During the Q&A following an impromptu Rose Garden press conference alongside Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday afternoon, President Trump was asked a question about why he has remained silent about the four United States Green Berets who were killed in an ambush in Niger earlier this month. The attack happened back on October 6, and while Trump has not yet acknowledged the deadly attack, he has found plenty of time to tweet, golf, attack our free press, and dismantle the U.S. healthcare system.
Trump was clearly not prepared to take the question, as it became soon apparent by his response. “I’ve written them personal letters. They’ve been sent or they’re going out tonight, but they were [unintelligible] during the weekend,” he said. “I will at some point during the period of time call the parents and the families, cause I have done that traditionally.” After speaking to the point of how difficult it is for him, personally, to have to reach out to the grieving families of fallen servicemen, things really went off the rails as he deflected to his favorite scapegoat:
“The traditional way, if you look at President Obama and other presidents, most of ’em didn’t make calls, a lot of them didn’t make calls. I like to call when it’s appropriate, when I think I’m able to do it, they have made the ultimate sacrifice, so generally I would like to say that I like to call — I’m going to be calling them — I want a little time to pass, I’m going to be calling them. I have, as you know, since I’ve been president, I have. But in addition, I actually wrote letters individually to the soldiers we’re talking about, and they’re going to be going out either today or tomorrow.”
Again, it’s been nearly two weeks since the soldiers were killed. When the president was quickly asked a followup about — hey, how do you know that Obama didn’t call families of fallen soldiers, he backtracked and dismissed the question by claiming to have heard in passing from his generals.
Suffice to say, people are not buying it:
What a gross, slanderous thing for Trump to say that other presidents didn't call the families of dead soldiers.
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) October 16, 2017
Trump says he's written letters to families of soldiers killed in Niger, will call at "some point". Their deaths were announced 12 days ago.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 16, 2017
that's a fucking lie. to say president obama (or past presidents) didn't call the family members of soldiers KIA – he's a deranged animal.
— alyssa mastromonaco (@AlyssaMastro44) October 16, 2017
Trump says NFL players disrespect troops by taking a knee. Hasn't called families of 4 dead soldiers & lies that other Presidents never did.
— Karen DaltonBeninato (@kbeninato) October 16, 2017
Trump is a lying POS. That's a given. But lying about President Obama not calling the families of fallen U.S. soldiers? Fucking deplorable.
— Ron Asher (@rmasher2) October 16, 2017
45 is called on a "Rose Garden" lie about Obama not calling the families of fallen soldiers… Less than 10 secs blaming "my generals".
— Kara E (@karathebird) October 16, 2017
Rose Garden: trump just said "Pres Obama and other presidents didn't call fallen soldiers families." OH MY GOD. 😷
— 💛THEE K-12 is the Priority💙 (@HD4safety_USAF) October 16, 2017
https://twitter.com/leemwilliams/status/919991428087824384
In a really ghastly lie, Trump says that Obama, unlike him, didn't call the families of dead soldiers.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 16, 2017
In a jaw-dropping lie, Trump falsely said Obama didn't call the families of dead soldiers.
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) October 16, 2017
Update: former White House photographer Pete Souza weighs in:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BaUiZikFhgY/
(Via CNN)