Trump Told a Soldier’s Widow Her Husband ‘Knew What He Signed Up For,’ His Mother Says

[Zippyjuan]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/18/u...nson-call.html

WASHINGTON — The mother of a soldier killed in an ambush in Niger said Wednesday that President Trump disrespected her family during a call with the man’s widow by saying the soldier “knew what he signed up for.”

President Trump denied he said those words to Sgt. La David T. Johnson’s wife during a Tuesday phone call and escalated his dispute with Representative Frederica Wilson, Democrat of Florida, who first described the exchange on Tuesday.

Speaking before a meeting with members of the Senate Finance Committee, Mr. Trump said, “I had a very nice conversation with the woman, with the wife, who sounded like a wonderful woman.” He also asserted, “I didn’t say what that congresswoman said. Didn’t say it at all, she knows it.”

Yet when asked about Ms. Wilson’s account of the call on Wednesday, Mr. Johnson’s mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, backed the congresswoman’s version. “Yes, he did state that comment,” Ms. Jones-Johnson said of Mr. Trump, corresponding via Facebook.

Pressed twice by reporters about Ms. Wilson’s description, Mr. Trump dared her to make the allegations again. “Let her make her statement again and then you’ll find out,” the president said.

[IMG]https://static01.********/images/2017/10/19/us/19dc-trump3/19dc-trump3-master675.jpg[/IMG]
A video frame of Myeshia Johnson over the casket of her husband, Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in an ambush in Niger, upon his body’s arrival in Miami on Tuesday. Credit WPLG, via Associated Press

Ms. Wilson recounted details of Mr. Trump’s call with Sergeant Johnson’s widow, Myeshia Johnson. On Tuesday, Ms. Wilson was in the car with the widow, and said she overheard the phone call from the president, who was on speakerphone. Sergeant Johnson was killed in an ambush in Niger earlier this month that killed three other soldiers and injured two in the Army Special Forces Unit.

Ms. Wilson said that during the call, the president told Ms. Johnson “something to the fact that he knew what he was getting into when he signed up,” the congresswoman said in an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Wednesday.

“But that’s not the worst part,” Ms. Wilson said. “She was crying the whole time and when she hung up the phone she looked at me and said ‘he didn’t even remember his name.’ That’s the hurting part.”

Mr. Trump’s comments were the latest in a series of remarks he made this week drawing attention to grieving families of fallen solders.

Mr. Trump has said very little about the Niger episode. When he was asked by a reporter about this on Monday, he responded by saying he had written letters to the soldiers’ families. Mr. Trump compared his actions to past presidents and said past presidents have not always contacted families of those killed in action.

[donnay]

Trump says Dem rep 'fabricated' account of call to soldier's widow, has 'proof'
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017...tics+-+Text%29

[dannno]

Does anybody actually believe this $#@!?

[donnay]

Does anybody actually believe this $#@!?

Zip does obviously.

[Jamesiv1]

if he hasn't yet learned he needs to document and record every single utterance, then he's not my hero any more.

but for now, he is still the D.J. Donald Trumpmaster D!

[Raginfridus]

I mean, it wouldn't be out of character for our elected leaders to forget the names of men they've sent to their graves. (Its a long list, too.) I'm sure they're usually coached very thoroughly five to ten minutes before the phone call, which makes him forgetting so soon curious.

[enhanced_deficit]

From some of his statements yes=terday it seems as if he is again in camapaign mode against Obama/Hillary team while trying to claim that he is a better commander in chief than Obama.
His statements are going to get major reactions from media and Dems probably. Trump also suggested Obama did not use to call families of soldiers who died under his command. If he hasn't already, he probably would soon compare his military poll numbers to those of Obama's.


October 17, 2017

Trump on Obama calling soldiers' families: "You can ask Gen. Kelly, did he get a call?"

President Trump did not back down from claims he made at the Rose Garden on Monday, in which he appeared to suggest that past presidents, particularly President Obama, did not call the families of soldiers killed in action.
"President Trump spoke to all four of the families of those who were killed in action in Niger," White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement on Tuesday. "He offered condolences on behalf of a grateful nation and assured them their family's extraordinary sacrifice to the country will never be forgotten."

In another slap at Obama, Mr. Trump said, "Now, as far as other presidents, I don't know, I mean you can ask General Kelly, did he get a call from Obama? You could ask other people. I don't know what Obama's policy was. I write letters and I also call."
Mr. Trump was referring to Robert Kelly, son of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who was killed by an IED while serving as a second lieutenant in Afghanistan in 2010. It was Gen. Joseph Dunford, now the chairmain of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and among Kelly's closest friends, who appeared at his door in Washington D.C., early in the morning to inform him, according to the Washington Post, which also wrote that as soon as Kelly saw Dunford in his service uniform, he knew his son was dead.

A senior administration official says that Obama did not call Kelly after the death of his son.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-o...he-get-a-call/


Related

Military Times: Mere 15 Percent of Troops Approve of Obama

[TheTexan]

Does anybody actually believe this $#@!?

No $#@!. I mean really, who are you going to believe, some scrub nobody, or the President of the United States?

[Danke]

"He knew what he signed up for and the risk it involved. But he did it anyway because he loved his country...

[euphemia]

Stop spinning. People who go into the military do know what they sign up for. They, and their families, know there is always a risk they could die on the job. I grew up in a military family, and we always knew there were ideals worth fighting for. Libertarians believe that, and they would fight to their last breath for the ideal of liberty for all. There were times when PTA meetings at our school were all moms because all the dads were over in southeast Asia. It was a very unjust conflict, but that's how it is. My classmates had draft numbers. It was always a threat and not all of them signed up for it.

Zippy, this kind of stuff is why your side lost. People are offended by it and you need to cut it out. The rest of you should stop with the childish giggling. If you so-called liberty people had put up a halfway decent candidate you might have actually got some votes. Stop ragging on the president. He was duly elected and I am up to here with the silliness. Grow up.

[Zippyjuan]

Trump says Dem rep 'fabricated' account of call to soldier's widow, has 'proof'
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017...tics+-+Text%29

The woman he made the comment to verifies the story.

, Mr. Johnson’s mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, backed the congresswoman’s version. “Yes, he did state that comment,” Ms. Jones-Johnson said of Mr. Trump,

From the Fox link:

Wilson stood by her account Wednesday on Twitter. And on CNN, Wilson said she and other Johnson family members heard what Trump said because the call was put on a speakerphone.

"I have proof, too," she countered.

In another slap at Obama, Mr. Trump said, "Now, as far as other presidents, I don't know, I mean you can ask General Kelly, did he get a call from Obama? You could ask other people. I don't know what Obama's policy was. I write letters and I also call."

Mr. Trump was referring to Robert Kelly, son of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who was killed by an IED while serving as a second lieutenant in Afghanistan in 2010. It was Gen. Joseph Dunford, now the chairmain of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and among Kelly's closest friends, who appeared at his door in Washington D.C., early in the morning to inform him, according to the Washington Post, which also wrote that as soon as Kelly saw Dunford in his service uniform, he knew his son was dead.

A senior administration official says that Obama did not call Kelly after the death of his son.

John Kelly refuses to comment on if he was called or not.

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/obama...ry?id=50533292

The retired general’s son, 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, died in action while serving with the Marines in Afghanistan.

Kelly and his wife attended a breakfast for Gold Star families at the White House in 2011 and sat at first lady Michelle Obama's table, a person familiar with the breakfast told ABC News.

[euphemia]

Everyone can't be Ronald Reagan who always knew what to say and when. Or Calvin Coolidge who just kept quiet.

[donnay]

"He knew what he signed up for and the risk it involved. But he did it anyway because he loved his country...

Fact checked.

[Ender]

Yes- Trump did say this; you can slam on Zip all you want or actually own up to some of Trump's stupid remarks.

Florida Rep. Defends Call Claims: 'I Have Proof Too'
By Sandy Fitzgerald
Wednesday, 18 Oct 2017 8:43 AM

Rep. Frederica Wilson, who President Donald Trump claimed in a Wednesday morning tweet had "totally fabricated" what he'd said to the widow of a Green Beret killed in action in Niger, said she doesn't know what "proof" he says he has that she hadn't told the truth.

"I don't know what kind of proof he could be talking about," Wilson told CNN "New Day" co-host Alisyn Camerota. "I'm not the only person that was in the car. And I have proof too. This man is a sick man. He's cold hearted and he feels no pity or sympathy for anyone."

Wilson, D-Florida, initially complained about the president's call to the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, 25, of Miami Gardens, Tuesday. Johnson died when he and three other Green Berets were ambushed Oct. 4 by ISIS terrorists in Niger.

"This is a grieving widow, a grieving widow who is six months pregnant," Wilson told Camerota. "This is a young woman. She's only 24 years old. She weighs maybe 110 pounds. And she has two other kids. 2 years old and 6 years old. When she actually hung up the phone and she looked at me and said 'he didn't even know his name.' Now, that's the worst part."

Wilson told CNN that she is not trying to prove anything about Trump, and he "evidently is lying, because what I said is true. I have no reason to lie on the president of the United States, with a dead soldier in my community. I have no time. I have no motive."

Wilson said there were other people who heard the speaker phone call, including Mrs. Johnson's aunt, uncle, her own press person, the driver, and the master sergeant making the trip to the airport in Miami.

"We're not trying to, leading up to the funeral of this young man, get into some sort of match with the president of the United States," Wilson told Camerota. "[Trump should be] trying to find out what he could do to make up for what he did say, instead of calling me a liar and calling everyone else in the car a liar. He doesn't even know how to sympathize with people."

Wilson also slammed Trump's decision to tweet an attack on her.

"It's disgraceful for him to even tweet about this, and as I say, this gentleman has a brain disorder and he needs to be checked out," said Wilson.

Trump's tweet came minutes after Wilson was being interviewed on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program, and after she claimed that the president sounded as if he was "almost like joking" when he told the widow of a Green Beret sergeant killed in action in Niger that he "knew what he signed up for."

Story continues below video.

"He said, well, I guess you knew, something to the fact that he knew what he was getting into when he signed up, but I guess it hurts anyway,'" the Florida Democrat told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program. "You know, just matter of factually. That this happens. Anyone who is signing up for military duty is signing up to die. And that's the way we interpreted it, and it was horrible."

[Ender]

Stop spinning. People who go into the military do know what they sign up for. They, and their families, know there is always a risk they could die on the job. I grew up in a military family, and we always knew there were ideals worth fighting for. Libertarians believe that, and they would fight to their last breath for the ideal of liberty for all. There were times when PTA meetings at our school were all moms because all the dads were over in southeast Asia. It was a very unjust conflict, but that's how it is. My classmates had draft numbers. It was always a threat and not all of them signed up for it.

Zippy, this kind of stuff is why your side lost. People are offended by it and you need to cut it out. The rest of you should stop with the childish giggling. If you so-called liberty people had put up a halfway decent candidate you might have actually got some votes. Stop ragging on the president. He was duly elected and I am up to here with the silliness. Grow up.

Maybe you should say that to Trump?

[euphemia]

Maybe you should say that to Trump?

He's not the most eloquent president we have ever had. I don't know why he even bothers. He's really between a rock and a hard place. Darned if he does, darned if he doesn't. I'm really sick of all the snarking. We put up with Obama's smirking and snark for eight years. Liberty people should be better than that.

[dannno]

Yes- Trump did say this; you can slam on Zip all you want or actually own up to some of Trump's stupid remarks.

Or you can call zip and the rest of these dumbfucks out for being tools..

"He knew what he signed up for and the risk it involved. But he did it anyway because he loved his country...

That is a completely reasonable thing to say.

Just saying "He knew what he signed up for" to a grieving parent is NOT.

This is the essence of every Trump debate we have, the dishonest tactics are coming from YOUR side and you need to face up to it some day.

[specsaregood]

Stop spinning. People who go into the military do know what they sign up for. They, and their families, know there is always a risk they could die on the job.

Thing is, with these liberals continuing to try to push more kids into the military and/or mandating other forms of civil slavery, they really don't want them to know what they are signing up for.

[Raginfridus]

Everyone can't be Ronald Reagan who always knew what to say and when. Or Calvin Coolidge who just kept quiet.

You remember Calvin Coolidge?!

[Ender]

Or you can call zip and the rest of these dumbfucks out for being tools..

That is a completely reasonable thing to say.

Just saying "He knew what he signed up for" to a grieving parent is NOT.

This is the essence of every Trump debate we have, the dishonest tactics are coming from YOUR side and you need to face up to it some day.

I read about this earlier and it was Trump that made the big deal out of it.

Trump said this to a grieving pregnant WIFE on speaker phone, who was on her way to the casket- and several people heard it.

Why don't YOU stop being the dumb $#@! and admit that Trump should learn to keep his mouth shut and stop with the tweets.

Here's the Congresswoman live:

[euphemia]

I may be in the minority when I say I think a professional military is not bad. In my opinion, we need people mobilized and ready all the time to deal with whatever threats might come our way. National defense is called for in the Constitution. I'm not thrilled with the social engineering and some of the things I see in the military these days. I grew up in a military community and I learned to read the faces of the men who served overseas in very difficult situations. What I see today is vastly different, but not in a good way. I don't think we need to go back to the good old days, but I do think we need to look at what we're doing to people and be prepared to defend our nation against foreign and domestic threats. I haven't expressed that well, but there you go.

[jllundqu]

I've seen some spin and some bull$#@! come out of the leftist media, but this one is right up there on my bull$#@! meter. Does ANYONE, I mean absolutely ANYONE, actually believe that the President would tell a grieving [edit] wife, in essence, "Well he knew what he signed up for." Or do you think Trump said what was posted above:

He knew what he signed up for and the risk it involved. But he did it anyway because he loved his country...

You people have all lost your $#@!ing minds with this bull$#@!.

[Ender]

He's not the most eloquent president we have ever had. I don't know why he even bothers. He's really between a rock and a hard place. Darned if he does, darned if he doesn't. I'm really sick of all the snarking. We put up with Obama's smirking and snark for eight years. Liberty people should be better than that.

"Liberty" people are snarking all the time on this forum instead of having a decent discussion about anything Trump.

[Ender]

I've seen some spin and some bull$#@! come out of the leftist media, but this one is right up there on my bull$#@! meter. Does ANYONE, I mean absolutely ANYONE, actually believe that the President would tell a grieving mother, in essence, "Well he knew what he signed up for." Or do you think Trump said what was posted above:



You people have all lost your $#@!ing minds with this bull$#@!.

Trump said this to a grieving pregnant WIFE on speaker phone, who was on her way to the casket with her Congresswoman- and several people heard it.

[phill4paul]

The woman he made the comment to verifies the story.

A half million so far.....

https://www.gofundme.com/sgt-la-davi...on-scholarship

Reminds me of all the waiters/waitresses that scammed people by making a viral post "They didn't tip me because I'm gay and you wouldn't believe what they wrote as a comment."

[Swordsmyth]

Trump said this to a grieving pregnant WIFE on speaker phone, who was on her way to the casket with her Congresswoman- and several people heard it.

A half million so far.....

https://www.gofundme.com/sgt-la-davi...on-scholarship

Reminds me of all the waiters/waitresses that scammed people by making a viral post "They didn't tip me because I'm gay and you wouldn't believe what they wrote as a comment."

Anyone want to bet what party affiliation the witnesses have?

[jllundqu]

Trump said this to a grieving pregnant WIFE on speaker phone, who was on her way to the casket with her Congresswoman- and several people heard it.

I asked a serious question. you know I have no love for Trump and he is on record saying some seriously stupid stuff, however, do YOU honestly believe the way this is being spun?

[enhanced_deficit]

In NBC news glimpse I saw in the morning, they were showing photo of only one fallen soldier few times, maybe I missed the others or they were focussing on one of the four soldiers because of the "disrespect" controversy.
Four troops were killed in Niger:








Is media also checking with families of other troops to see how all of Trump's calls went?

Or is media trying to push a racial narrative here that Trump is selectively "disrespectful"?

Trump is capable of saying anything .. but could the AIPAC junkets funded Rep Frederica Wilson have another motive to misrepresent/state things out of context to create a narrative with the help of war lobbies allied media machine?
AIPAC linked lobbies have been bit unhappy with Trump ending support for ISIS in Syria, Libya, Iraq etc that their financed candidate Obama was accused of founding fathering.



Rep. Frederica Wilson: Death Of Soldier In Niger Will Be "Trump's Benghazi," Comments to Widow "A Coverup"
Tim Hains
On Date October 18, 2017
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/vi...a_coverup.html

Rep. Frederica Wilson Tells “The View”: “President Trump Is A Liar,” Sgt. La David Johnson’s Death Is “His Benghazi”



Do the media / left wing neocons see this as an opening to "settle scores" for Benghazi mom calling Hillary and Obama team a liar?








Mother of Sean Smith who was killed in Benghazi calls Hillary Clinton liar
www.dailymail.co.uk/.../Mother-U-S- killed-Benghazi-calls-...
Jan 14, 2016 - Mother of State Department official killed in Benghazi lashes out at Clinton ... I went up to all of them, begging them to tell me what happened.


The difference may be that then Benghazi mom was interviewed on right wing neoconish Fox from what I recall and in this case MSNBC and left wing neoconish media is taking the lead.

[phill4paul]

In NBC news glimpse I caught in the mornng, they were showing one photo , maybe I missed the others. For troops were killed in Niger:




Is media also checking with family of other trooops how his calls went?

Or is media trying to push a racial narrative here that Trump is selectively "disrespectful"?

Trump is capable of saying anything .. but could the AIPAC junkets funded Rep have another motive to misrespresent/state things out of context to create a narrative with the help of war lobbies allied media machine?

Rep. Frederica Wilson: Death Of Soldier In Niger Will Be "Trump's Benghazi," Comments to Widow "A Coverup"





Posted By Tim Hains
On Date October 18, 2017

Rep. Frederica Wilson Tells “The View”: “President Trump Is A Liar,” Sgt. La David Johnson’s Death Is “His Benghazi”

https://www.realclearpolitics.com/vi...a_coverup.html

Well, since nothing at all happened in Benghazi I'd have to ask "What does it matter, anyway?"

[Zippyjuan]

Trump only called after media criticized him about having nothing to say on the attack.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-s...s-deaths-niger

Two weeks later, Trump still hasn’t addressed US deaths in Niger

On Oct. 4, exactly two weeks ago, four American soldiers were killed in an ambush in northwestern Africa. Donald Trump, who routinely tweets a series of provocative thoughts in response to deadly terrorism said nothing. As the remains of the U.S. Special Forces soldiers started to return home, Trump again said nothing, golfing as the caskets arrived at Dover Air Force.

As the Washington Post reported today, the president has had plenty to say about a wide range of topics since the deadly attack in Niger – he’s apparently upset with protesting athletes, Democrats, the mayor or San Juan, and major American news organizations – but Trump has remained completely silent on the deadliest attack on U.S. military forces since he took office.

That seemed to change on Monday, when a reporter asked about his reticence, but even then, Trump’s answer covered a lot of ground – he’s impressed with his communications with family members of the fallen, and he’s taken some cheap and misleading shots at Barack Obama – without even trying to address the underlying question:

Why did these four Americans die?

It’s not that the other questions are unimportant. When Trump lies about the records of his predecessors, it matters. When the president says he calls each of the families of those killed in action, but fails to follow through, it matters. When he clumsily tries and fails to bring comfort to those who are grieving, it matters. When Trump seems to exploit the memory of his chief of staff’s son, who died in Afghanistan, for petty political purposes, it matters.

But we’re still left with the fact that the president, as The Atlantic’s David Graham noted today, has “pushed the conversation even further away from the actual question of the fallen soldiers.”


And there’s no reason anyone should consider that acceptable. How did ISIS-affiliated fighters ambush U.S. Special Forces in an area considered to be low-risk? Why did it take so long for help to arrive? Why did it take nearly two days to recover the body of one of the four Americans killed?

And why is Donald Trump willing to talk about practically every subject except this one?

Two weeks later, the commander in chief hasn’t even acknowledged what happened. The questions have been ignored and/or buried by a series of related distractions.