In this Thursday's edition of Trump Rehab for his shocking reaction to four fallen soldiers killed in Niger, Fox News host Brian Kilmeade suggested that Trump’s insensitive remarks to the widow of Sgt. La David T. Johnson, which reportedly made her cry, were no biggies because nothing Trump said would have made her feel better.
The previous day, you may recall, the Curvy Couch Cheerleaders aka Fox & Friends attacked the credibility of Rep. Frederica Wilson, who was in the car and overheard Trump tell Johnson’s widow that her husband “must have known what he signed up for.” The fact that Trump didn't get around to calling until after being publicly challenged over his lack of response was not an issue, of course.
“Not in the tank for Trump” cohost Ainsley Earhardt suggested yesterday that the fallen soldier’s family had not been grateful enough to Trump.
Cohost Brian Kilmeade griped about Wilson yesterday, “Who are you to sit there and say, ‘I am offended by the way, by the president’s tone to this family?’” And, “So now everyone, when you go to a wake, when you go to a funeral, you’re gonna be graded on the proper mourning.”
Unfortunately for that PR effort, Sgt. Johnson’s mother has confirmed everything Wilson said, including the fact that Trump had made Johnson’s widow, Myeshia Johnson, cry because “He didn’t even remember his name.”
So the Trump Friends found a new way to make Trump the real victim of this tragedy.
First, Kilmeade suggested it was unfair to expect Trump to have been consoling:
KILMEADE: Cowanda Johnson, the [mother] did put on Facebook that she backed the congresswoman’s account that the president did say ‘he he signed up for,’ but what he followed up with, it doesn’t make it any easier and that’s the part of the conversation, the exchange back and forth. The other thing is, I mean, as you know, there is nothing to say in this situation. Have you ever dealt with anybody who lost someone tragically in an accident or to any sudden circumstances? There is nothing you could possibly say to make them feel better. Maybe you could actually say something that maybe that they would deem that might be soothing.
That last sentence may have been added on because following it, apropos of nothing related to Trump’s behavior with the Johnson family, Kilmeade thought it “important to point out” an occasion where a Gold Star family did find Trump's response soothing.
KILMEADE: However, I think it’s also important to point out the president of the United States has on record - actually this Army Sergeant Lee says that, “Yeah, the president did call me. And at which time he said to me I bet -after my son died in battle in Afghanistan - and he said, ‘I bet he never gave you an ounce of trouble in his life.’” ... And his response was, “You are absolutely right, Mr. President.” And he said, “You know, I voted for you once and that’s why I’m going to vote for you again.”
Apparently, Kilmeade did not think it “also important” to point out that Trump had promised one Gold Star father a personal check for $25,000 that never got sent until, apparently, yesterday after The Washington Post reported on it.
Instead, self-proclaimed “hard-hitting” Trump questioner Earhardt suggested that media fact checking that has debunked Trump’s claim to have “called every [Gold Star] family of somebody that’s died” was little more than unfair bias.
EARHARDT: We had guests that were saying yesterday that this is just the mainstream media trying to spin the fact that president was calling families and doing a good thing. So they were trying to say—trying to make it negative. The Associated Press put out a tweet yesterday. They were actually soliciting Gold Star families to come and give their accounts because I don’t know if they just want to tell the truth or if they’re trying to get negative stories on the president.
Watch this week's edition of Defending Indefensible Trump below, from the October 19, 2017 Fox & Friends, via Media Matters.
Crossposted at News Hounds.
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