President Donald Trump had another dispute connected with the condolence call following the death of Sgt. La David Johnson and this time with the soldier’s widow – Myeshia Johnson. She declared that Trump didn’t remember the soldier’s name in the call and that made her cry, but Trump denied that and stated that the call was very respectful and that the widow’s accusation is not true, Associated Press reports.
“I had a very respectful conversation with the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, and spoke his name from beginning, without hesitation!” Trump wrote on Twitter.
Myeshia also complained that she hadn’t been able to see her husband’s body.
“I need to see him so I will know that that is my husband. I don’t know nothing, they won’t show me a finger, a hand,” she said for ABC’s Good Morning America.
Still, Laura Ochoa, Pentagon spokeswoman, said that the military often may make a recommendation on viewing, but that soldiers’ bodies are prepared and turned over to the family and its funeral director. She added that the final decision on viewing is up to them.
The widow supported the critics made last week by Rep. Federica Wilson, who had been with Myeshia when the president phoned.
“Yes, the president said that ‘he knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyway.’ And it made me cry cause I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said he couldn’t remember my husband’s name,” Johnson explained.
“I heard him stumbling on trying to remember my husband’s name, and that’s what hurt me the most, because if my husband is out here fighting for our country and he risked his life for our country why can’t you remember his name,” she added, but when she was asked if she had a message for the president, the widow said that she has nothing to say to him.
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon, stated that the investigation should resolve the questions about the Oct. 4 firefight, which include whether the U.S. had adequate intelligence and equipment for its operation, whether there was a planning failure and why did it take two days to recover Johnson’s body.
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