JOHN KELLY/MILITARY/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT: “White House Chief of Staff John Kelly defended President Donald Trump’s comments to an Army widow, saying the president expressed his condolences to the families of fallen soldiers the ‘best way he could.’…
Mr. Kelly, who said he had counseled the president on what to say, denounced Ms. Wilson, calling her ‘selfish’ and an empty barrel…
Earlier this week, Ms. Wilson, a Florida Democrat, called the president insensitive for telling Sgt. Johnson’s widow, Myeshia Johnson, that her husband ‘knew what he signed up for…but when it happens it hurts anyways.’ Her account was backed up by Sgt. Johnson’s mother, who said she felt ‘disrespected’ by the president’s words.
Ms. Wilson’s office didn’t immediately return a request to comment. Ms. Wilson has said she was in a car with Ms. Johnson on the way to receive her husband’s remains when Mr. Trump called. She has stood by her account of the conversation.
Mr. Trump on Wednesday [10-18-17] denied the congresswoman’s characterization of his call to Ms. Johnson…
In his comments Thursday, Mr. Kelly confirmed some of the words Ms. Wilson said she heard in the president’s call to Ms. Johnson and said Mr. Trump had ‘expressed his condolences the best way he could.’…
Mr. Kelly’s second appearance at a White House briefing as chief of staff came as the administration sought to quell the controversy over the president’s conversation with Ms. Johnson as well as over his previous remarks about calls to families.”
-Rebecca Ballhaus and Eli Stokols, “John Kelly Defends Trump After Criticism of Phone Call to Widow,” The Wall Street Journal online, Oct. 19, 2017 05:38pm