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"It made me cry." Fallen soldier's widow calls out Trump — and he immediately attacks her

Branding Donald Trump a liar on national television, Myeshia Johnson confirmed that when the president belatedly reached out to her about the death of husband, Army Sgt. La David Johnson, he insisted that Johnson “knew what he signed up for.” Trump’s comments were deeply insulting to the family. “It made me cry,” Myeshia told George […]

By Eric Boehlert - October 23, 2017
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Myeshia Johnson, widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson
Myeshia Johnson, widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson

Branding Donald Trump a liar on national television, Myeshia Johnson confirmed that when the president belatedly reached out to her about the death of husband, Army Sgt. La David Johnson, he insisted that Johnson “knew what he signed up for.” Trump’s comments were deeply insulting to the family.

“It made me cry,” Myeshia told George Stephanopoulos on “Good Morning Americas”  on Monday. “He couldn’t remember my husband’s name,” she said of Trump, who she said was “stumbling” around on the phone trying to find the fallen soldier’s name in a report prepared for him. “And that’s what made me upset and cry even more because my husband was an awesome soldier.”

Johnson’s husband was killed on Oct. 4 in Niger when ISIS fighters ambushed a group of one dozen American troops. Three other U.S. Special Forces troops were killed. For nearly two weeks Trump refused to mention, let alone honor, the fallen troops. (He did find time to go golfing five times during that period.)

Johnson unequivocally backed Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL), who heard Trump’s call to the family on speakerphone last week and who first told the story of Trump’s dismissive “knew what he signed up for” quote.

“What she said was 100 percent correct,” Myeshia said of Wilson. She emphasized that lots of people heard the call can also back up what Trump actually said. “Why would we fabricate something like that?”

JOHNSON: Whatever Miss Wilson said was not fabricated. What she said was 100 percent correct. It was Master Sgt. Neil, me, my aunt, my uncle and the driver and Miss Wilson in the car. The phone was on speakerphone. Why would we fabricate something like that?

STEPHANOPOULOS: Is there anything you’d like to say to the president now?

JOHNSON: No, I don’t have nothing to say to him.

Within moments of the interview, Trump lashed out at the grieving widow.

It appears the  White House wants to extend the classless and disrespectful war it has waged with the Johnson family and its advocates. But it’s now entirely clear that Trump lied about the contents of the call and that he’s been lying about Wilson for days on Twitter, unfurling vicious attacks as the congresswoman helped the family prepare for Johnson’s weekend funeral:

Johnson also remains dismayed at the lack of information she has received about the ISIS-led raid that killed her husband, a raid that stunned U.S. military leaders. “They won’t tell me anything,” she said.


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