Yes, I do believe she was coached, it's pretty obvious. Yet the press just lick this shit up, and the Grubercrats will believe anything they are told to believe.
That's my point, the widow should be off limits, but ABC just put her on fucking parade, and she, probably not knowing any better, went right along with it.
I remember that. If I remember correctly they hugged after. Bush knew to let her grieve, then consoled her after. I didn't care for the man yet he had my respect on that.
Making her first public comments since she took the call from Trump last week — on the same day her husband’s remains were flown back to the United States — Johnson recalled that the president said her husband “knew what he signed up for, but it hurts anyways. And it made me cry. I was very angry at the tone of his voice, and how he said it.”
She added: “I didn’t say anything. I just listened.”
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Trump vehemently denied Wilson’s account, stating without evidence that he had proof it was “totally fabricated.” But White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly later appeared to confirm Wilson’s account. Myeshia Johnson said Monday that Wilson’s version of events was “100 percent correct.”
The widow does not have to speak to anyone. Her choice no matter who requests it. But, this story has legs of its own and will play out. I expect a lot more "interviews" before the curtain falls.
Every right wing seed on this site turns into a rant. Sad for NT.
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The issue with this phone call has clearly become, not whether or not Trump had good intentions when he called the widow, but rather why he was unwilling to tell the truth about it. A normal human being, when confronted with the congresswoman saying that the family was offended by his call, would have said. "My only intent was to thank and comfort the family of this American hero". That is all he should have said, not called anybody a liar , not had his chief of staff call anybody a liar. Trump can't do that because he is not a normal human being , and doesn't belong in the presidency.
Trump's MO is to blame everyone else but himself for any of his own mistakes. He is not man enough to own up to his own mistakes and by blaming others he creates even more drama for himself and those he uses as scapegoats to take cover for his own lack of ability to deal with the real world as it is, not how he tries to make it.
I feel very sorry for the widow for even having to respond to all the hateful rhetoric that is being tossed upon her and her family at such a time, but, in order to keep the record straight, she has to get involved in the battle here in her own backyard. And she will likely be remembered as the widow of a Gold Star soldier killed in action on foreign soil that Trump insulted for years to come, and her and her family used by the politicians and media to compare how future Presidents handle themselves under such circumstances.
The only ones I feel sorry for in all this is the widow and her family. Her loving husband died in his service to his country and his death has been turned into an undeserved vile 3-ring circus by both sides of the aisle.
She doesn't have to be involved publically. Did you ever hear of someone saying.....we would like our privacy now? Or, no comment now? Her grief should be respected. If she chooses to go public that is on her.
She has a right to protect her own integrity and that of her family. She was not the one who threw her and her family into the political fire, but, since she is there, she has the right to set the record straight. That there are those who don't like that fact it gives them even more reason to unfairly attack the widow and her family as the wrong doers. I don't think that her dead husband gave his life for his wife and family to be used in such a manner.
The only ones I feel sorry for in all this is the widow and her family. Her loving husband died in his service to his country and his death has been turned into an undeserved vile 3-ring circus by both sides of the aisle.
Well stated sister, VERY well stated...
Haveing worked in the WH for ten years I know for a fact that the call was arranged at least a full day in advance. The president's schedule seldom allows for spontaneous actions.
I believe that T-Rump was trying to generate an image of himself as compassionate.
But I also believe that the Congresswoman, was brought in on the call deliberately, and being family friends is not justification for being there. Congress people seldom lower themselves to such...
So I believe that she is being an opportunist also, and unfortunately the wife and family are now being politicized.
Forced to take a political stance on their son's death.... (which cheapens the ultimate sacrifice by him and dishonors the family in my opinion)
That is the real tragedy here....
Way too many people trying to use her, and those that demonize her for falling for it...
People should leave it go, especially the media....
I am by no means trying to absolve any blame for what Wilson did. It was not necessary for her to drag the widow and her family into her personal political grudge against Trump. But, for the right to pile on the widow and the family is equally unfair, if not more so, as lighting the fuse to the firestorm was not her doing, nor her fault, and not her intention in the first place.
Dealing with her husbands sudden death and trying to maintain her dignity and that of her husband, and dealing with her own grief and that of her children who just lost their beloved Father, was her primary concern. Not starting a political free for all and no holds barred attack on her and her family.
I find it appalling that so many here choose to use her predicament as an excuse to cast her as the cause of the issue, instead of offering their own condolences and respect for her husband's sacrifice for his country.
There are two people, however, whose integrity is being questioned....Pres. Trump and Gen. Kelly.
I listened to Kelly's interview on the radio, and I believe him, he ws called in to advise the President on the best way to deal with what he wanted to do, and Kelly told him, but also left it open for T-Rump to do what he wanted to do.
After than he kept his mouth shut....
Now I hear many people taking Kelly's words and putting them in T-Rumps mouth as his words, and citing that as factual as to what T-Rump actually said.....
Problem is no one has an actual recording, clear and unambiguous, of said statements.
Which means there is no way to prove the veracity of Wilson or T-Rump's versions of the conversation.......
So all of this is political hyperbole.....
Everyone putting their spin on it in their own classically ideological manner.
And by doing such, unfortunately, everyone is loudly saying "Fuck The Family" "Fuck the soldier that lost his life" "Our ideology is more important"
I am a Gold Star Uncle, brother to a Gold Star Mom,
And everyone who is voicing their opinions about the wife and mother, her family, needs to get a fucking clue, their opinions are not needed nor wanted.....
And are very hurtful at this moment...
IS THIS HOW WE HONOR A FALLEN SOLDIER? BY TRASHING HIS FAMILY?
I, personally, have not seen anything disparagingly said about his widow. It is all about the Congresswoman.
You know, you don't have to be a gold star anything to lose people in this life who are your essence for living. Ask me about that sometime. They may not have been on the battlefield for our Country, but they, nevertheless, were doing things for our country, as well.
I, again, I have heard nothing nor read anything to disparage his widow.
This is the usual propaganda put out to cause conflict when there should be none.
How so? Please explain how the woman who originally broadcast snippets of a private conversation didn't start the ball rolling for her own personal vendetta?
She exposed something that will not fare well with the American people and your leader is incapable of accepting criticism and therefore goes on the offensive regardless of whom, what or why.
Annnnd Ms. Wilson knew/knows that. So who stirred the pot? In addition, the "controversial" statement has two interpretations IMHO. Ms. Wilson and Ms. Johnson (who may or may not have taken it as she did without Ms. Wilson's input) and that of Mr. Kelly (and myself for the record) That of "He knew of the possibilities and decided that he would STILL choose to serve his country" making him even more of a hero.
And she will likely be remembered as the widow of a Gold Star soldier killed in action on foreign soil that Trump insulted for years to come, and her and her family used by the politicians and media to compare how future Presidents handle themselves under such circumstances.
This is sad on so many levels, yet I do not believe it would be happening if not for a Congresswoman politicizing a phone call that was not hers to speak of to anyone. This young woman, while processing her loss was tossed into the spotlight by another woman for her political gain and media points against the president.
Time to let this die down gracefully, there is really nothing left to be said ... If the widow will be remembered for anything, it will be as the poor grieving widow that was blind sided by Congresswoman and forced into the spotlight! There are 3 other families involved in the tragedy in Niger that are grieving for their loss as well - yet one family is being exploited.
I agree with all that you said Color Me. The poor widow and her family have been shoved into the center of a political firestorm for which they are not in any way prepared for at a time when they need to grieve the loss of their loved one and try to come to terms with it.
I totally agree that Wilson was well out of line in what she did, and it was not her place to do so. It was a decision that should have been left up to the widow and no one else.
A chat with my neighbor just now got me thinking - this phone call debacle has taken away from the battle for survival that Sgt Johnson and the others faced ... taking away from his heroics in saving others during the ambush ... he needs to be remember! Not this other stupid crap....
“He was the best kid you could ask for,” the survivor said of Johnson, who fought back the militants with machine gun fire from the back of a pickup truck, before grabbing a sniper rifle and continuing to shoot.
“The guy is a true war hero,” the survivor added. “I really want his wife and kids to know that.”
“Without a doubt, his courage and bravery in action that day were above and beyond expectation. He died fighting for his brothers on his team. You can quote that verbatim,” the survivor added. “He grabbed any and every weapon available to him. The guy is a true war hero.”
Her job is to mourn and be angry. Our job is to sympathize with her and respect the sacrifice he made. Trump's job is to shut up and take it.
Very well stated and to the point.
In this case, Trump also knew what he was signing up for. Make the call....don't make the call. Either way is acceptable, but if you make the call, do it right and STFU about it.
Personally, I don't think Trump had a clue as to what he was getting into. However, as the Commander in Chief he should have learned how to address the loss of an American soldier, especially, when talking to the family who have lost their loved one. It should not take that much effort to learn how to show sympathy and compassion, even if it is not sincere.
trump lying, trump calling an elected representative crazy, having the chief of staff conflate the issue and also lie, is what I would call a national disgrace. Even after the woman confirms Wilson's account we have people attacking her and letting what the President has done and said and acted like be swept under the rug like he has no account at all in any of this, that is a national disgrace.
trump lying, trump calling an elected representative crazy
She call him crazy first, she also called him a "racist" and said he obstructed justice.
having the chief of staff conflate the issue and also lie
No, the chief of staff stood up for decency and thus was forced to unload on her.
Even after the woman confirms Wilson's account
You mean her friend? All we have is a bit of a sentence, clearly taken out of context
we have people attacking her
And it's about time. She violated the rules of congress by wearing the idiotic hats and got away with it by calling the House rules committee "sexist". She's has earned the verbal attack and as I have said before the people have now heard her and she actually hurt democrats in 2018. I'll be here when those results roll in.
No, the chief of staff stood up for decency and thus was forced to unload on her.
He was not 'forced' to do any thing. He stood up and lied about Wilson. There is video evidence to prove that he lied. The only reason he did that was to attack her character. IMO shows lack of character on his part.
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clearly taken out of context
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Myeshia Johnson said Monday that Wilson’s version of events was “100 percent correct.”
He was not 'forced' to do any thing. He stood up and lied about Wilson. There is video evidence to prove that he lied. The only reason he did that was to attack her character. IMO shows lack of character on his part.
He has stood up for gold star parents like himself against those who are trying to politicize a tragedy. What I assume he did was try to understand her motives. He concluded she was grandstanding. He mis-remembered an event in which he erroneously associated her bragging about fundraising - it was the naming of the building, which she bragged about. The real motivation imo was her hatred of Trump. (that is the only point in which I disagree with the General)
How is that taken out of context?
Because nobody would simply say "He signed up for it" PERIOD. They might say "He wanted to defend this country and he signed up for it and he understood the great sacrifice he was undertaking" or as Lincoln once famously said in a letter of condolence "I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.". You see if I hated Lincoln I could pull out "the solemn pride that must be yours" and claim that it was offensive.
We can each read into it in our own way - your position is that Trump called a grieving widow not to offer condolences, but to say "he signed up for it - what the hell"!
Indeed. That is perhaps what is said to the person signing up for the military, but, that is not something that should be said to the person's widow or family when they are sent home in a coffin. It's totally uncalled for at a time like that. Especially, when you are the Commander in Chief and supposed to be consoling the family at the loss of their loved one who lost their life in service of their country.
I will take the widow's word over trump. Now he is taking to twitter and denouncing the woman, saying that he spoke the correct name and knew his name the whole time, basically saying that she lied now.
People are calling out Rep Wilson for politicizing this event when trump himself could have put this to bed already. He keeps fighting back against everyone, now including the widow herself, as if him and his ego could never possibly be wrong. Then we have people that will denounce everyone involved except one of the main culprits himself.
Especially since John Kelly andSarah HuckabeeSanders have both admitted that what Wilson and the widow said was true with their own statements. It is Trump and only Trump that is claiming that they are lying.
And of course he has proof of that, filed right next to those Comey tapes that he has about their conversations.
She call him crazy first, she also called him a "racist" and said he obstructed justice.
Oh and of course Trump cannot be expected to rise above 'the fray'. It would be way to much to ask...
No, the chief of staff stood up for decency and thus was forced to unload on her.
No, the chief of staff LIED and in doing so gave up any and all moral ground he possessed.
You mean her friend?
The Congresswoman is a friend of the family. She knew Johnson personally. I know that doesn't play into your agenda, but it's true.
All we have is a bit of a sentence, clearly taken out of context.
Huh?
And it's about time. She violated the rules of congress by wearing the idiotic hats and got away with it by calling the House rules committee "sexist". She's has earned the verbal attack and as I have said before the people have now heard her and she actually hurt democrats in 2018.
Seriously, considering some of the crap that has gone down on the floor of the House, how petty does one have to be to support attacking a Congresswoman for wearing a freaking hat?
No, the chief of staff LIED and in doing so gave up any and all moral ground he possessed.
Nope, as I said before - " What I assume he did was try to understand her motives. He concluded she was grandstanding. He mis-remembered an event in which he erroneously associated her bragging about fundraising - it was the naming of the building, which she bragged about. "
As I watch this story play out, I continue to be impressed by the supreme hypocrisy of the left:
It goes on and on and doesn't stop. And, so sanctimonious about the widow. The widow received a phone call from the POTUS. A proper phone call. Nothing would have been said derogatorily had not the cowboy hat woman entered into it.
Is Hillary Clinton POTUS? Was she POTUS when that was taped? The answer to both are no!! Now, who was POTUS, who disrespected a dead soldier, who has a history of disrespecting the military? Oh, that's right Donald J. Trump.
It's not for sale. Even if the POTUS had never uttered the offensive statement equivalent to "he got what he asked for" the fact that he was so detached that he could not even take the time to say the soldiers name says that the phone call was simply an expectation of the office. Love him to your hearts content, but the majority of this country loath him. Few narcissists are thought of fondly so you stand in a unique minority.
Even if the POTUS had never uttered the offensive statement equivalent to "he got what he asked for"
OH MY GOD!!!! Is THAT what all of you anti POTUS people are interpreting this as? I knew TDS had some terrible affects but that takes the damned cake. Just plain sick ideology driven bullshit.
"He's not a war hero," Trump said. "He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured."
Regarding a Gold Star family - “If you look at his wife, she was standing there, she had nothing to say, she probably — maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say, you tell me.” He contended that he, too, had made sacrifices because he “created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures.”
“I know more aboutISISthan the generals do, believe me.”
“I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier,”
Trump boasted on Howard Stern’s show about surviving his brave challenges of sleeping around with women who might have sexually transmitted diseases. “It is a dangerous world out there — it's scary, like Vietnam,”.
He avoided the actual Vietnam war with four school deferments so he could go to business school then a 5th claiming bone spurs that later he couldn't recall which foot they had occurred in.
And absolutely NONE of those shows disrespect to the military.
Really? "He's not a war hero," Trump said. "He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured."
Regarding John McCain ONLY.
Regarding a Gold Star family - “If you look at his wife, she was standing there, she had nothing to say, she probably — maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say, you tell me.” He contended that he, too, had made sacrifices because he “created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures.”
Did you see her speak up? And in his own mind, I am sure he made sacrifices.........family time, vacations, birthdays, anniversaries etc. Not a good analogy but not out of character
“I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me.”
No disrespect there. just bloviating
“I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier,”
Can you deny that it was easier than getting a purple heart?
Trump boasted on Howard Stern’s show about surviving his brave challenges of sleeping around with women who might have sexually transmitted diseases. “It is a dangerous world out there — it's scary, like Vietnam,”.
Again, a Trumpism with NOT A SINGLE REFERENCE to the military
He avoided the actual Vietnam war with four school deferments so he could go to business school then a 5th claiming bone spurs that later he couldn't recall which foot they had occurred in.
YAWWWWWWNNNNN. Student deferments were available to ALL who were in college at the time. AND HIS DAMNED DRAFT NUMBER WAS 356 and probably would NEVER have been called.
While being a dick at times, I don't think you can characterize him as anti military.............AT ALL!!
who has a history of disrespecting the military? Oh, that's right Donald J. Trump.
Really? Like to see some links to where THAT bit of recent revisionist history came from. Can ya help a brother out?
SMH again.
I dislike "gotcha'" questions as they most often come from those who choose not to believe inconvenient truths.
And when it's shown that they haven't "gotcha'", they almost never acknowledge that their question was answered.
Army Vet: Why Trump Disrespects the Military
For all his wealth and power, there is one thing Trump lacks, and money can't buy it: respect
As someone who served five years in the United States Army, 14 months of that in combat, I've struggled over the past few years to understand Donald Trump's relationship to the military. Does this man love us, or does he hate us?
There's the side of Trump that was reared in a military boarding school – the man who wanted his inauguration to culminate in a scene ripped from Red Square, with long-range missiles paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue. There's the president who's surrounded himself with flag officers, retired and active, in any office he can find space for them, and one who – at least ostensibly – revels in the solemn responsibility of military strikes . And there's the Trump who repeatedly claimed on the campaign trail he would be "so good at the military, it will make your head spin," that no one loved the troops more than himself, and that the feeling was mutual.
But then there's the Trump who, just this week, engaged in a protracted back and forth over how he told the pregnant widow of a fallen Green Beret her late husband "knew what he signed up for." His administration also banned non-citizen legal permanent residents from joining the Army Reserve, a practice dating back to the Revolutionary War. And thanks to a report in The Washington Post , we learned the president promised a Gold Star father $25,000 from his personal account in June, but hadn't delivered on that promise. (The White House now says that check is in the mail.)
Looking back over the past two years, there's more: disrespecting the wartime POW service of John McCain, fantasizing about shooting an Army sergeant held captive by the Taliban for five years, repeated instances of military charities not receiving promised donations, smearing another Gold Star family of color, insulting uniformed leaders and pledging to fire them all, ridiculing combat veterans with PTSD, kicking uniformed personnel off the National Security Council, abdicating responsibility for troop strength in combat theaters, disrespecting the retired four-star general and Gold Star father who runs his White House, shaming the National Security Council on live television, pledging to kick transgender troops out of the armed services, blocking a prominent veterans' group on Twitter, attacking John McCain again, waiting nearly two weeks to remark on the death of four Special Forces soldiers in combat. Going back further still, we could note Trump's Vietnam draft-dodging , how he referred to sleeping with models as his "personal Vietnam" and his attempt to kick homeless veterans off 5th Avenue out of disgust.
Well thanks for the link and story. Since it seems to be one man's opinion at least, I will take it as such. I AM sure that this is not just his opinion but that of more. Stands to reason there would be some dissent after yet another media fueled fiasco among the ranks. Of course I am AGAIN certain that even without the stories of late, there are/were those of similar opinion. Unavoidable.
Wilson’s primary identity to the Johnson family isn’t as a member of Congress. The Johnsons have known Wilson for decades — most of those years before the former educator moved to Washington to join Congress.
“When I saw the headline that a young man was killed in Niger from Carol City, I thought, ‘My God, please don’t let it be a role model,'" Wilson told Politico. “And it was.”
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
Wilson’s connection to the family goes back at least one generation. She told CNN that she was the principal of a school that Johnson’s father attended.
These relationships were part of why Wilson was with the family — not just because she was “a member of Congress.”
Why do people keep asking about Wilson's relationship with the family when it's plainly obvious. SHE WAS INVITED TO GO WITH THEM BECAUSE SHE WAS A CLOSE FRIEND!!!! Good Lord ! It's in the text of dozens of articles. SMH
Because there are those who don't want to see it, or believe anything that does not totally confirm or agree with what they think. Truth and facts are merely to be ignored by them. And....if they accepted the truth and facts they would have much less to rant about. And that would certainly spoil their agenda.
It is not my fault that you refuse to believe the truth. It is not my responsibility to educate you. If you are really that interested you should be able to find the proof yourself. And you would most likely phooh phooh any proof that I provided anyway. So why rely on someone else to do what you should be capable of doing yourself.
That is supposed to prove she lied? There are a lot of people right here on NT who have typos all the time, do you consider them all to be liars? As for mispronouncing someone's name, I done that a few times myself. So I guess in your own opinion that automatically makes me a liar in your own eyes.
No, it is not proof she lied. I am not saying that at all. And typing is a bit different than speaking and mispronouncing. Simply that perhaps they just aren't as close as Ms. Wilson would have everyone believe.
I guess in your own opinion that automatically makes me a liar in your own eyes.
Damn, don't take it personally. I am not one of your usual detractors by ANY stretch.
I do believe that the widow has confirmed that Wilson was indeed a close family friend. You have the right to choose not to believe it for your own reasons. I respect that.
And I didn't necessarily take it personal, I merely applied your way of thinking about what constitutes a liar to my own faults at times. Something that most human beings are capable of having, especially, when you have just lost a loved one and suddenly thrown into a political firestorm with no experience on how to deal with it, and still reeling from the trauma of losing your husband and the dirt is still damp from his burial.
However, I truly do appreciate that you are willing to engage in civil dialog with me even though we may have different opinions. I look forward to other conversation with you. (smile)
Yeah, it's pretty good evidence. How many times have you ever mispronounced a "close personal friends" name???
I'm willing to bet that you have never mispronounced a close personal friends name, I know I've never done so, but then again, I have very few close personal friends...
I'm willing to bet that you have never mispronounced a close personal friends name
You would lose the bet. Because I am a mere human being, not the Creator.
And I somehow don't think you are the Creator either, yet, you choose to take it upon yourself to judge others when you know absolutely nothing about them. However, thankfully, the Creator does know me, and accepts the fact that I am human and thus not perfect and capable of making mistakes. Even small ones like mispronouncing, or even forgetting, the name of a close friend at times. Thankfully, He does not hold it against me or feel the need to deny or berate me for such a lapse.
Excuse me.....but, DO NOT try using your male dominant and intimidating BS with me. You DO NOT have the right to so. And you are picking on the wrong party to try that kind of BS with. This is not NV, either drop the bullying attempt attitude or DO NOT respond to me again.
I have a friend that I have known for about twenty years. After about fifteen years into our friendship, she finally told me I have been spelling her name wrong all this time, on Christmas cards, notes, etc. She spelled her name Cindi and I was always putting Cindy. I have done that to several people. My cousin's name is Jayson and his close friends still think it is Jason.
I have said peoples name wrong. I have even called people the completely wrong name. Something I can understand. Shit happens.
My Father spelled my name wrong all my life. It is spelled with on n, and he always spelled it with two n's, and it kind of bugged me that my own Father could not remember how to spell my name right, but, I never said anything.
It wasn't until shortly before he walked on that I finally asked him why he had always spelled my name with two n's instead of one. And he smiled and answered, "Because that is how I always wanted it to be spelled." And hurt feelings I had over his mis-spelling of my name vanished. And I treasure every letter, card and picture where he spelled my name the way HE wanted it to be spelled. (smile)
And, I have even called my own children by the wrong name on several occasions. It's called being human.
My older Brother rarely lived with out family, preferring to live with my Maternal Grandparents who had the money to give him all the things he wanted, which my parents were unable to afford. So...my name got mixed up with the names of our two dogs and two cats instead. (grin)
I have now posted several times the history and connection of Wilson to the Johnson family.
If you missed it, find it and educate yourself but don't poke your metaphorical fingers in a member's face because you either erroneously think you know something while you don't, are too lazy to find out for your self, or just think you can browbeat members into submission.
LMAO my dad did the same thing to me, especially when he was angry. I remember once he made it through 4 out of 5 of my brothers names before getting it correct.
Something like that. But, my Mother was a fan of the oriental, so it was "Chingy, Jaggy, Nakim, Hason...ahhhh crap...you know who I mean". I can still hear her voice as she went down the list. It was really hard not to laugh.(grin)
What is pitiful are the responses some people come up with as well as their undying admiration of a completely clueless POTUS.
I believe he is absolutely correct when he stated that he could shoot someone in the middle of the street and still gets votes. I would add keep some peoples blind devotion to that.
Wilson’s primary identity to the Johnson family isn’t as a member of Congress. The Johnsons have known Wilson for decades — most of those years before the former educator moved to Washington to join Congress.
“When I saw the headline that a young man was killed in Niger from Carol City, I thought, ‘My God, please don’t let it be a role model,'" Wilson told Politico. “And it was.”
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
Wilson’s connection to the family goes back at least one generation. She told CNN that she was the principal of a school that Johnson’s father attended.
These relationships were part of why Wilson was with the family — not just because she was “a member of Congress.”
Very kind of you ... many thanks; I have a personal matter that may keep me inactive regarding new photos for while. Hopefully I can get back into field photography in a week or so.
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
Wilson’s connection to the family goes back at least one generation. She told CNN that she was the principal of a school that Johnson’s father attended.
These relationships were part of why Wilson was with the family — not just because she was “a member of Congress.”
Enough of the lie she didn't know the family prior. This is someone who knew the family back a generation. Easy enough to find, he was an alumnus of a mentoring program she started called Role Models of Excellence Project. So everyone put the lie about the congresswoman not knowing the family to bed.
Which is why you subscribe to the endless attack dogs pretending that anything they don't like, can't refute' or just irritates them is FAKE NEWS when the whole time they get all their information from the self admitted purveyors of FAKE NEWS. Are you still wondering why you are ridiculed?
Personally I find them downright clownish, she presents the peacock style of entrance something that no male Congressman would have accepted. Scan the chamber and all men wear gray, dark blue or black suits, the females are in red, pink bright green etc. I just think official state functions should warrant somber clothing not a fashion statement. I never did hear a criticism from the right when Sheriff David Clark was on the fast track to a trump position and he wears total clown regalia.
Excuse me.....but, DO NOT try using your male dominant and intimidating BS with me. You DO NOT have the right to so. And you are picking on the wrong party to try that kind of BS with. This is not NV, either drop the bullying attempt attitude or DO NOT respond to me again.
How about you not try and tell me who I can comment to in my on fucking discussion? And furthermore... If you think you see a CoC violation, why don't you fucking follow the CoC yourself, and report what you think is a violation, instead of trying to inflame the issue.
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
pfft... yeah, obviously that made them close personal friends...
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
7th F'n Time … It's disingenuous to feign disbelief especially when the facts have been posted in this discussion numerous times.
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
Wilson’s connection to the family goes back at least one generation. She told CNN that she was the principal of a school that Johnson’s father attended.
These relationships were part of why Wilson was with the family — not just because she was “a member of Congress.”
Lol that brings back memories as in my family we had 8 children and 3 were boys. My parents would start with the oldest and go down the list "Lou, Gerry, Ricky" but we knew what they meant....
How about you not try and tell me who I can comment to in my on fucking discussion?
How about you learn how things work HERE, on NT. I have the right to tell anyone, anywhere, not to comment to me. And not reporting a CoC violation is not against the CoC as you wish to think. Just because it is your article does not give you the right to talk to a Member anyway you like and then attack them when they call you on it.
My last comment on the matter... I did not attack you, or at least my intention was never to attack you. I wish you a good day madam, I look forward to our discussions in the future.
Retired newspaper editor, AFL-CIO Legislative Representative, Contract Language Writer, Negotiator, Enforcer, Labor Representative, Published Author, Editorial Writer, Former Twice-elected Member of the Philadelphia Democratic City Committee, Professional Photographer, Digital Artist, Biologist, Art Historian, Life-Long Kid from the Streets of South Philly … Technology Consultant to Urban, Inner City, Public School Teachers … , One-time Semi-Professional Baseball Player (Pitcher, 3rd Basemen) …
You forgot to tell him 'bout what a great fly-fisherman you are
You're right! Well, don't know 'bout the "great" part … but I am a fly fisherman … and since I forget to mention it, the next time I post a resume … I'll include "senile" …
Since you mentioned it... AFGE, CPL-33 President, Vice President, Steward, and all around good guy for 15+ years, Marine for 9 years, Army National guard for 7 years, Correctional Officer for 21 years, and a Utility Plant foreman for 1 year... But who's counting?
Sgt. Johnson was a U.S. Army Soldier, not a Marine.. Please get your facts straight.
My bad, I was not detail checking here and had Marine on the brain I guess. Doesn't change that you don't want to acknowledge the congresswoman knew the family. The fact they invited her to go with them to meet the body is all anybody needs to know. I'm pretty sure they don't care who believes them, they've been disrespected and lied about enough by Trump and his spokesholes.
How many times have you ever mispronounced a "close personal friends" name???
I have a friend who always mispronounces names of friends. Once she gets it in her head, it always comes out wrong. Not every name, but some and also certain words. You'd be surprised what normal people do.
What's on the agenda today? Well, one thing is that you will call the widow of........... ok. Next? ........ok.
Of course, Pres. Trump has an agenda, but on this particular phone call. once, the call was made it was off the agenda. The Congresswoman set up the entire scenario thereafter.
The Congresswoman set up the entire scenario thereafter.
With that kind of talent, she should run for President. She knew when he would call, what he would say, and made sure that both Kelly and Huckabee Sanders would corroborate? Dammm she's good!! The only thing that can stop her is Trump's "evidence" that he has proving his side. Anyone want to put down odds that this "evidence" will never appear???
And, Trump could have ended it very easily again simply by calling the widow BACK UP and, apologizing for any slight she might have suffered, did he do that, hell no, he has doubled down on everything and, made the matter worse. Idiot-in-Chief.
The problem is he is doing things wrong by picking a fight with the widow and, a family friend, he has done this before and, since this all came to light he has continued to do it, it is who he is, no matter if he is wrong or, right if someone, in his opinion, slights HIM he goes after them, he should apologize and, move on.
The problem is he is doing things wrong by picking a fight with the widow and, a family friend, he has done this before and, since this all came to light he has continued to do it, it is who he is, no matter if he is wrong or, right if someone, in his opinion, slights HIM he goes after them, he should apologize and, move on.
He picked the fight? Who brought the "slight" to the attention of the press? A Stetson wielding no name looking for her 15 minutes of fame. What about the other three victims of the attack? Anyone hear ANYTHING from those families? Hell no. All you get to see is the goddamned negative propagated by a close (really? She was the principal at his dad's school, Mr. Johnson was one of MANY of her charges in her "role model" program. Kind of easy to say you were close to the family..............because they were part of her program) friend of the family.
“When I saw the headline that a young man was killed in Niger from Carol City, I thought, ‘My God, please don’t let it be a role model,'" Wilson told Politico. “And it was.”
I went to high school with a girl (now woman of course) who is now a federal marshal. If something should happen to her in the line of duty do I get to proclaim "I am a very close friend of the family" because I knew her then and continue occasionally to see her and communicate with her on social media on occasion?
Give it a rest people. It is what it is. If she wants to say "close to the family" so be it. But to use them and the call and her perceived dissing of the deceased soldier as a political crutch, enjoy her opportunistic bashing of your duly elected POTUS.
*****mic drop****
Do try and have a good day and if you are a lefty liberal, try not to be so miserable.....................
Of course he does, his agenda is to present the illusion of empathy by calling out his superiority which coincidentally he could show the next day by making the obligatory call. He just failed miserably by being a narcissistic ass, couldn't care less, and didn't even know "your Guys" name. That is pretty damned callous.
What's really stupid is all of us sitting around guessing as to what the call was. We need to hear the tape of it! WTH? President Trump talking to world leaders on the phone is leaked within 30 seconds, but we can't hear this call?? Bah..
How 'bout running with this one Paula - La David Johnson. Yup - really, really common name and very easily not mispronounced - La David.
If Trump had screwed the name up, I can think of thousands of others who would also do the same. I, personally, would've said "Sgt. Johnson" - can't screw that up too easily.
Probably wanting to put it to rest and quit stirring up shit would be my guess. It's over........until someone brings it up again and as it seems........it is inevitable.......SIGH
Does not the WH tape ALL phone calls made from there?
One of the first things Jerry Ford did when he assumed the office was rip out all the recording devices that Jack Kennedy had installed.....
It took 15 years for the supposed best and brightest in our nation called upon to be leader to figure out that taping every thing that comes out of a presidents mouth was a bad thing....
Magnolia, if you remember me from Newsvine I always said that something had to be wrong with anyone who ran for president, I believe that Obama has a little bit of the narcissist in him but, I don't think it was clinically diagnosable like it is with Trump. Trump is dangerous for America, he needs to go.
There is not a man or woman who has not run for public office who didn't think they were all that and more. You know why? Because they have these followers who keep telling them how great they are. And, soon, they believe it. They raise millions of dollars and they are the prima donna......let me tell you how great I am!
None of them are worth the millions of dollars that are funneled in for their election.
I do believe he is worth it. Want to know why? Because he is not your run of the mill president. He is shaking leaves off the trees. He needs to shut up, but nevertheless, it is not politics as usual.
The difference here is that Trump thought he was great before he ever started in politics or, business, just ask him, how great he is, he will tell you, ask him when he achieved greatness and, he will tell you he has always been great and, no one had to tell him he was great.
Well, ok. Anyone who amassed billions of dollars has a reason to think they are great! I don't care if it came from his mother, his daddy or his grandpa. The fact is he took the money and made more.
Look at Bill Gates, Buffet, Winfrey et al. Spielberg making movies. It goes on and on.
I, frankly, don't give a damn about their money. But, money gives prestige right or wrong. It, also, gives a false sense of superiority. They are not superior in anything other than money.
If Trump can shake up Washington, I am all for it.
Trump made his money by his daddy giving him 14 million dollars as a start up loan and, then he declared bankruptcy 5 times to keep from paying contractors and, banks, yep, a man you can trust and, he is a draft dodger as well.
Clinton did get deferments, he was also a Rhodes scholar, and did not get a fictitious medical. Care to compare trumps scholastic achievements as well as his admissions based on daddies gifts. Fundamental differences. Yes it takes money to make money and his failures would have destroyed his original if he didn't get a major infusion upon daddy's passing. He can't even do business in an ethical manner, why would anyone conceive that he is any different now. MAGA Dump Trump
My hope is, when the dust settles, this family can grieve in their own way. My hope is Sgt Johnsons children learn what a brave man their father was. My hope for Mrs. Johnson is to find a sliver of peace somewhere, somehow. She has a long road ahead, long after the interviews and cameras and tweets......my hope is that she is surrounded by people who truely care.
Thank you for your very heartfelt thoughts amid the stench of political poo slinging.
I agree with all you said. And I will keep her and her children in my prayers. And I also pray that the Spirit of her husband can help her find the mental and emotional peace she and her family so sincerely need to come to terms with their loss. It's not like they saw it coming and had time to adjust and prepare for what they are going through.
It is people like yourself who will help them through it. (smile)
I don't know Mags.......It sounds to me like Congresswomen Wilson has known Sgt Johnson for quite some time. Don't know that writing her off is the best strategy. I hope now that Mrs Johnson has had her say, Wilson becomes the part of the support system she needs and abandons the politics.
I also hope Trump, when appropriate at some point, somehow, will apologize to the family.......privately.
lastly, I hope the "5,000 role models of excellence" continues their mission.
This may come as a surprise to some but the country is currently divided in a way that pits race and ethnicity against each other. Whether we can agree or not on who the culprit is for this division we have to at minimum acknowledge that Donald has not made much lead way with the black community or ingratiating himself with minorities as much as he has with our white nationalists.
Is anyone really shocked that this widow and her family would be prepared for the worst? Donald and his administration should also have been prepared. Someone should have written down a script for him to stick to with clear instructions for him to not deviate from the script.
My issue with all of this is basically why would President Trump call this grieving widow and act like a total dick? What does it accomplish? If he wanted to be a jerk he wouldn't have called her in the first place. It makes little to no sense for him to hurt this poor woman even further.Why would he risk what little support he has right now by being a dick to widow? None of this makes much sense to me.
I do believe it is horrible that at this families time of grief the media as well as the Congresswoman would politicize this and turn it as yet another opportunity to attack a President they clearly have it out for. This poor woman needs to have time to grieve without the media and this Wilson thrusting her into the spotlight like some anti-Trump sideshow.
My thoughts and prayers are with the Johnson family.
He called because it is expected and he already bragged about calls made. He did not call because he is a caring human, narcissists don't have words like that.
I can't stand Trump, but I don't think he 'talked shit' intentionally. He DID talk shit, however, it was not because of malice, it was because Trump is an insensitive boor who is incapable of handling such a call. He owes the widow an apology and he should never try to make such a call again. We shouldn't try to goad him into it either.
How does what he said to another widow have to do with what he said to Mrs Johnson? They are two different people. It has no relationship to his conversation with Mrs Johnson.
Do we have any transcripts of what exactly the President said to Mrs. Johnson? Or are we forced to take the word of whatever side we choose to believe? I honestly do not know they exchange and all I really saw was something said that could have easily been taken out of context. IMO Wilson is trying to become a "rockstar" on the back of a poor widow. If that's the case Democrats in Congress are even more disgusting than I ever imagined
Time frames can make a difference in the mood and attitude, and the WH is not without its own wild drama at this point. Perhaps the call he made to Mrs Johnson was the first he made and the mis-steps he made with her were addressed with those with him at the time, thus he used a different approach with the others and made more of an effort to get the names right and used less careless wording.
However, it still does not negate any of the mis-steps Trump made with Mrs Johnson, and regardless of whether or not Wilson was with her at the time, she would still have been as hurt and offended by what he said and how he said it as she said she was in her own words.
No other calls he made to others have any relevance to the call he made to Mrs Johnson.
Or maybe Mrs Johnson already held a negative opinion of President Trump and went into the call with a preconceived bias against President Trump. Maybe what he said wasn't what she heard or in the context of what she heard it. Mrs Johnson was grieving and had Wilson in her other ear. None of us know without a transcript. So why even try and be angry about this? Unless of course you already have a biased opinion of the President to start. My biggest bitch about all this isn't with Johnson or Trump but with Wilson and the media pushing an agenda on the back a Gold Star Widow.
Democrats in Congress are even more disgusting than I ever imagined
Using a very broad brush to paint all Democrats the same as Wilson is unfair. There are a lot of decent Democrats, even if the rabid right don't think so. And there are also a lot of decent Republicans, even if the rabid left does not think so.
Using a broad brush to denigrate a group of people based upon the actions of one is even more disgusting.
I doubt Trump would change is tone for just one phone call.
It is the opinion of the Congresswoman and the widow that Trump made any mis-steps. And of course they are entitled to an opinion and feelings regarding the call. but it is just that.....an opinion.
Just like yours, mine and everyone else. None of us here were on the other end to hear exactly what was said or how. The need to jump to judgement and assumptions is what causes most of the problem.
None of us here were on the other end to hear exactly what was said or how.
so let it stay between the two parties. but, a third party wanted to make it public. I am sure both people on the phone have their own feelings about what was said. There are two sides to every conversation...correct?
The need to jump to judgement and assumptions is what
I haven't seen anyone judging the widow. But the Congresswoman decided to make a public statement about it. People have the right to defend any derogatory remarks about them.
so let it stay between the two parties. but, a third party wanted to make it public. I am sure both people on the phone have their own feelings about what was said. There are two sides to every conversation...correct?
Agreed.
As for jumping to judgement and assumption regarding the widow, no, but to what was said by whom, yes, very much so, on both sides.
If that is the level that Democrats in Congress stoop to get one up on President Trump than yes I'm disgusted. I agree there probably is a few good or decent people in Congress that are Democrats but as long as those people stand behind and support people like Wilson those people are no better in my opinion. The brush probably wouldn't be so broad if registered Democrats would stop voting in such obvious hacks and would vote in people who work for the people of this country and not just their wallets. Instead the Democrat party is inundated with people like Wilson and the media as well as the Democrat constituency wonder why someone like Trump won. It's almost comical to watch, unless of course your a Democrat.
but as long as those people stand behind and support people like Wilson those people are no better in my opinion.
How do you know for a fact that they are standing behind her? Because they have not made their own views public?
"The brush probably wouldn't be so broad if registered Democrats would stop voting in such obvious hacks and would vote in people who work for the people of this country and not just their wallets."
That could be said of the other side of the aisle as well. Yet, some refuse to see it that way.
"Instead the Democrat party is inundated with people like Wilson and the media as well as the Democrat constituency wonder why someone like Trump won. It's almost comical to watch, unless of course your a Democrat."
I am not a Democrat, nor a Republican, nor anything else. I see blame on both sides of the aisle as I am not blinded by party loyalty nor political bias. There is plenty of guilt on both sides, and the division not only in Congress, but, in the country as a whole, is undermining the entire country.
The saying that "United we stand, divided we fall", could not have more meaning than it does at this time. At least that is what I see. And there is not just one President who is to blame, no matter how either side wants to believe it to be true.
Just like the hostile political blame game that some people create on here on NT, the country as a whole is playing the same game to the detriment of American and its people at a time when we need more than ever to stand united.
But, to me, it is interesting that, in another accounting of the story, Mrs. Johnson stated that she told the Auntie and Mz Wilson what the president said - that they WERE NOT listening to the call - just her. She also stated that, what bothered her the most is that the President kept mispronouncing his name - that hurt her more than anything. She also stated that the President did make the comment of her husband knew what he had signed up for, but, his death still hurts.
If you are going to quote me 1st, don't pick and choose what I said to suit your own political agenda. You misconstrued what I wrote and applied your reply to only one part of what I said, which ws,
"There are a lot of decent Democrats, even if the rabid right don't think so. And there are also a lot of decent Republicans, even if the rabid left does not think so.
If you are going to quote me, do it right, include the entire statement, not just the part you don't like.
The saying that "United we stand, divided we fall", could not have more meaning than it does at this time. At least that is what I see. And there is not just one President who is to blame, no matter how either side wants to believe it to be true.
Just like the hostile political blame game that some people create on here on NT, the country as a whole is playing the same game to the detriment of American and its people at a time when we need more than ever to stand united.
I agree to an extent there is enough blame to go around. The problem is we have media stoking the fires and quite a few people more than happy to get fired up over bullshit stories like this. No one knows what was said between parties and yet President Trump gets full on villain treatment for nothing but innuendo from a far from impartial Democrat Congresswoman. I would have thought this story just as much bullshit had the parties been reversed. Sadly the media as well as corrupt politicians from both parties continue to use stories like this to keep us divided because as long as we are at each others throats we don't pay attention to the clown show in D.C. If Wilson had the Johnson's best interests heart she would have kept her mouth shut let the President say his piece and let the family grieve in peace. Instead she turned this poor widow and her fallen soldier into a sideshow to further divide our nation. Wilson is the true villain here and politicians like her are the real reason we are so divided.
I agree, Ballew. There truly was no reason for this to happen in the first place, and the ones who are paying the price are the widow and her family. They never should have been subjected to this kind of ugly intrusion in their life at a time when holding it together is hard already.
I am by no means letting what Wilson did off the hook, she should not have taken the course she did that put the widow and her family in such uncalled for emotional and mental anguish at such a time.
And the media should not have leaped on it like a wild Hyena on a dying prey as they have. As for Trump, he is not without his part in the story.
It is all just BS, and stirs nothing but more hate, discontent and division. I am in hopes that the widow and her family will soon be given the privacy to deal with their grief they so truly deserve.
She would not know if there was a transcript or a recording, so telling a tale would be problematic. Trump on the other hand stands to lose more face with the military by acknowledging that is was simply giving lip service, he has much to lose.
Trump called to express his condolences, did a clumsy job of it, offended the widow, and then attacked the widow for being offended. He should have just said he’s sorry she was offfended and moved on. I’m tired of hearing about this phone call. I want Trump to explain what these soldiers were doing in Niger and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Here's a more ominous circumstance; Johnson's widow has been denied her right to see the body in the casket! She said she knows every inch of her husband's body and even looking at a finger could tell her if it's Johnson.
Given that situation, it is understandable that she wants to know "whose body is in the casket."
This whole story has a bad smell and Trump and supporters are using the Congresswoman as a smokescreen to evade the real issues and legitimate questions.
The military may be able to prevent her from viewing remains while they’re under military control but, at some point, they should be released to the family and she should be able to do as she chooses. The remains may be so horrible that she may wish she hadn’t looked but I’m unaware of any legal authority the military has to make the decision for her.
It would be fair to give closure to the family to know that the body in the coffin they were given was actually their beloved, and not someone else. Not knowing for sue only adds to the trauma.
Niger! Niger! Niger, what is trump hiding that he won't even answer questions, How about the false reports that said they had simply left the meeting and nothing about being given a new mission while unprotected. They were in a war zone yet how long before reinforcements arrived? I am sure the right will support an endless investigation Benghazi style.
The first person to bring in politics was TRUMP when he started comparing his condolences to Obama and other presidents, which was a LIE - and not even the question he was asked, by the way. If some of you want to believe Trump is is empathetic and compassionate, I think you are not looking at who he is with honesty. I don't imagine he set out to disrespect this widow. He is just incapable of getting it, he could not relate the way he should have been able to. I can totally imagine the way he said those words, and I know what words can do in the midst of grief. Don't try to defend him, he is STILL dragging this on by tweeting. You'd all better think hard before you piss on this lost hero's family.
We need to throw out the standards that we've come to expect from past Presidents. Accept this new behavior from this President and this Administration and stop expecting Trump supporters to change their views.
This is our new normal. It's scary and it's vulgar. Because the behavior is so beneath what so many of us have been taught it's not surprising that we are fighting this change every step of the way. It's an enormous challenge to try and discard reason, to stop considering right or wrong. That's what many of us have been told we'll have to do in order to remain sane under this President.
This is not about policy differences. It's about moral differences. We're faced with trying to get along with those who we feel openly embrace this change and celebrate each tweet and each gaff.
Until we can let go of these expectation we will continue to argue in circles.
This whole situation could have easily been defused but that's not the leadership we have anymore.
I said this earlier, the Congresswomen should not have come out and made any comments regarding the phone call. All she accomplished was lowering the country further into the septic cesspool of this Administration.
Now we no longer see the death and sacrifice of our military as a united suffering. It's now political leverage.
NO!!! We do not lower the bar to accept bad behavior. Let this be a lesson to hold future POTUS to the high bar as we will have well seen what happens when you are willing to settle for nothing.
I said this earlier, the Congresswomen should not have come out and made any comments regarding the phone cal
If she had remained mute and please understand I thoroughly dislike her, that trump would have paraded around exalting in his awesomeness and no one would have ever known except the widow what a narcissistic boor he is.
Unfortunately any attempt to highlight how this President and his Administration don't conform to basic common courtesies hasn't had any impact on how his supporter's see him. They don't recognize the possible long term consequences.
That's my point. It's simply a waste of time trying to convince a faction of people that the staples that formed this country are important.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing except to allow someone enough rope.
The Congresswomen albeit good intentions did not do the cause any good. She only gave Trump and his supporters more fodder to use.
I already made general comments on the subject but I thought I’d make a specific comment on Trump’s use of the word “guy” instead of using the husband’s name. I don’t know what he meant and different people can take it different ways. My wife, for instance, thought it was offensive because it was impersonal. I could see how someone could take it that way but it could be just the opposite and Trump could think he was acknowledging something special between husband and wife as in this song.
"Yes.....Pause.....He was very rude......Pause.......He made me cry.........Pause.........Sniff.........Pause.........I was distraught..........Pause......"
"Did I say it right Friend Ms. Frederica" ?
Freddy Wilson should be ashamed. But I guess you would have to have a tad bit of morals to be ashamed. Missy Wilson just wants Donald Trump impeached.....NO MATTER WHAT !
I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine which should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.
I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of Freedom.
Yours, very sincerely and respectfully, A. Lincoln.
Very well said. It speaks of sincerity and empathy for both the fallen soldier and his loved ones. It also speaks of heartfelt sorrow at the loss of a fellow American citizen who gave is life for his country, and a fellow human being.
You are indeed right.....that is how it should be said.
Well, it wasn't, He didn't use the words of A. Lincoln, but used his.
IMO, except for the cowboy hat woman everything would have been fine. Rather than speaking one on one for now on he should have an automatic response that has the approval of all.
she seems to be acting like she has to remember what someone told her to say....
Yes, I do believe she was coached, it's pretty obvious. Yet the press just lick this shit up, and the Grubercrats will believe anything they are told to believe.
That's my point, the widow should be off limits, but ABC just put her on fucking parade, and she, probably not knowing any better, went right along with it.
I remember that. If I remember correctly they hugged after. Bush knew to let her grieve, then consoled her after. I didn't care for the man yet he had my respect on that.
It's melodrama .....pure and simple.
The widow does not have to speak to anyone. Her choice no matter who requests it. But, this story has legs of its own and will play out. I expect a lot more "interviews" before the curtain falls.
Considering that he couldn't even pronounce the man's name correctly, if he is getting flack about the call, he deserves it.
Every right wing seed on this site turns into a rant. Sad for NT.
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The issue with this phone call has clearly become, not whether or not Trump had good intentions when he called the widow, but rather why he was unwilling to tell the truth about it. A normal human being, when confronted with the congresswoman saying that the family was offended by his call, would have said. "My only intent was to thank and comfort the family of this American hero". That is all he should have said, not called anybody a liar , not had his chief of staff call anybody a liar. Trump can't do that because he is not a normal human being , and doesn't belong in the presidency.
Trump's MO is to blame everyone else but himself for any of his own mistakes. He is not man enough to own up to his own mistakes and by blaming others he creates even more drama for himself and those he uses as scapegoats to take cover for his own lack of ability to deal with the real world as it is, not how he tries to make it.
I feel very sorry for the widow for even having to respond to all the hateful rhetoric that is being tossed upon her and her family at such a time, but, in order to keep the record straight, she has to get involved in the battle here in her own backyard. And she will likely be remembered as the widow of a Gold Star soldier killed in action on foreign soil that Trump insulted for years to come, and her and her family used by the politicians and media to compare how future Presidents handle themselves under such circumstances.
The only ones I feel sorry for in all this is the widow and her family. Her loving husband died in his service to his country and his death has been turned into an undeserved vile 3-ring circus by both sides of the aisle.
Just my opinion.
She doesn't have to be involved publically. Did you ever hear of someone saying.....we would like our privacy now? Or, no comment now? Her grief should be respected. If she chooses to go public that is on her.
She has a right to protect her own integrity and that of her family. She was not the one who threw her and her family into the political fire, but, since she is there, she has the right to set the record straight. That there are those who don't like that fact it gives them even more reason to unfairly attack the widow and her family as the wrong doers. I don't think that her dead husband gave his life for his wife and family to be used in such a manner.
That is my own opinion.
Who threw her into the fire? I believe it was the Congresswoman.
The widow's integrity is not being questioned. Her husband's integrity is not being questioned. She has nothing to protect.
There are two people, however, whose integrity is being questioned....Pres. Trump and Gen. Kelly.
Just my opinion.
You have your opinion and I have mine. As we disagree, let's call it an Impasse.
Well stated sister, VERY well stated...
Haveing worked in the WH for ten years I know for a fact that the call was arranged at least a full day in advance. The president's schedule seldom allows for spontaneous actions.
I believe that T-Rump was trying to generate an image of himself as compassionate.
But I also believe that the Congresswoman, was brought in on the call deliberately, and being family friends is not justification for being there. Congress people seldom lower themselves to such...
So I believe that she is being an opportunist also, and unfortunately the wife and family are now being politicized.
Forced to take a political stance on their son's death.... (which cheapens the ultimate sacrifice by him and dishonors the family in my opinion)
That is the real tragedy here....
Way too many people trying to use her, and those that demonize her for falling for it...
People should leave it go, especially the media....
I am by no means trying to absolve any blame for what Wilson did. It was not necessary for her to drag the widow and her family into her personal political grudge against Trump. But, for the right to pile on the widow and the family is equally unfair, if not more so, as lighting the fuse to the firestorm was not her doing, nor her fault, and not her intention in the first place.
Dealing with her husbands sudden death and trying to maintain her dignity and that of her husband, and dealing with her own grief and that of her children who just lost their beloved Father, was her primary concern. Not starting a political free for all and no holds barred attack on her and her family.
I find it appalling that so many here choose to use her predicament as an excuse to cast her as the cause of the issue, instead of offering their own condolences and respect for her husband's sacrifice for his country.
Just my own opinion.
I listened to Kelly's interview on the radio, and I believe him, he ws called in to advise the President on the best way to deal with what he wanted to do, and Kelly told him, but also left it open for T-Rump to do what he wanted to do.
After than he kept his mouth shut....
Now I hear many people taking Kelly's words and putting them in T-Rumps mouth as his words, and citing that as factual as to what T-Rump actually said.....
Problem is no one has an actual recording, clear and unambiguous, of said statements.
Which means there is no way to prove the veracity of Wilson or T-Rump's versions of the conversation.......
So all of this is political hyperbole.....
Everyone putting their spin on it in their own classically ideological manner.
And by doing such, unfortunately, everyone is loudly saying "Fuck The Family" "Fuck the soldier that lost his life" "Our ideology is more important"
I am a Gold Star Uncle, brother to a Gold Star Mom,
And everyone who is voicing their opinions about the wife and mother, her family, needs to get a fucking clue, their opinions are not needed nor wanted.....
And are very hurtful at this moment...
IS THIS HOW WE HONOR A FALLEN SOLDIER? BY TRASHING HIS FAMILY?
I am ashamed of you all....
Don't include me.
I, personally, have not seen anything disparagingly said about his widow. It is all about the Congresswoman.
You know, you don't have to be a gold star anything to lose people in this life who are your essence for living. Ask me about that sometime. They may not have been on the battlefield for our Country, but they, nevertheless, were doing things for our country, as well.
I, again, I have heard nothing nor read anything to disparage his widow.
This is the usual propaganda put out to cause conflict when there should be none.
It wasn't directed at you Mags specifically, for that I apologise cause it sure looked like it was...
But it was something that needed to be said to those that wish to belabor their talking points instead of what really needs to be done.
In life everyone suffers loss. This young man deliberately gave his up, he should be honored for it....
Not have his family be made into some martyr on the altar of ideological political hate.
Wrong. It was made into a 3 ring circus by Ms. "all hat and no cattle" Wilson.
How so? Please explain how the woman who originally broadcast snippets of a private conversation didn't start the ball rolling for her own personal vendetta?
(This should be excellent reading)
Do you like
Green eggs and ham
I do not like them,
Sam-I-am.
I do not like
Green eggs and ham.
Would you like them
Here or there?
I would not like them
Here or there.
I would not like them
Anywhere.
I do not like
Green eggs and ham.
I do not like them,
Sam-I-am
That is something I am afraid you will never see. Narcissists lack empathy or the ability to say they were wrong.
She exposed something that will not fare well with the American people and your leader is incapable of accepting criticism and therefore goes on the offensive regardless of whom, what or why.
Annnnd Ms. Wilson knew/knows that. So who stirred the pot? In addition, the "controversial" statement has two interpretations IMHO. Ms. Wilson and Ms. Johnson (who may or may not have taken it as she did without Ms. Wilson's input) and that of Mr. Kelly (and myself for the record) That of "He knew of the possibilities and decided that he would STILL choose to serve his country" making him even more of a hero.
It was moronic when Ted Cruz used it, and well, it's ... You know.
Some folks just CAN'T see when one can show how moronic others can be.
Think really hard About why Cruz would have read what he read, in the venue he was at.
“Sometimes a man wants to be stupid if it lets him do a thing his cleverness forbids.”
― John Steinbeck , East of Eden
Like saying Congressional members are "egoistic" !
This is sad on so many levels, yet I do not believe it would be happening if not for a Congresswoman politicizing a phone call that was not hers to speak of to anyone. This young woman, while processing her loss was tossed into the spotlight by another woman for her political gain and media points against the president.
Time to let this die down gracefully, there is really nothing left to be said ... If the widow will be remembered for anything, it will be as the poor grieving widow that was blind sided by Congresswoman and forced into the spotlight! There are 3 other families involved in the tragedy in Niger that are grieving for their loss as well - yet one family is being exploited.
[interesting that the other families are white]
Now you did it. Excellent post........
I agree with all that you said Color Me. The poor widow and her family have been shoved into the center of a political firestorm for which they are not in any way prepared for at a time when they need to grieve the loss of their loved one and try to come to terms with it.
I totally agree that Wilson was well out of line in what she did, and it was not her place to do so. It was a decision that should have been left up to the widow and no one else.
A chat with my neighbor just now got me thinking - this phone call debacle has taken away from the battle for survival that Sgt Johnson and the others faced ... taking away from his heroics in saving others during the ambush ... he needs to be remember! Not this other stupid crap....
Peace...
Very well stated and to the point.
In this case, Trump also knew what he was signing up for. Make the call....don't make the call. Either way is acceptable, but if you make the call, do it right and STFU about it.
Personally, I don't think Trump had a clue as to what he was getting into. However, as the Commander in Chief he should have learned how to address the loss of an American soldier, especially, when talking to the family who have lost their loved one. It should not take that much effort to learn how to show sympathy and compassion, even if it is not sincere.
That's just my opinion.
Maybe someone can answer this:
Myeshia Johnson is riding with rep Wilson when the President called. Why is Wilson there?
why do you care
the lady says she was a friend of the family
I'll take that as a you don't know.
I care because Wilson was already on record as a Trump hater
maybe everyone in the car was a trump hater
so what?
it has nothing to do with what he said to her
or why he lied about it afterward
I beg to differ - it could have a lot to do with Johnson supporting her friend Wilson, who was the one who made an issue out of a condolence call.
Again THAT'S WHY I CARE!
You evidently care as well. I'm glad the nation got to see & hear rep Wilson aren't you?
I know exactly what happened here. It's not that complicated.
Trump said something to them that upset them. Let's call it a misunderstanding.
However, THE DAY BEFORE he had insulted President Obama by saying Obama didnt properly console the Gold Star families.
These Obama supporters in the car were predisposed to be offended by Trump, and then were.
Instead of finding a way to smooth it over, as any sane person would do , Trump called the grieving family liars.
He does not belong in the presidency. Never has and never will.
You mean the incomplete soundbite she put out?
To exploit a tragedy like this is a national disgrace and that's what rep Wilson is
no he did not. please show where Trump called anyone in the family a liar.
trump lying, trump calling an elected representative crazy, having the chief of staff conflate the issue and also lie, is what I would call a national disgrace. Even after the woman confirms Wilson's account we have people attacking her and letting what the President has done and said and acted like be swept under the rug like he has no account at all in any of this, that is a national disgrace.
It's not up to you, the New York Times or Wilson. The American people make that decision.
She call him crazy first, she also called him a "racist" and said he obstructed justice.
having the chief of staff conflate the issue and also lie
No, the chief of staff stood up for decency and thus was forced to unload on her.
Even after the woman confirms Wilson's account
You mean her friend? All we have is a bit of a sentence, clearly taken out of context
we have people attacking her
And it's about time. She violated the rules of congress by wearing the idiotic hats and got away with it by calling the House rules committee "sexist". She's has earned the verbal attack and as I have said before the people have now heard her and she actually hurt democrats in 2018. I'll be here when those results roll in.
He was not 'forced' to do any thing. He stood up and lied about Wilson. There is video evidence to prove that he lied. The only reason he did that was to attack her character. IMO shows lack of character on his part.
.
How is that taken out of context?
He has stood up for gold star parents like himself against those who are trying to politicize a tragedy. What I assume he did was try to understand her motives. He concluded she was grandstanding. He mis-remembered an event in which he erroneously associated her bragging about fundraising - it was the naming of the building, which she bragged about. The real motivation imo was her hatred of Trump. (that is the only point in which I disagree with the General)
How is that taken out of context?
Because nobody would simply say "He signed up for it" PERIOD. They might say "He wanted to defend this country and he signed up for it and he understood the great sacrifice he was undertaking" or as Lincoln once famously said in a letter of condolence " I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom.". You see if I hated Lincoln I could pull out "the solemn pride that must be yours" and claim that it was offensive.
We can each read into it in our own way - your position is that Trump called a grieving widow not to offer condolences, but to say "he signed up for it - what the hell"!
Fair enough
Indeed. That is perhaps what is said to the person signing up for the military, but, that is not something that should be said to the person's widow or family when they are sent home in a coffin. It's totally uncalled for at a time like that. Especially, when you are the Commander in Chief and supposed to be consoling the family at the loss of their loved one who lost their life in service of their country.
Just my own opinion.
I'll put you down as another who thinks those 5 words constituted the entire sentence.
Sorry, I'm not buying it
That is your right. I have mine as well.
I will take the widow's word over trump. Now he is taking to twitter and denouncing the woman, saying that he spoke the correct name and knew his name the whole time, basically saying that she lied now.
People are calling out Rep Wilson for politicizing this event when trump himself could have put this to bed already. He keeps fighting back against everyone, now including the widow herself, as if him and his ego could never possibly be wrong. Then we have people that will denounce everyone involved except one of the main culprits himself.
Especially since John Kelly and Sarah Huckabee Sanders have both admitted that what Wilson and the widow said was true with their own statements. It is Trump and only Trump that is claiming that they are lying.
And of course he has proof of that, filed right next to those Comey tapes that he has about their conversations.
Oh and of course Trump cannot be expected to rise above 'the fray'. It would be way to much to ask...
No, the chief of staff LIED and in doing so gave up any and all moral ground he possessed.
The Congresswoman is a friend of the family. She knew Johnson personally. I know that doesn't play into your agenda, but it's true.
Huh?
Seriously, considering some of the crap that has gone down on the floor of the House, how petty does one have to be to support attacking a Congresswoman for wearing a freaking hat?
Nope, as I said before - " What I assume he did was try to understand her motives. He concluded she was grandstanding. He mis-remembered an event in which he erroneously associated her bragging about fundraising - it was the naming of the building, which she bragged about. "
As I watch this story play out, I continue to be impressed by the supreme hypocrisy of the left:
It goes on and on and doesn't stop. And, so sanctimonious about the widow. The widow received a phone call from the POTUS. A proper phone call. Nothing would have been said derogatorily had not the cowboy hat woman entered into it.
Her 15 mins of fame!
Is Hillary Clinton POTUS? Was she POTUS when that was taped? The answer to both are no!! Now, who was POTUS, who disrespected a dead soldier, who has a history of disrespecting the military? Oh, that's right Donald J. Trump.
OK he said he never said what was claimed this is often referred to a saying someone lied, does that soothe your irritation?
It's not for sale. Even if the POTUS had never uttered the offensive statement equivalent to "he got what he asked for" the fact that he was so detached that he could not even take the time to say the soldiers name says that the phone call was simply an expectation of the office. Love him to your hearts content, but the majority of this country loath him. Few narcissists are thought of fondly so you stand in a unique minority.
OH MY GOD!!!! Is THAT what all of you anti POTUS people are interpreting this as? I knew TDS had some terrible affects but that takes the damned cake. Just plain sick ideology driven bullshit.
SMFH
Really? Like to see some links to where THAT bit of recent revisionist history came from. Can ya help a brother out?
SMH again.
"He's not a war hero," Trump said. "He's a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren't captured."
Regarding a Gold Star family - “If you look at his wife, she was standing there, she had nothing to say, she probably — maybe she wasn’t allowed to have anything to say, you tell me.” He contended that he, too, had made sacrifices because he “created thousands and thousands of jobs, tens of thousands of jobs, built great structures.”
“I know more about ISIS than the generals do, believe me.”
“I always wanted to get the Purple Heart. This was much easier,”
Trump boasted on Howard Stern’s show about surviving his brave challenges of sleeping around with women who might have sexually transmitted diseases. “It is a dangerous world out there — it's scary, like Vietnam,”.
He avoided the actual Vietnam war with four school deferments so he could go to business school then a 5th claiming bone spurs that later he couldn't recall which foot they had occurred in.
And absolutely NONE of those shows disrespect to the military.
Regarding John McCain ONLY.
Did you see her speak up? And in his own mind, I am sure he made sacrifices.........family time, vacations, birthdays, anniversaries etc. Not a good analogy but not out of character
No disrespect there. just bloviating
Can you deny that it was easier than getting a purple heart?
Again, a Trumpism with NOT A SINGLE REFERENCE to the military
YAWWWWWWNNNNN. Student deferments were available to ALL who were in college at the time. AND HIS DAMNED DRAFT NUMBER WAS 356 and probably would NEVER have been called.
While being a dick at times, I don't think you can characterize him as anti military.............AT ALL!!
Just my $.02
Really? Like to see some links to where THAT bit of recent revisionist history came from. Can ya help a brother out?
SMH again.
I dislike "gotcha'" questions as they most often come from those who choose not to believe inconvenient truths.
And when it's shown that they haven't "gotcha'", they almost never acknowledge that their question was answered.
Army Vet: Why Trump Disrespects the Military
For all his wealth and power, there is one thing Trump lacks, and money can't buy it: respect
As someone who served five years in the United States Army, 14 months of that in combat, I've struggled over the past few years to understand Donald Trump's relationship to the military. Does this man love us, or does he hate us?
There's the side of Trump that was reared in a military boarding school – the man who wanted his inauguration to culminate in a scene ripped from Red Square, with long-range missiles paraded down Pennsylvania Avenue. There's the president who's surrounded himself with flag officers, retired and active, in any office he can find space for them, and one who – at least ostensibly – revels in the solemn responsibility of military strikes . And there's the Trump who repeatedly claimed on the campaign trail he would be "so good at the military, it will make your head spin," that no one loved the troops more than himself, and that the feeling was mutual.
But then there's the Trump who, just this week, engaged in a protracted back and forth over how he told the pregnant widow of a fallen Green Beret her late husband "knew what he signed up for." His administration also banned non-citizen legal permanent residents from joining the Army Reserve, a practice dating back to the Revolutionary War. And thanks to a report in The Washington Post , we learned the president promised a Gold Star father $25,000 from his personal account in June, but hadn't delivered on that promise. (The White House now says that check is in the mail.)
Looking back over the past two years, there's more: disrespecting the wartime POW service of John McCain, fantasizing about shooting an Army sergeant held captive by the Taliban for five years, repeated instances of military charities not receiving promised donations, smearing another Gold Star family of color, insulting uniformed leaders and pledging to fire them all, ridiculing combat veterans with PTSD, kicking uniformed personnel off the National Security Council, abdicating responsibility for troop strength in combat theaters, disrespecting the retired four-star general and Gold Star father who runs his White House, shaming the National Security Council on live television, pledging to kick transgender troops out of the armed services, blocking a prominent veterans' group on Twitter, attacking John McCain again, waiting nearly two weeks to remark on the death of four Special Forces soldiers in combat. Going back further still, we could note Trump's Vietnam draft-dodging , how he referred to sleeping with models as his "personal Vietnam" and his attempt to kick homeless veterans off 5th Avenue out of disgust.
He disrespected all POWs when he made that statement
He took the purple heart from a man who actually earned it and then made a stupid joke about it (this was way easier)
The man has no shame
Marine Vet: President Trump is a fine President.
Well thanks for the link and story. Since it seems to be one man's opinion at least, I will take it as such. I AM sure that this is not just his opinion but that of more. Stands to reason there would be some dissent after yet another media fueled fiasco among the ranks. Of course I am AGAIN certain that even without the stories of late, there are/were those of similar opinion. Unavoidable.
"Regarding John McCain ONLY."
So John McCain was the only soldier captured?
"Did you see her speak up?"
"Walking onto the convention stage, with a huge picture of my son behind me, I could hardly control myself," Ghazala Khan wrote "What mother could?"
"No disrespect there. just bloviating"
Bloviating: verb - talk at length, especially in an inflated or empty way.
How is that not disrespect?
"Can you deny that it was easier than getting a purple heart?"
That's just the point, he disrespected those who have received them for their actual service and sacrifice of which he gave NONE.
" NOT A SINGLE REFERENCE to the military"
Referencing Vietnam wasn't mentioning the military? Really?
"While being a dick at times"
Have some Americans really stooped so low as to simply accept such crass and admittedly dickish behavior from the office of President? Sad.
"Just my $.02"
You should get a refund.
Because she is a family friend going with a grieving widow to pick up her dead husbands body.
FOUTH F'N TIME!
Wilson’s primary identity to the Johnson family isn’t as a member of Congress. The Johnsons have known Wilson for decades — most of those years before the former educator moved to Washington to join Congress.
“When I saw the headline that a young man was killed in Niger from Carol City, I thought, ‘My God, please don’t let it be a role model,'" Wilson told Politico. “And it was.”
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
Wilson’s connection to the family goes back at least one generation. She told CNN that she was the principal of a school that Johnson’s father attended.
These relationships were part of why Wilson was with the family — not just because she was “a member of Congress.”
Remember our deal?
Won't happen again unless a frequently repeated fact is simply ignored as if never posted.
You control that.
It's a public service for any/all who might miss such a concerted effort.
Why do people keep asking about Wilson's relationship with the family when it's plainly obvious. SHE WAS INVITED TO GO WITH THEM BECAUSE SHE WAS A CLOSE FRIEND!!!! Good Lord ! It's in the text of dozens of articles. SMH
Because there are those who don't want to see it, or believe anything that does not totally confirm or agree with what they think. Truth and facts are merely to be ignored by them. And....if they accepted the truth and facts they would have much less to rant about. And that would certainly spoil their agenda.
You believe that this congresswoman was a close friend of the family?
Yeppers. That is what the family has been saying all along.
Is there anything to back that up? Personally, I doubt they knew each other before the man was killed in Niger.
She misspelled her name in a Tweet and mispronounced her name in an interview.
It is not my fault that you refuse to believe the truth. It is not my responsibility to educate you. If you are really that interested you should be able to find the proof yourself. And you would most likely phooh phooh any proof that I provided anyway. So why rely on someone else to do what you should be capable of doing yourself.
That is supposed to prove she lied? There are a lot of people right here on NT who have typos all the time, do you consider them all to be liars? As for mispronouncing someone's name, I done that a few times myself. So I guess in your own opinion that automatically makes me a liar in your own eyes.
No, it is not proof she lied. I am not saying that at all. And typing is a bit different than speaking and mispronouncing. Simply that perhaps they just aren't as close as Ms. Wilson would have everyone believe.
Damn, don't take it personally. I am not one of your usual detractors by ANY stretch.
I do believe that the widow has confirmed that Wilson was indeed a close family friend. You have the right to choose not to believe it for your own reasons. I respect that.
And I didn't necessarily take it personal, I merely applied your way of thinking about what constitutes a liar to my own faults at times. Something that most human beings are capable of having, especially, when you have just lost a loved one and suddenly thrown into a political firestorm with no experience on how to deal with it, and still reeling from the trauma of losing your husband and the dirt is still damp from his burial.
However, I truly do appreciate that you are willing to engage in civil dialog with me even though we may have different opinions. I look forward to other conversation with you. (smile)
Bullshit. You claim it is the truth, back that shit up, or maybe you can't?
Yeah, it's pretty good evidence. How many times have you ever mispronounced a "close personal friends" name???
I'm willing to bet that you have never mispronounced a close personal friends name, I know I've never done so, but then again, I have very few close personal friends...
You would lose the bet. Because I am a mere human being, not the Creator.
And I somehow don't think you are the Creator either, yet, you choose to take it upon yourself to judge others when you know absolutely nothing about them. However, thankfully, the Creator does know me, and accepts the fact that I am human and thus not perfect and capable of making mistakes. Even small ones like mispronouncing, or even forgetting, the name of a close friend at times. Thankfully, He does not hold it against me or feel the need to deny or berate me for such a lapse.
Excuse me.....but, DO NOT try using your male dominant and intimidating BS with me. You DO NOT have the right to so. And you are picking on the wrong party to try that kind of BS with. This is not NV, either drop the bullying attempt attitude or DO NOT respond to me again.
I have a friend that I have known for about twenty years. After about fifteen years into our friendship, she finally told me I have been spelling her name wrong all this time, on Christmas cards, notes, etc. She spelled her name Cindi and I was always putting Cindy. I have done that to several people. My cousin's name is Jayson and his close friends still think it is Jason.
I have said peoples name wrong. I have even called people the completely wrong name. Something I can understand. Shit happens.
I have misspelled my sister-in-laws name before, it is pronounce Suekey and, is written Suk-Hi. I spelled it Sue-Key.
How is this male dominance?
I never had.
My Father spelled my name wrong all my life. It is spelled with on n, and he always spelled it with two n's, and it kind of bugged me that my own Father could not remember how to spell my name right, but, I never said anything.
It wasn't until shortly before he walked on that I finally asked him why he had always spelled my name with two n's instead of one. And he smiled and answered, "Because that is how I always wanted it to be spelled." And hurt feelings I had over his mis-spelling of my name vanished. And I treasure every letter, card and picture where he spelled my name the way HE wanted it to be spelled. (smile)
And, I have even called my own children by the wrong name on several occasions. It's called being human.
LOL, my father always called me by my brothers name first and, then corrected it to mine.
My older Brother rarely lived with out family, preferring to live with my Maternal Grandparents who had the money to give him all the things he wanted, which my parents were unable to afford. So...my name got mixed up with the names of our two dogs and two cats instead. (grin)
I have now posted several times the history and connection of Wilson to the Johnson family.
If you missed it, find it and educate yourself but don't poke your metaphorical fingers in a member's face because you either erroneously think you know something while you don't, are too lazy to find out for your self, or just think you can browbeat members into submission.
My mother, my grandmother and I have done that.....going through the whole list.
You left the apostrophe out of the word "friend's," does that make you a liar?
E.A A Mac May I?
You all are really reaching at straws to come up with a reason she couldn't remember Johnson. Pitiful.
LMAO my dad did the same thing to me, especially when he was angry. I remember once he made it through 4 out of 5 of my brothers names before getting it correct.
I can hear it now, "Fluffy, Spot, Raven Wing dammit".
Yep, I've never done it though. (looks off to the side and, winks)
Something like that. But, my Mother was a fan of the oriental, so it was "Chingy, Jaggy, Nakim, Hason...ahhhh crap...you know who I mean". I can still hear her voice as she went down the list. It was really hard not to laugh.(grin)
What is pitiful are the responses some people come up with as well as their undying admiration of a completely clueless POTUS.
I believe he is absolutely correct when he stated that he could shoot someone in the middle of the street and still gets votes. I would add keep some peoples blind devotion to that.
what is pitiful is a Democrat Congressional Member who has no decorum.
FIFTH F'N TIME!
Wilson’s primary identity to the Johnson family isn’t as a member of Congress. The Johnsons have known Wilson for decades — most of those years before the former educator moved to Washington to join Congress.
“When I saw the headline that a young man was killed in Niger from Carol City, I thought, ‘My God, please don’t let it be a role model,'" Wilson told Politico. “And it was.”
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
Wilson’s connection to the family goes back at least one generation. She told CNN that she was the principal of a school that Johnson’s father attended.
These relationships were part of why Wilson was with the family — not just because she was “a member of Congress.”
Just a lesson::
My Friends Three of them : S As a Plural!
My Friend'S Overseas at the Moment : Replacement for IS
I am willing to be educated :-)
I spelled my half sister's name wrong for years. It is Donnee and I was spelling it Donnie.
This has nothing to do with the topic. I just wanted you to know how beautiful your prints are.
Very kind of you ... many thanks; I have a personal matter that may keep me inactive regarding new photos for while. Hopefully I can get back into field photography in a week or so.
You would be wrong. She knew him from before he even entered the Marines.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/10/19/what-john-kelly-got-wrong-about-rep-frederica-wilson-and-the-johnson-family/?utm_term=.8c9a814a7a87
Enough of the lie she didn't know the family prior. This is someone who knew the family back a generation. Easy enough to find, he was an alumnus of a mentoring program she started called Role Models of Excellence Project. So everyone put the lie about the congresswoman not knowing the family to bed.
Good on ya. Everyone should have access to a good speil chcekr. (grin)
Those red squiggly lines freak me out.
Yes; now the sixth time the information has been posted in this discussion.
A gude spelir like u don't need no spel chekar.
Which is why you subscribe to the endless attack dogs pretending that anything they don't like, can't refute' or just irritates them is FAKE NEWS when the whole time they get all their information from the self admitted purveyors of FAKE NEWS. Are you still wondering why you are ridiculed?
Personally I find them downright clownish, she presents the peacock style of entrance something that no male Congressman would have accepted. Scan the chamber and all men wear gray, dark blue or black suits, the females are in red, pink bright green etc. I just think official state functions should warrant somber clothing not a fashion statement. I never did hear a criticism from the right when Sheriff David Clark was on the fast track to a trump position and he wears total clown regalia.
How about you not try and tell me who I can comment to in my on fucking discussion? And furthermore... If you think you see a CoC violation, why don't you fucking follow the CoC yourself, and report what you think is a violation, instead of trying to inflame the issue.
pfft... yeah, obviously that made them close personal friends...
Ok, fine, I get my two sons mixed up all the time.
And for the 5th fucking time I will respond that just because the guy was in her program, does not make him a "close personal friend".
When I enlisted in the Marine Corps, I got a bonus that was brought about by Ronald Regan, guess what, we were not "close personal friends".
BINGO!!!!!!
See my post at
7th F'n Time … It's disingenuous to feign disbelief especially when the facts have been posted in this discussion numerous times.
The deceased soldier was an alumnus of the 5,000 Role Models of Excellence Project, a mentoring program Wilson started for youths pursuing military careers, among other fields. So were his brothers. One received a full scholarship to Bethune-Cookman University, and the other is training to become a firefighter.
Wilson’s connection to the family goes back at least one generation. She told CNN that she was the principal of a school that Johnson’s father attended.
These relationships were part of why Wilson was with the family — not just because she was “a member of Congress.”
Read the entire post and stop mischaracterizing by cherry picking.
Obviously that must be how they are "close personal friends"... lol
Well color me edumacated. Principal at his father's high school AND he was in her "program". Guess that seals it /s
I was not aware that I was being ridiculed.
Yes, obviously.
Lol that brings back memories as in my family we had 8 children and 3 were boys. My parents would start with the oldest and go down the list "Lou, Gerry, Ricky" but we knew what they meant....
How about you learn how things work HERE, on NT. I have the right to tell anyone, anywhere, not to comment to me. And not reporting a CoC violation is not against the CoC as you wish to think. Just because it is your article does not give you the right to talk to a Member anyway you like and then attack them when they call you on it.
Can I ask a simple little question?
Why are you bringing this back up, you have been counseled, you consider her an easy target? or you just reject the RA's counseling?
Oooooh! More badass talk.
Okay, knock it off. Get back to the issues. Everyone.
My last comment on the matter... I did not attack you, or at least my intention was never to attack you. I wish you a good day madam, I look forward to our discussions in the future.
who are you?
Thank you. I also look forward to further discussions in the future. Have a great day. (smile)
Fair enough …
Excellent!
You forgot to tell him 'bout what a great fly-fisherman you are
You're right! Well, don't know 'bout the "great" part … but I am a fly fisherman … and since I forget to mention it, the next time I post a resume … I'll include "senile" …
And, in case I forget, please remind me.
Remind you of what?
How about you backing up your claim that she was not a family friend. I believe the widow and take her word that they are indeed friends.
Since you mentioned it... AFGE, CPL-33 President, Vice President, Steward, and all around good guy for 15+ years, Marine for 9 years, Army National guard for 7 years, Correctional Officer for 21 years, and a Utility Plant foreman for 1 year... But who's counting?
Glad to know you, Sir!
Obviously not just another pretty face … than you for your service!
Sgt. Johnson was a U.S. Army Soldier, not a Marine.. Please get your facts straight.
I have a friend who always mispronounces names of friends. Once she gets it in her head, it always comes out wrong. Not every name, but some and also certain words. You'd be surprised what normal people do.
I believe the only person with an agenda is the Congresswoman. The ONLY person.
exactly.
And you think trump does not have an agenda?
What's on the agenda today? Well, one thing is that you will call the widow of........... ok. Next? ........ok.
Of course, Pres. Trump has an agenda, but on this particular phone call. once, the call was made it was off the agenda. The Congresswoman set up the entire scenario thereafter.
With that kind of talent, she should run for President. She knew when he would call, what he would say, and made sure that both Kelly and Huckabee Sanders would corroborate? Dammm she's good!! The only thing that can stop her is Trump's "evidence" that he has proving his side. Anyone want to put down odds that this "evidence" will never appear???
No shit. They set these things up hours in advance. duh.
Did you not read the "thereafter"?
What an opportunity for her! A movie plot! Did she ever dream that an opportunity like this would happen? Not, in her wildest.
Politicians take every advantage of the moment.
And, Trump could have ended it very easily again simply by calling the widow BACK UP and, apologizing for any slight she might have suffered, did he do that, hell no, he has doubled down on everything and, made the matter worse. Idiot-in-Chief.
Oh, gimme a break! Why should he when he did nothing wrong?
The problem is he is doing things wrong by picking a fight with the widow and, a family friend, he has done this before and, since this all came to light he has continued to do it, it is who he is, no matter if he is wrong or, right if someone, in his opinion, slights HIM he goes after them, he should apologize and, move on.
He couldn't even pronounce the fallen hero's name correctly. That sounds like wrong to me.
He did this before???? Show us some proof.
He picked the fight? Who brought the "slight" to the attention of the press? A Stetson wielding no name looking for her 15 minutes of fame. What about the other three victims of the attack? Anyone hear ANYTHING from those families? Hell no. All you get to see is the goddamned negative propagated by a close (really? She was the principal at his dad's school, Mr. Johnson was one of MANY of her charges in her "role model" program. Kind of easy to say you were close to the family..............because they were part of her program) friend of the family.
I went to high school with a girl (now woman of course) who is now a federal marshal. If something should happen to her in the line of duty do I get to proclaim "I am a very close friend of the family" because I knew her then and continue occasionally to see her and communicate with her on social media on occasion?
Give it a rest people. It is what it is. If she wants to say "close to the family" so be it. But to use them and the call and her perceived dissing of the deceased soldier as a political crutch, enjoy her opportunistic bashing of your duly elected POTUS.
*****mic drop****
Do try and have a good day and if you are a lefty liberal, try not to be so miserable.....................
Of course he does, his agenda is to present the illusion of empathy by calling out his superiority which coincidentally he could show the next day by making the obligatory call. He just failed miserably by being a narcissistic ass, couldn't care less, and didn't even know "your Guys" name. That is pretty damned callous.
When a comment is punctuated with this talking down snark, it reflects poorly on the one positing it and NT as well.
It is not helpful when those who come from a sunken ship come and drill holes in the hull of this one.
YAWWWWWNNN. Do we need to start a go fund me page for some of the residents here to be able to afford a sense of humor?
Lighten up............sheesh
Oh ... That was humor?
My bad for not recognizing it.
note: This is humor.
What's really stupid is all of us sitting around guessing as to what the call was. We need to hear the tape of it! WTH? President Trump talking to world leaders on the phone is leaked within 30 seconds, but we can't hear this call?? Bah..
Does not the WH tape ALL phone calls made from there?
How 'bout running with this one Paula - La David Johnson. Yup - really, really common name and very easily not mispronounced - La David.
If Trump had screwed the name up, I can think of thousands of others who would also do the same. I, personally, would've said "Sgt. Johnson" - can't screw that up too easily.
/shrug You'd think so, right?
Probably wanting to put it to rest and quit stirring up shit would be my guess. It's over........until someone brings it up again and as it seems........it is inevitable.......SIGH
One of the first things Jerry Ford did when he assumed the office was rip out all the recording devices that Jack Kennedy had installed.....
It took 15 years for the supposed best and brightest in our nation called upon to be leader to figure out that taping every thing that comes out of a presidents mouth was a bad thing....
And they think we are the stupid ones....
Trump didn't turn a tragedy into a political clusterfuck. That's a Democrat tactic.
Well yeah, I mean it's not like Trump has attacked anyone for no reason before, just to prove he's all macho.......oh wait, my bad.
There has always been a reason. Carry on, Pres. Trump!
Yeah there is, he's a narcissist.
Oh, and you don't think our constitutional scholar i.e. Pres Obama was not?
Magnolia, if you remember me from Newsvine I always said that something had to be wrong with anyone who ran for president, I believe that Obama has a little bit of the narcissist in him but, I don't think it was clinically diagnosable like it is with Trump. Trump is dangerous for America, he needs to go.
There is not a man or woman who has not run for public office who didn't think they were all that and more. You know why? Because they have these followers who keep telling them how great they are. And, soon, they believe it. They raise millions of dollars and they are the prima donna......let me tell you how great I am!
None of them are worth the millions of dollars that are funneled in for their election.
No, I don't remember you, but hi!
I do believe he is worth it. Want to know why? Because he is not your run of the mill president. He is shaking leaves off the trees. He needs to shut up, but nevertheless, it is not politics as usual.
Praise the Lord!
The difference here is that Trump thought he was great before he ever started in politics or, business, just ask him, how great he is, he will tell you, ask him when he achieved greatness and, he will tell you he has always been great and, no one had to tell him he was great.
No, it is worse. By the way, I went by gmross on NV.
Well, ok. Anyone who amassed billions of dollars has a reason to think they are great! I don't care if it came from his mother, his daddy or his grandpa. The fact is he took the money and made more.
Look at Bill Gates, Buffet, Winfrey et al. Spielberg making movies. It goes on and on.
I, frankly, don't give a damn about their money. But, money gives prestige right or wrong. It, also, gives a false sense of superiority. They are not superior in anything other than money.
If Trump can shake up Washington, I am all for it.
Now, I do know who you are. Welcome!
If I remember correctly and, please correct me if I'm wrong, that is your son in the picture. Is he still playing ball?
Trump made his money by his daddy giving him 14 million dollars as a start up loan and, then he declared bankruptcy 5 times to keep from paying contractors and, banks, yep, a man you can trust and, he is a draft dodger as well.
My grandson....the love of my life!
He is 16 now and driving. He was 10 in the photo. Plays soccer.....awesome player. Thank you for remembering.
14 million is a lot of money. The amount goes higher with every controversy.
Draft dodger? Not any more so than Pres. Clinton.
I could name a hundred people that could do exactly what you claim trump does and they would suck just as bad, well almost.
Clinton did get deferments, he was also a Rhodes scholar, and did not get a fictitious medical. Care to compare trumps scholastic achievements as well as his admissions based on daddies gifts. Fundamental differences. Yes it takes money to make money and his failures would have destroyed his original if he didn't get a major infusion upon daddy's passing. He can't even do business in an ethical manner, why would anyone conceive that he is any different now. MAGA Dump Trump
My hope is, when the dust settles, this family can grieve in their own way. My hope is Sgt Johnsons children learn what a brave man their father was. My hope for Mrs. Johnson is to find a sliver of peace somewhere, somehow. She has a long road ahead, long after the interviews and cameras and tweets......my hope is that she is surrounded by people who truely care.
Thank you for your very heartfelt thoughts amid the stench of political poo slinging.
I agree with all you said. And I will keep her and her children in my prayers. And I also pray that the Spirit of her husband can help her find the mental and emotional peace she and her family so sincerely need to come to terms with their loss. It's not like they saw it coming and had time to adjust and prepare for what they are going through.
It is people like yourself who will help them through it. (smile)
Then, I suggest she write off the Congresswoman because she will have no peace unless she does.
Why??
Because (and you know this) as long as the cowboy lady can speak about it.....she will.
I don't know Mags.......It sounds to me like Congresswomen Wilson has known Sgt Johnson for quite some time. Don't know that writing her off is the best strategy. I hope now that Mrs Johnson has had her say, Wilson becomes the part of the support system she needs and abandons the politics.
I also hope Trump, when appropriate at some point, somehow, will apologize to the family.......privately.
lastly, I hope the "5,000 role models of excellence" continues their mission.
That is my hope, also. So, let this Congresswoman know to back off and not make it a political issue.
Make sure that Trump gets the same message.
Very well stated and well considered!
This may come as a surprise to some but the country is currently divided in a way that pits race and ethnicity against each other. Whether we can agree or not on who the culprit is for this division we have to at minimum acknowledge that Donald has not made much lead way with the black community or ingratiating himself with minorities as much as he has with our white nationalists.
Is anyone really shocked that this widow and her family would be prepared for the worst? Donald and his administration should also have been prepared. Someone should have written down a script for him to stick to with clear instructions for him to not deviate from the script.
My issue with all of this is basically why would President Trump call this grieving widow and act like a total dick? What does it accomplish? If he wanted to be a jerk he wouldn't have called her in the first place. It makes little to no sense for him to hurt this poor woman even further.Why would he risk what little support he has right now by being a dick to widow? None of this makes much sense to me.
I do believe it is horrible that at this families time of grief the media as well as the Congresswoman would politicize this and turn it as yet another opportunity to attack a President they clearly have it out for. This poor woman needs to have time to grieve without the media and this Wilson thrusting her into the spotlight like some anti-Trump sideshow.
My thoughts and prayers are with the Johnson family.
He called because it is expected and he already bragged about calls made. He did not call because he is a caring human, narcissists don't have words like that.
I can't stand Trump, but I don't think he 'talked shit' intentionally. He DID talk shit, however, it was not because of malice, it was because Trump is an insensitive boor who is incapable of handling such a call. He owes the widow an apology and he should never try to make such a call again. We shouldn't try to goad him into it either.
no he didn't...did you hear the call?
here is another phone call he made to a widow:
How does what he said to another widow have to do with what he said to Mrs Johnson? They are two different people. It has no relationship to his conversation with Mrs Johnson.
Do we have any transcripts of what exactly the President said to Mrs. Johnson? Or are we forced to take the word of whatever side we choose to believe? I honestly do not know they exchange and all I really saw was something said that could have easily been taken out of context. IMO Wilson is trying to become a "rockstar" on the back of a poor widow. If that's the case Democrats in Congress are even more disgusting than I ever imagined
well it gives us some insight to his conduct on such calls. why would he be different on any other calls?
Time frames can make a difference in the mood and attitude, and the WH is not without its own wild drama at this point. Perhaps the call he made to Mrs Johnson was the first he made and the mis-steps he made with her were addressed with those with him at the time, thus he used a different approach with the others and made more of an effort to get the names right and used less careless wording.
However, it still does not negate any of the mis-steps Trump made with Mrs Johnson, and regardless of whether or not Wilson was with her at the time, she would still have been as hurt and offended by what he said and how he said it as she said she was in her own words.
No other calls he made to others have any relevance to the call he made to Mrs Johnson.
I agree Sunshine. It gives insight into how he conducts these calls and what is said. Why would he conduct himself any different with another widow?
Sadly, without a transcript it turns into a he said she said scenario. And all we really have to go off of is past conversations.
Or maybe Mrs Johnson already held a negative opinion of President Trump and went into the call with a preconceived bias against President Trump. Maybe what he said wasn't what she heard or in the context of what she heard it. Mrs Johnson was grieving and had Wilson in her other ear. None of us know without a transcript. So why even try and be angry about this? Unless of course you already have a biased opinion of the President to start. My biggest bitch about all this isn't with Johnson or Trump but with Wilson and the media pushing an agenda on the back a Gold Star Widow.
Using a very broad brush to paint all Democrats the same as Wilson is unfair. There are a lot of decent Democrats, even if the rabid right don't think so. And there are also a lot of decent Republicans, even if the rabid left does not think so.
Using a broad brush to denigrate a group of people based upon the actions of one is even more disgusting.
Just my own opinion.
I doubt Trump would change is tone for just one phone call.
It is the opinion of the Congresswoman and the widow that Trump made any mis-steps. And of course they are entitled to an opinion and feelings regarding the call. but it is just that.....an opinion.
Just like yours, mine and everyone else. None of us here were on the other end to hear exactly what was said or how. The need to jump to judgement and assumptions is what causes most of the problem.
so let it stay between the two parties. but, a third party wanted to make it public. I am sure both people on the phone have their own feelings about what was said. There are two sides to every conversation...correct?
I haven't seen anyone judging the widow. But the Congresswoman decided to make a public statement about it. People have the right to defend any derogatory remarks about them.
Agreed.
As for jumping to judgement and assumption regarding the widow, no, but to what was said by whom, yes, very much so, on both sides.
If that is the level that Democrats in Congress stoop to get one up on President Trump than yes I'm disgusted. I agree there probably is a few good or decent people in Congress that are Democrats but as long as those people stand behind and support people like Wilson those people are no better in my opinion. The brush probably wouldn't be so broad if registered Democrats would stop voting in such obvious hacks and would vote in people who work for the people of this country and not just their wallets. Instead the Democrat party is inundated with people like Wilson and the media as well as the Democrat constituency wonder why someone like Trump won. It's almost comical to watch, unless of course your a Democrat.
That's just my opinion
How do you know for a fact that they are standing behind her? Because they have not made their own views public?
"The brush probably wouldn't be so broad if registered Democrats would stop voting in such obvious hacks and would vote in people who work for the people of this country and not just their wallets."
That could be said of the other side of the aisle as well. Yet, some refuse to see it that way.
"Instead the Democrat party is inundated with people like Wilson and the media as well as the Democrat constituency wonder why someone like Trump won. It's almost comical to watch, unless of course your a Democrat."
I am not a Democrat, nor a Republican, nor anything else. I see blame on both sides of the aisle as I am not blinded by party loyalty nor political bias. There is plenty of guilt on both sides, and the division not only in Congress, but, in the country as a whole, is undermining the entire country.
The saying that "United we stand, divided we fall", could not have more meaning than it does at this time. At least that is what I see. And there is not just one President who is to blame, no matter how either side wants to believe it to be true.
Just like the hostile political blame game that some people create on here on NT, the country as a whole is playing the same game to the detriment of American and its people at a time when we need more than ever to stand united.
Just my own opinion.
"even if the rabid right don't think so"
Well, there goes your comment about how "middle-of-the-road" you are and that you don't favor either party
But, to me, it is interesting that, in another accounting of the story, Mrs. Johnson stated that she told the Auntie and Mz Wilson what the president said - that they WERE NOT listening to the call - just her. She also stated that, what bothered her the most is that the President kept mispronouncing his name - that hurt her more than anything. She also stated that the President did make the comment of her husband knew what he had signed up for, but, his death still hurts.
Will continue to try to find that link.
If you are going to quote me 1st, don't pick and choose what I said to suit your own political agenda. You misconstrued what I wrote and applied your reply to only one part of what I said, which ws,
"There are a lot of decent Democrats, even if the rabid right don't think so. And there are also a lot of decent Republicans, even if the rabid left does not think so.
If you are going to quote me, do it right, include the entire statement, not just the part you don't like.
The saying that "United we stand, divided we fall", could not have more meaning than it does at this time. At least that is what I see. And there is not just one President who is to blame, no matter how either side wants to believe it to be true.
Just like the hostile political blame game that some people create on here on NT, the country as a whole is playing the same game to the detriment of American and its people at a time when we need more than ever to stand united.
I agree to an extent there is enough blame to go around. The problem is we have media stoking the fires and quite a few people more than happy to get fired up over bullshit stories like this. No one knows what was said between parties and yet President Trump gets full on villain treatment for nothing but innuendo from a far from impartial Democrat Congresswoman. I would have thought this story just as much bullshit had the parties been reversed. Sadly the media as well as corrupt politicians from both parties continue to use stories like this to keep us divided because as long as we are at each others throats we don't pay attention to the clown show in D.C. If Wilson had the Johnson's best interests heart she would have kept her mouth shut let the President say his piece and let the family grieve in peace. Instead she turned this poor widow and her fallen soldier into a sideshow to further divide our nation. Wilson is the true villain here and politicians like her are the real reason we are so divided.
I agree, Ballew. There truly was no reason for this to happen in the first place, and the ones who are paying the price are the widow and her family. They never should have been subjected to this kind of ugly intrusion in their life at a time when holding it together is hard already.
I am by no means letting what Wilson did off the hook, she should not have taken the course she did that put the widow and her family in such uncalled for emotional and mental anguish at such a time.
And the media should not have leaped on it like a wild Hyena on a dying prey as they have. As for Trump, he is not without his part in the story.
It is all just BS, and stirs nothing but more hate, discontent and division. I am in hopes that the widow and her family will soon be given the privacy to deal with their grief they so truly deserve.
She would not know if there was a transcript or a recording, so telling a tale would be problematic. Trump on the other hand stands to lose more face with the military by acknowledging that is was simply giving lip service, he has much to lose.
Other families had no issue with Pres. Trump's calls of condolences, but then they didn't have the cowboy hat woman sitting at their sides.
yep
Do you see what is happening now? It is becoming a racial thing. Just saw it on MSN. Totally disgusting!
They have dug in so far on the poor me thing there are no boundaries. If they had a cause it is lost on me now.
Using this young man's death as a ploy for political purposes ain't gonna roll.
Trump called to express his condolences, did a clumsy job of it, offended the widow, and then attacked the widow for being offended. He should have just said he’s sorry she was offfended and moved on. I’m tired of hearing about this phone call. I want Trump to explain what these soldiers were doing in Niger and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
Here's a more ominous circumstance; Johnson's widow has been denied her right to see the body in the casket! She said she knows every inch of her husband's body and even looking at a finger could tell her if it's Johnson.
Given that situation, it is understandable that she wants to know "whose body is in the casket."
This whole story has a bad smell and Trump and supporters are using the Congresswoman as a smokescreen to evade the real issues and legitimate questions.
The military may be able to prevent her from viewing remains while they’re under military control but, at some point, they should be released to the family and she should be able to do as she chooses. The remains may be so horrible that she may wish she hadn’t looked but I’m unaware of any legal authority the military has to make the decision for her.
I thought it was odd too. They refused to let her see his body. She said that it would have given her peace to know that it was him there.
It would be fair to give closure to the family to know that the body in the coffin they were given was actually their beloved, and not someone else. Not knowing for sue only adds to the trauma.
Niger! Niger! Niger, what is trump hiding that he won't even answer questions, How about the false reports that said they had simply left the meeting and nothing about being given a new mission while unprotected. They were in a war zone yet how long before reinforcements arrived? I am sure the right will support an endless investigation Benghazi style.
The first person to bring in politics was TRUMP when he started comparing his condolences to Obama and other presidents, which was a LIE - and not even the question he was asked, by the way. If some of you want to believe Trump is is empathetic and compassionate, I think you are not looking at who he is with honesty. I don't imagine he set out to disrespect this widow. He is just incapable of getting it, he could not relate the way he should have been able to. I can totally imagine the way he said those words, and I know what words can do in the midst of grief. Don't try to defend him, he is STILL dragging this on by tweeting. You'd all better think hard before you piss on this lost hero's family.
We need to throw out the standards that we've come to expect from past Presidents. Accept this new behavior from this President and this Administration and stop expecting Trump supporters to change their views.
This is our new normal. It's scary and it's vulgar. Because the behavior is so beneath what so many of us have been taught it's not surprising that we are fighting this change every step of the way. It's an enormous challenge to try and discard reason, to stop considering right or wrong. That's what many of us have been told we'll have to do in order to remain sane under this President.
This is not about policy differences. It's about moral differences. We're faced with trying to get along with those who we feel openly embrace this change and celebrate each tweet and each gaff.
Until we can let go of these expectation we will continue to argue in circles.
This whole situation could have easily been defused but that's not the leadership we have anymore.
I said this earlier, the Congresswomen should not have come out and made any comments regarding the phone call. All she accomplished was lowering the country further into the septic cesspool of this Administration.
Now we no longer see the death and sacrifice of our military as a united suffering. It's now political leverage.
NO!!! We do not lower the bar to accept bad behavior. Let this be a lesson to hold future POTUS to the high bar as we will have well seen what happens when you are willing to settle for nothing.
If she had remained mute and please understand I thoroughly dislike her, that trump would have paraded around exalting in his awesomeness and no one would have ever known except the widow what a narcissistic boor he is.
Unfortunately any attempt to highlight how this President and his Administration don't conform to basic common courtesies hasn't had any impact on how his supporter's see him. They don't recognize the possible long term consequences.
That's my point. It's simply a waste of time trying to convince a faction of people that the staples that formed this country are important.
Sometimes the hardest thing to do is nothing except to allow someone enough rope.
The Congresswomen albeit good intentions did not do the cause any good. She only gave Trump and his supporters more fodder to use.
I already made general comments on the subject but I thought I’d make a specific comment on Trump’s use of the word “guy” instead of using the husband’s name. I don’t know what he meant and different people can take it different ways. My wife, for instance, thought it was offensive because it was impersonal. I could see how someone could take it that way but it could be just the opposite and Trump could think he was acknowledging something special between husband and wife as in this song.
"Yes.....Pause.....He was very rude......Pause.......He made me cry.........Pause.........Sniff.........Pause.........I was distraught..........Pause......"
"Did I say it right Friend Ms. Frederica" ?
Freddy Wilson should be ashamed. But I guess you would have to have a tad bit of morals to be ashamed. Missy Wilson just wants Donald Trump impeached.....NO MATTER WHAT !
.....This is how it's suppose to be done
Very well said. It speaks of sincerity and empathy for both the fallen soldier and his loved ones. It also speaks of heartfelt sorrow at the loss of a fellow American citizen who gave is life for his country, and a fellow human being.
You are indeed right.....that is how it should be said.
Well, it wasn't, He didn't use the words of A. Lincoln, but used his.
IMO, except for the cowboy hat woman everything would have been fine. Rather than speaking one on one for now on he should have an automatic response that has the approval of all.