Posted on 10/24/2017 12:41:04 PM PDT by Pinkbell
(Note - If you can't read the whole thing, the key section about the high ground maneuver is separated.)
In analyzing back and forth regarding the fallen Green Beret La David Johnson, it's almost unbelievable that this phone call to a grieving widow became a controversy that has spanned into it's second week I feel it could have been nipped in the bud very quickly.
I didn't have access to a computer, and I was watching CNN to see what the left was angry over the night this came out, and I saw Breaking News. The news said that Trump said to the widow of a fallen soldier "He knew what he signed up for." This was the Don Lemon show, and his hatred of the President is visceral. His show is often a two hour hit piece, with most of the guests and analysts being people who also dislike the President. That said, when I read this, I initially thought, well, what's wrong with that? Isn't that a common phrase used with respect to our soldiers to connote bravery? I thought people knew that. However, I knew immediately what CNN/the left was about to do. I felt a sick feeling in my stomach. I knew they were going to spin those words into a glib remark to say that Trump didn't care about this man, to say that Trump didn't care about his sacrifice and his family, and possibly even bring race into it (which they since have). I then sat there and watched it play out. Guest after guest joined Don in the pile on. It sickened me to see because in a world unburdened with the extreme weight of political correctness, in a world where everything isn't politicized in order to score political brownie points, and in a world where there are lows too low or things too sacred, this story would not be run in such a manner. I knew the media was going to use this in their quest against the President and would ride this story until they ran out of road or another "controversy" erupted.
That night, the White House responded by saying, "The President’s conversations with the families of American heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice are private.” I knew that such a statement would do little to quell the narrative the media was preparing.
Sure enough, it was lead news the next morning. Trump via Twitter responded by saying, "Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof). Sad!" The media immediately thought there was some transcript or recording, but that was not to be. Sarah Huckabee Sanders said there were several people in the room who heard the call, though, and one of those people happened to be General Kelly. Congresswoman Wilson rebuked Trump's denials saying, "I stand my account of the call with @realDonaldTrump and was not the only one who heard and was dismayed by his insensitive remarks."
His mother (his aunt who raised him) came out and said she was in the car and backed up Congresswoman Wilson (who is a friend of the family). (Quotes from USA Today) She said, "President Trump did disrespect my son and my daughter and also me and my husband." Congresswoman Wilson continued and said Myesha Johnson, the widow, was very upset after speaking to Trump, “To me that is something that you can say in a conversation, but you shouldn't say that to a grieving widow. Everyone knows when you go to war you could possibly not come back alive. But you don't remind a grieving widow of that. It's so insensitive." She said her press aide and other family members were in the car and doubled down - "So the president evidently is lying, because what I said is true," she said. "I have no reason to lie on the president of the United States with a dead soldier in my community." She also called Trump a "a sick man" and said, "He's cold-hearted and he feels no pity or sympathy for anyone." Trump continued to stand his ground, and she tripled down tweeting, "I still stand by my account of the call b/t @realDonaldTrump and Myesha Johnson. That is her name, Mr. Trump. Not 'the woman' or 'the wife.'"
This entire thing had turned into a back and forth with the media undoubtedly 100% on the Congresswoman's side. The controversy showed no signs of ending the next day, but Trump was about to produce his proof, and his proof came in the form of no better witness. General John Kelly himself came out and spoke. After sharing how the bodies of the fallen are preserved and transported after they are killed, Kelly went on to say that the President didn't have to call, in fact, he at first recommended he not as President Obama didn't call him. However, he thought it nice to do. He said he was dismayed when he saw the Congresswoman's comments. It upset him so much he went to Arlington for a hour to collect his thoughts - a place where his son lies. He then proceeded to clarify the President's remarks:
"So he called four people the other day and expressed his condolences in the best way that he could. And he said to me, what do I say? I said to him, sir, there's nothing you can do to lighten the burden on these families.
Well, let me tell you what I told him. Let me tell you what my best friend, Joe Dunford, told me -- because he was my casualty officer. He said, Kel, he was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. He knew what he was getting into by joining that 1 percent. He knew what the possibilities were because we're at war. And when he died, in the four cases we're talking about, Niger, and my son's case in Afghanistan -- when he died, he was surrounded by the best men on this Earth: his friends.
That's what the President tried to say to four families the other day. I was stunned when I came to work yesterday morning, and broken-hearted at what I saw a member of Congress doing. A member of Congress who listened in on a phone call from the President of the United States to a young wife, and in his way tried to express that opinion -- that he's a brave man, a fallen hero, he knew what he was getting himself into because he enlisted. There's no reason to enlist; he enlisted. And he was where he wanted to be, exactly where he wanted to be, with exactly the people he wanted to be with when his life was taken.
That was the message. That was the message that was transmitted."
General Kelly then remarked that he was at an FBI field office dedication in April of 2015, an office dedicated to two men killed in a firefight with drug traffickers in 1986. Three FBI agents who were wounded were there who had retired. He said this of Congresswoman Wilson:
And a congresswoman stood up, and in the long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there and all of that and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building, and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money, and she just called up President Obama, and on that phone call he gave the money -- the $20 million -- to build the building. And she sat down, and we were stunned. Stunned that she had done it. Even for someone that is that empty a barrel, we were stunned.
But, you know, none of us went to the press and criticized. None of us stood up and were appalled. We just said, okay, fine.
Did it end there? Unfortunately not. The Congresswoman fired back at General Kelly:
"John Kelly's trying to keep his job. He will say anything," says @RepWilson in response to Trump's staff chief who ripped her for disclosing details of controversial call with soldier's widow. "There were other people who heard what I heard." http://politi.co/2xRl4xw
She accused him of lying about her speech, and she wasn't the only one. The media, who once claimed when Trump responded to Khizr Kahn at the convention that one can not respond to/attack a Gold Star family, thought nothing of going after him.
Brian Fallon who was from the Clinton Campaign and is a CNN contributor (big surprise) tweeted that General Kelly is "odious". For example:
Kelly isnt just an enabler of Trump. He's a believer in him. That makes him as odious as the rest. Dont be distracted by the uniform. 3:48 PM - Oct 19, 2017
https://twitter.com/brianefallon/status/921100806539145216?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2F2017%2F10%2F20%2Fclinton-pitbull-media-attack-kelly-after-gold-star-general-defends-trump-condolence-call.html
MSNBC's Lawrence O'Donnell called him racist:
I am stunned by John Kelley's lies about a black woman who he called an 'empty barrel.' http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/lawrence-stunned-by-john-kelly-s-attack-on-rep-wilson-1077490243772 … via @msnbc 1:47 AM - Oct 20, 2017
https://twitter.com/Lawrence/status/921251559870214144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.foxnews.com%2Fpolitics%2F2017%2F10%2F20%2Fclinton-pitbull-media-attack-kelly-after-gold-star-general-defends-trump-condolence-call.html
Rep. Wilson, reveling in the newfound attention on the national stage, proclaimed herself to be a "rock star" now:
Rep. Frederica Wilson is laughing off criticism lobbed at her from White House chief of staff John Kelly, saying his comments show "I'm a rock star now."
The Florida Democrat made the comment to Miami Fox affiliate WSVN-TV Thursday in response to Kelly.
"You mean to tell me that I have become so important that the White House is following me and my words?" Wilson said. "This is amazing. It's amazing, that is absolutely phenomenal. I have to tell my kids that I'm a rock star now."
http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/20/politics/frederica-wilson-rock-star/index.html
Trump proceeded to Tweet, calling her "wacky".
The next day, The Sun was able to obtain some video of her speech which seems to line up with her account:
Wilson, again pointing to Kelly's comments from the past day, called his comment that she was an "empty barrel" a "racist term."
A bombshell would drop soon after. As The Sun Sentinel found, Kelly's characterization of Wilson's comments at that FBI building dedication was false. The publication published a more-than nine minute video of her speech that day, which backed up Wilson's claim that she had only taken credit for working across the aisle to name the building after two FBI agents who were killed in the line of duty. She effusively praised the two fallen agents in her speech.
The White House stood by Kelly's characterization of the speech, however.
"Gen. Kelly said he was 'stunned' that Rep. Wilson made comments at a building dedication honoring slain FBI agents about her own actions in Congress, including lobbying former President Obama on legislation," press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement. "As Gen. Kelly pointed out, if you're able to make a sacred act like honoring American heroes about yourself, you're an empty barrel."
But the statement was carefully worded, and did not mention anything about securing funding for the building, which Kelly had initially called Wilson out for allegedly boasting about.
Then at Friday's press briefing, amid getting grilled by a reporter over Kelly's mischaracterization, Sanders said, "If you want to go after General Kelly that's up to you but I think that if you want to get into a debate with a four-star Marine general, I think that's something highly inappropriate."
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-frederica-wilson-gold-star-la-david-johnson-2017-10/#sunday-october-22-7
However, as The Daily Wire noted:
As it turns out, Wilson didn’t generate the funding for the building. She wasn’t in Congress when the funding was approved. But Kelly’s larger point was that Wilson had given a self-aggrandizing speech inappropriately at a memorial service.
So, did Wilson do that?
You be the judge. Here’s what she said about her own contributions to naming the building:
Consider this scenario. The brand new federal buiding that will house the FBI has been built, and the FBI approaches my office. “Congresswoman Wilson, the ribbon-cutting has been scheduled in four short weeks. The dedication is on the government’s calendar and cannot be changed. One problem: the FBI wants to name this gorgeous edifice at the same time in four weeks.” Everyone said, ‘That’s impossible. It takes at least eight months to a year to complete the process through the House, the Senate, and the president’s office.” I said, “I’m a school principal,” and I said, excuse my French, “Aw hell no. We’re gonna get this done.” Immediately, I went into attack mode. I went to the Speaker, Speaker Boehner, and I said, “Mr. Speaker, I need your help. The FBI needs your help, and our country needs your help. And we have no time to waste.” He went into attack mode and in two days pulled it out of committee, brought it to the floor for a vote. … We all voted and I dashed it over to the Senate, and put our Senators on notice, “Put it on your radar.” Senator Nelson and Senator Rubio, who have representatives here today, they hotlined it to the Senate floor in just two days. And guess what, the president signed it into law this past Tuesday, April 7, 2015 with a BANG, BANG, BANG!
She continued:
You know what, I will be presenting a copy of the bill that was signed into law to the FBI and also the pen that the president used to sign that hallowed document. It is a miracle to say the least, but it speaks to the respect that our Congress has for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the men and women who put their lives on the line every single day. …
Does that sound self-aggrandizing? Does it sound as though Wilson made herself the hero of the story? Does it sound more like a campaign speech than like a somber dedication of a building to two fallen FBI heroes?
http://www.dailywire.com/news/22556/did-john-kelly-lie-about-frederica-wilsons-fbi-ben-shapiro
The back and forth continued for the next couple of days in a series of back and forth Tweets wherein Trump called her "wacky", said he hopes the fake news keeps talking about her, and said she's killing the Democrat Party. She called Niger his Benghazi (which makes little sense because the Democrats have always maintained Benghazi was a witch hunt and Clinton and Obama did nothing wrong) and said an adult was needed for the investigation.
MONDAY AND THE HIGH GROUND MANUEVER
That leads us to Monday - The war of words with Congresswoman Wilson and President Trump over the phone call to grieving widow, Myeshia Johnson, came to a head today when Myeshia Johnson herself came out and backed the Congresswoman's account of what happened. This should surprise no one as his aunt who raised him said she also heard the call and backed the account. There was no chance they would not stick up for the Congresswoman as she had known him since he was young child (note this excerpt is from an article from the always negative Joy Ann Reid who is proclaiming racism but this has the background of how the family knows her):
Frederica Wilson has known the Johnson family since the late La David Johnson was a child. Members of Johnson’s family attended the school named for Frederica Wilson, who in 1993 founded the 5000 Role Models of Excellence—a nonprofit that focuses on helping black boys become outstanding black men. La David Johnson was a Role Models alumnus. Both of his brothers participated in the program, including one who is training to be a firefighter. Miamians have come to recognize the boys in the program by their signature red neckties and impeccable manners. They are literal golden boys, who go on to become doctors and lawyers and leaders across Florida and the country.
“I mentored this young man from a little boy in elementary school through high school,” she told the ABC hosts, when challenged by Meghan McCain on why she released the details of that call, which Wilson added she did so simply because she was asked by reporters what Trump said. “We sent him to college… These are people that I have known since they were little children. His uncle went to my elementary school. I was his principal.”
https://www.thedailybeast.com/frederica-wilson-vs-trump-and-now-john-kelly-easygo-with-wilson
There was no way the family was not going to back up her account, and this is something I knew immediately. While I believe the Congresswoman's motives were not fully pure, and she motivated in part by Trump's remarks about President Obama not calling all of the families of the fallen and of her vehement dislike for Trump (wouldn't even go to the Inauguration), I also think the White House could have ended this controversy nearly immediately, and it was frustrating to me to watch all of this back and forth play out.
First, we all know, including the Congresswoman, that the President didn't call up this widow in order to hurt her. He called to comfort her, and that is manifest in the testimonies and the audio release from people who have spoken to Trump after they lost a loved one. It's manifest in the fact he sought guidance from General Kelly as to the proper thing to say. The Congresswoman knew what he was trying to say (as "he knew what he signed up for" is a common term which is used to connote bravery and heroism), but rather than explain that to a grieving widow, she ran to the press and immediately took words that he meant for comfort, and then she attacked him, saying he sounded like he was "half joking", didn't even bother to learn La David's name, and spun the comments into a context so they would be seen as glib and dismissive. She went to the press so she could use this attack the President. I don't see how any of this helped this widow, even if she is close to the Congresswoman. She could have explained what Trump meant if the words were misconstrued, OR if she really was upset and the widow was upset, she, as a Congresswoman, had the unique ability to get ahold of the White House and talk to the President. She did neither but rather celebrated her newfound fame in the press, and that's sad.
However, I thought the White House could have put this to bed very quickly. Look, we know the Congresswoman didn't have to throw this into the media and political sphere, but that's what happened. Trump denied saying what the claim was, but it seems based on the comments of General Kelly and Sarah Huckabee Sanders that he made comments along those lines. Now Trump believes the words were taken out of context and assigned a meaning completely different from his intention, so he denied saying those words because, to him, he never said them in the way reported. However, since his comments, even out of context, were along those lines, it didn't help to deny saying them, especially now that the widow has affirmed them. The writing was on the wall - we all knew the widow was going to speak out at some point, and logic proclaimed she would back up the Congresswoman's story. She was not going to in any way contradict the family friend. Therefore, the media has ammo to question his honesty, and the controversy stretches on.
That is why I would have proposed a high ground maneuver. I would have taken a dig at the Congresswoman which would have put her on the defensive and clarified the statement. I would released a statement such as this:
"When I learned my call to the widow of La David Johnson was misunderstood, I felt terrible, as this was intended to comfort her, not upset her further. That is why I wished that the Congresswoman would have contacted me personally instead of going to the press - causing more grief. When one is speaking to another, particularly one who is grieving a loss and one is speaking many miles away over a telephone as opposed to in person, one sometimes fails to articulate the right words or words can often get misconstrued, misinterpreted, or misunderstood. I apologize for the misunderstanding. This was what I was trying to say: When a young man or woman goes into the military, he or she knows the sacrifice that he/she is making. All members of the military sacrifice some, and some, sadly, sacrifice all. They don't do it for the money, they don't do it for fame, and they don't do it for comfort. They do it because they love their country, believe in it, and strive to preserve it for themselves and the next generation. They do it for fellow Americans, Americans they have never met but believe they are worth fighting for anyway. They do it for their families, who they want to ensure grow up in a free, prosperous, and safe country. They know the possibility they will make the ultimate sacrifice, and they choose to sign up anyway. That is a testament to their character and bravery, and that is what makes them heroes. We owe a debt of gratitude to every man and woman who puts his or her life on the line for us everyday and a particular debt of gratitude for those who sacrificed all so that we can rise everyday in this free country.
I would have recommended he make a donation to the widow's Go Fund Me page. Then, I would have had General Kelly share his story because his speech was phenomenal and beautiful. I feel things would have ended at that point. The Congresswoman's criticism would have been nullified, and the media would have looked ridiculous for hyping a simple communication error. Comfort would have gone to the grieving widow, and she could have moved forward.
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe she and the press would have doubled down, attacked him more, and it would have gone on, but I have seen many liberal analysts saying if he made such a statement, it would end it (this is after I thought of this - thought of it the night it happened). It's interesting a simple statement wasn't what General Kelly advised - with him making a statement, and there is no reason to believe if General Kelly told him to call the widow back, he wouldn't have done it, so that's interesting.
I know Trump's mentality is to always fight back - The Congresswoman knew what she was doing when she took this to the press - she wanted a story out of it and got it. I get it when you are under attack from all sides, particularly the press. I don't believe fighting back is always necessary when a simple statement like the one above would actually be much more beneficial to him with the sort of voters he will need in 2020 (the moderates/liberal Republicans/swing voters). Just like with the NFL choosing to fight against standing for the national anthem/flag, some fights are not wise. This is one of them because a simple statement could have ended a controversy that went into two weeks.
In all of this, though, I hope we look to remember La David and the other three men who passed away. They are the REAL story, and it is sad that La David's name will be thought of in conjunction with this fight.
Trump doesn’t speak jive.
God that is wordy. My 60 year old millennial attention span can’t handle it. And if you watch CNN you know what is coming. I don’t get worked up over what is said on CNN because I don’t watch CNN. This post spends way more time on a generated controversy than the original 2 hours of program.
What controversy?
I personally think Trump has this taped and if the widow who is getting RICH off of this doesn’t cut it out he will leak it soon.
The post wasn’t about CNN at all. It was about the media, controversy timeline in general, and how I thought this could have been ended with a simple statement the next morning. I realize it’s long, but that’s why I separated the main section which is a much shorter read.
Try as one might - one cannot overcome a libtard with an agenda. The Cindy Sheehan debacle was horrible. The Khan family also grandstanded off of their dead son.
And so now we have a Cowboy Hat thing and a gullible Johnson family also airing their dirty laundry. And the press is enabling their foolishness.
I just think a statement the next morning would have ended it. The Congresswoman and media would have looked ridiculous for making something out of it, Trump would have looked good for a humble response and for talking about how our soldiers are heroes for signing up to protect this country and for making a donation to the Go Fund Me, and I don’t think the widow would have ever needed to come out.
I doubt he recorded it, though, because even the calls with Comey weren’t taped and those had major implications.
It was a set up from the beginning. If he said nothing, he would have been painted as insensitive, uncaring and a racist. If he made any kind of statement, he would have been painted as insensitive, uncaring, political opportunist and a racist. That is why the clown wanted to become involved in it.
contributing to the widow’s gofundme fund is like feeding a cockroach by leaving a trashcan open and hoping that it will get its fill and then go away. instead of the cockroach going away, you return the next morning to find that the cockroach has been joined in the feast by 1000 of its closest friends and relatives.
Who is Frederica Wilson and why should she matter for more than 5 minutes anywhere?
A very bellicose woman who knows not even the least amount of decorum or impulse control, given over to expressing her very emotional reactions to a person whom she understands not at all, and wishes to mock and deride that person in any way she has the means to do.
Truly an empty vessel that makes far too much racket. And none of it makes much rational sense.
I would think he’d learned by now. And no as a ex-NYer we NYers fight no matter the odds! I say that as a white boy who grew up in Da Bronx:-)
https://twitter.com/RepWilson/status/920314713946447872
The trap was set - because the White House calls the bereaved family before the actual call.
This was a well-planned hit by the wife, her family, and representative rodeo clown.
The wife is raking in some good coin over this. Hmmmm...
Yes. See my post #13.
It was a set-up from the beginning.
Pinkie, You’ve obviously been hoodwinked into believing this was a serious misunderstanding. To my mind, in light of what was said by Wilson, this was a trap. The widow, the mother and Wison all despise Trump. They wanted Hillary. So when Trump’s office notified them that POTUS would be phoning, and when; they hatched a plan to sandbag Trump and make him look as bad as possible.
Your proposed statement would not have ended a deliberate donnybrook. Wilson wanted a fight. It did not matter how Trump responded. If he said nothing, if he apologized, if he called her a liar, what ever he did or said would have resulted in her grandstanding on the back of a dead soldier and his grieving family.
It will all come out when the wife sues the Congresswoman for the $1/4 million she is taking out of the GOFUNDME for the family and putting into her own coffers.
This account will need an administrator. Just curious who it will be and what amounts will be dedicated to fees and compensation. The kids will be lucky if there’s enough left for text books.
He wasn't a Green Beret.
The character of the principals involved in this little circus closed this case before it began.
You see the players. End of story. You get the picture as soon as they enter from Stage Left.
You either trust the motives of Trump, or, you entertain the BS produced by the Black Widow & Whacky Wild Wison? I mean, “Hello, anybody home?”
Wake up, and ask yourself about this Widow: “who runs around with Whacky Wild Wilson in the first place”; and, who the heck wants to haul along Whacky Wild Wilson to go meet the plane arriving from overseas, as you receive the body of your deceased husband; and, who first agrees to take a condolence call from the POTUS, THEN arranges to be available to receive that call, at a certain time; and, who puts the POTUS on speaker phone to the delight of a known Trump-hater, (Whacky Wild Wilson) but who herself remains reportedly silent during his remarks. (Sullenly silent.)
I’ll tell you... ANOTHER TRUMP HATER, that’s who. A widow who is another Leftist Democrat activist, probably a BLM promoter, and definitely another Trump hating Leftist.
Come on. Slogging through Leftist word games as if they were hold water, or are remotely meaningful or true, is an exercise in FUTILITY and a FOOLS ERRAND.
If you want to lose sleep over the memory of the soldier lost in the ambush, remember this.. it is THEY who made this bed of desecration to the memory of this lost soldier. Trump contributed nothing toward their evil deed , but his condolence. Neither did we.
A gimme page. The widow and the rodeo clown are doing nothing but riding out the money train. They are dishonoring the husband. It's disgusting. Trump doesn't have to apologize to anyone. The is nothing for him to apologize for.
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