member by telling him or her that the thing they have to remember is that their loved one was a self-less person who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the country and people he loved with the most precious gift God has given all of us, life, so that we may all continue to live.
However, this message was not well received because of the messenger, Donald Trump, and the person receiving the message, a young 20 plus year old widow.
Trump’s slow response to the soldiers’ deaths and what is increasingly looking like a lie that he has been caught in about his comment to Sgt. Johnson’s widow has sparked widespread anger.
Folks were trying to figure out why Trump was spending all his time golfing and “Mean Girl” tweeting the NFL, Jemele Hill, and everybody else he could tweet junk about instead of speaking about the soldiers’ deaths.
As folks know, Trump has been Johnny on the Spot when it comes to Islamic terrorism. He’s like lighting Jack on those tweets. Just go back to how quickly he responded after the terrorist attacks in Barcelona, Spain and Finland. Trump was tweeting his support and condolences and everything but with this here, un-un. Not a tweet or a speech came from President Donald Trump Sr.
And to make matters worse, Politico reported that the National Security Council (NSC) staffers had a statement written up for the White House.
Politico quoted the statement as saying:
"Melania and I are heartbroken at the news that three U.S.
Service members were killed in Niger on October 4 while
providing guidance and assistance to Nigerian Security force
counter-terror operations. We offer our deepest condolences
to the families and friends of these brave American soldiers
and patriots. They will remain in our thoughts and prayers. We
are also praying for the two U.S. service members who were
injured in the incident. We wish them a complete and swift
recovery. The heroic Americans who lost their lives yesterday
did so defending our freedom and fighting violent extremism
in Niger. Our administration and our entire nation are deeply
grateful for their sacrifice, for their service, and for their
patriotism.”
The folks over at Politico said that they ran into a brick wall when they called the NSC and tried to get answers as to why the statement wasn’t released.
In fact, Politico says the staffer who wrote the letter gave them a quick click after they called her to find out why the letter wasn’t sent. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Mm-hmm.
When Trump did finally respond on last Monday, he added more fuel to the fire. Standing next to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Trump falsely accused past presidents of not calling fallen soldiers’ families. Trump told folks that he did what former Presidents George W. Bush Jr. and Barack Obama Jr. didn’t do, which is to call the families of fallen soldiers.
As evidence of this point, Trump decided to invoke his Chief of Staff John Kelly’s dead son. Trump told the press that President Obama didn’t call John Kelly after his son Robert Kelly was killed in Afghanistan.
Although it is true that Obama didn’t call, it is also true that he reached out to the Kellys and invited them to a Gold Star breakfast in 2011 at the White House; where Kelly and his wife would’ve been seated at the table of then First Lady Michelle Obama.
During his press conference on last Thursday, General Kelly said that he wasn’t knocking former President Obama for not calling him after his son died and that he advised Trump not to call the families.
Kelly said that is just something he wouldn’t advise presidents to do because of how difficult it is. And that’s understandable.
Everyone may not take too well getting condolences from the person who sent their loved one into harm’s way to be killed.
Hey, it’s a hard fact and there are folks who don’t want to deal with that. That’s why it’s important that when a president does make that call that he doesn’t tell a 20 plus year old grieving widow that her young husband “knew what he was getting into.” That shit just doesn’t go over too well.
It’s like telling a young woman whose husband dies from a heart attack, “Well you know, he died while working. And I know how much he loved to work.” People don’t want to hear that shit! They’re hurting! Saying shit like that could get you an ass whuppin’.
I know of somebody who cursed out the preacher after he told her, when she was 15-years-old, that her 40-year-old mother lived a good life and she should be happy that her mother is home with the Lord now. Her response to him was, “Motherfucker are you serious right now?! I’m 15 and I don’t have my god-damn mother anymore.”
With tears streaming down her face, the young girl ran towards the preacher with an ass whuppin’ wrapped up in a bow and box for him. Her daddy, grand-daddy, grandmamma, aunties, uncles, and cousins all jumped up and stopped her from making that preacher wear that good ass whuppin’ she was about to give him.
The point is you don’t say shit like that to somebody. Folks are hurting and they don’t want to hear shit out of anybody’s mouth.
Last Wednesday, Anderson Cooper spoke with Whitney Hunter, a Gold Star widow, who told him this in effect.
Hunter said to Cooper, “Me as a spouse and me being a woman going into a marriage with a solider, I mean of course you know the risk. You know what you’re signed up for. He knew what he was signed up for…But, if it’s not my husband saying it to me or if it’s not me saying it to my husband, I don’t care if it’s my mom or somebody from church-It’s not their position to say that to anyone. It’s insensitive seeming…You don’t say that. It’s not his position.”
And that’s the point folks, being the president of the United States does not give Donald Trump the license to say dumb ass shit to a young grieving widow.
On October 4, 2017, Sgt. La David Johnson, Staff Sgt. Dustin Wright, Staff Sgt. Bryan Black, and Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Johnson were killed in Niger after being ambushed by approximately 50 ISIS fighters.
Johnson’s body was discovered two days later in a remote area, approximately a mile away from where the attack occurred.
An investigation has been launched into the soldiers’ deaths. The question about the possible White House tapes and or transcripts arose after Rep. Fredericka Wilson (D-FL), who had a mentoring program in which Sgt. Johnson was a member of as a youth, alleged that Donald Trump was insensitive to the fallen soldier’s widow.
According to Wilson, Trump said to the widow, “Well, I guess he knew what he signed up for… but I guess it still hurts.”
Wilson said that she was present during the call and when she heard Trump’s comment she wanted to “curse him out” but the military officer wouldn’t give her the phone to curse out the president.
Trump denies he made the comment. When asked by reporters if he said what the congresswoman said he said, Trump told the reporters, “I didn’t say what that congresswoman said. Didn’t say it at all. She knows it…I did not say what she said.”
He also tweeted that the congresswoman had misrepresented what he said for her own political gain and that he had evidence of the fact.
Trump tweeted, “Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action and I have proof. Sad”
Welp, it turns out that Trump doesn’t have proof and that Congresswoman Wilson is right in her description of the conversation.
Sgt. La David Johnson’s mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, supported the congresswoman’s claims. Jones-Johnson told the Washington Post, “Trump did disrespect my son.”
And to add salt and lemon juice to this wound, Trump supporter Ed Martin and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly came out and said that Trump said what he said he didn’t say.
Last Wednesday, during an appearance on CNN’s New Day, Ed Martin told host Alisyn Camerota that Trump “actually was saying something nice” when he told Sgt. Johnson’s young widow that the fallen soldier “knew what he signed up for” because Trump was highlighting that Johnson was the type of man who would place himself in danger in order to help others.
Kelly reiterated this point by quoting his casualty officer whom Kelly says told him the same thing about his son, Robert Kelly, that Trump told to Myeshia Johnson.
Kelly quoted his casualty officer as saying to him, “He was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into by joining that 1%. He knew what the possibilities were because we’re at war. And when he died-he was surrounded by the best men on this Earth, his friends.”
To be fair, I understand what Martin and Kelly are trying to say. It’s understandable that someone would try to provide a little bit of relief to a grieving family member by telling him or her that the thing they have to remember is that their loved one was a self-less person who gave the ultimate sacrifice to protect the country and people he loved with the most precious gift God has given all of us, life, so that we may all continue to live.
However, this message was not well received because of the messenger, Donald Trump, and the person receiving the message, a young 20 plus year old widow.
Trump’s slow response to the soldiers’ deaths and what is increasingly looking like a lie that he has been caught in about his comment to Sgt. Johnson’s widow has sparked widespread anger.
Folks were trying to figure out why Trump was spending all his time golfing and “Mean Girl” tweeting the NFL, Jemele Hill, and everybody else he could tweet junk about instead of speaking about the soldiers’ deaths.
As folks know, Trump has been Johnny on the Spot when it comes to Islamic terrorism. He’s like lighting Jack on those tweets. Just go back to how quickly he responded after the terrorist attacks in Barcelona, Spain and Finland. Trump was tweeting his support and condolences and everything but with this here, un-un. Not a tweet or a speech came from President Donald Trump Sr.
And to make matters worse, Politico reported that the National Security Council (NSC) staffers had a statement written up for the White House.
Politico quoted the statement as saying:
"Melania and I are heartbroken at the news that three U.S.
Service members were killed in Niger on October 4 while
providing guidance and assistance to Nigerian Security force
counter-terror operations. We offer our deepest condolences
to the families and friends of these brave American soldiers
and patriots. They will remain in our thoughts and prayers. We
are also praying for the two U.S. service members who were
injured in the incident. We wish them a complete and swift
recovery. The heroic Americans who lost their lives yesterday
did so defending our freedom and fighting violent extremism
in Niger. Our administration and our entire nation are deeply
grateful for their sacrifice, for their service, and for their
patriotism.”
The folks over at Politico said that they ran into a brick wall when they called the NSC and tried to get answers as to why the statement wasn’t released.
In fact, Politico says the staffer who wrote the letter gave them a quick click after they called her to find out why the letter wasn’t sent. Makes you wonder, doesn’t it? Mm-hmm.
When Trump did finally respond on last Monday, he added more fuel to the fire. Standing next to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Trump falsely accused past presidents of not calling fallen soldiers’ families. Trump told folks that he did what former Presidents George W. Bush Jr. and Barack Obama Jr. didn’t do, which is to call the families of fallen soldiers.
As evidence of this point, Trump decided to invoke his Chief of Staff John Kelly’s dead son. Trump told the press that President Obama didn’t call John Kelly after his son Robert Kelly was killed in Afghanistan.
Although it is true that Obama didn’t call, it is also true that he reached out to the Kellys and invited them to a Gold Star breakfast in 2011 at the White House; where Kelly and his wife would’ve been seated at the table of then First Lady Michelle Obama.
During his press conference on last Thursday, General Kelly said that he wasn’t knocking former President Obama for not calling him after his son died and that he advised Trump not to call the families.
Kelly said that is just something he wouldn’t advise presidents to do because of how difficult it is. And that’s understandable.
Everyone may not take too well getting condolences from the person who sent their loved one into harm’s way to be killed.
Hey, it’s a hard fact and there are folks who don’t want to deal with that. That’s why it’s important that when a president does make that call that he doesn’t tell a 20 plus year old grieving widow that her young husband “knew what he was getting into.” That shit just doesn’t go over too well.
It’s like telling a young woman whose husband dies from a heart attack, “Well you know, he died while working. And I know how much he loved to work.” People don’t want to hear that shit! They’re hurting! Saying shit like that could get you an ass whuppin’.
I know of somebody who cursed out the preacher after he told her, when she was 15-years-old, that her 40-year-old mother lived a good life and she should be happy that her mother is home with the Lord now. Her response to him was, “Motherfucker are you serious right now?! I’m 15 and I don’t have my god-damn mother anymore.”
With tears streaming down her face, the young girl ran towards the preacher with an ass whuppin’ wrapped up in a bow and box for him. Her daddy, grand-daddy, grandmamma, aunties, uncles, and cousins all jumped up and stopped her from making that preacher wear that good ass whuppin’ she was about to give him.
The point is you don’t say shit like that to somebody. Folks are hurting and they don’t want to hear shit out of anybody’s mouth.
Last Wednesday, Anderson Cooper spoke with Whitney Hunter, a Gold Star widow, who told him this in effect.
Hunter said to Cooper, “Me as a spouse and me being a woman going into a marriage with a solider, I mean of course you know the risk. You know what you’re signed up for. He knew what he was signed up for…But, if it’s not my husband saying it to me or if it’s not me saying it to my husband, I don’t care if it’s my mom or somebody from church-It’s not their position to say that to anyone. It’s insensitive seeming…You don’t say that. It’s not his position.”
And that’s the point folks, being the president of the United States does not give Donald Trump the license to say dumb ass shit to a young grieving widow.
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