Myeshia Johnson, the widow of US soldier Sgt La David Johnson, has said President Donald Trump made her cry during a condolence phone call because he could not remember her husband's name. Speaking to ABC News, she described the president's tone as 'stumbling' and said it left her feeling angry.
Mrs Johnson confirmed reports that Mr Trump told her her husband 'knew what he signed up for' when joining the military. 'It made me cry because I was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it,' she said. She added that the president had her husband's report in front of him and still struggled to say his name.
President Trump has denied the allegations, stating on Twitter that he had a 'very respectful conversation' and spoke Sgt Johnson's name 'without hesitation'. He dismissed the account given by Democratic congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who was present during the call, as 'totally fabricated'.
The controversy has escalated into a he-said, she-said debate, with White House chief of staff John Kelly backing the president's version of events. The row began after Mr Trump was criticised for not contacting the families of four US soldiers killed in Niger earlier this month, and for falsely claiming that former presidents had not made such calls.
Sgt Johnson was one of four US special forces soldiers killed in an ambush by Islamist militants in Niger on 4 October. The US military later confirmed that his body was found two days after the attack. The incident has sparked a political firestorm, with critics accusing Mr Trump of insensitivity towards grieving military families.
