Trump offered a grieving military father $25 000 in a phone call
President  Trump   in a personal phone call to a grieving military father  offered  him  $25 000 and said  he  would direct  his  staff to establish an online fundraiser for the family  but neither happened  the father said.
Chris Baldridge  the father of Army Sgt. Dillon Baldridge  said that  Trump  called him at his home in Zebulon  N.C.  a few weeks after his 22-year-old son and two fellow soldiers were fatally shot by an Afghan police officer on June 10. Their phone conversation lasted about 15 minutes  Baldridge said  and centered for a time on the father’s struggle with the manner in which his son was killed — shot by someone he was training.
[Latest: After delay   Trump  fulfills his $25 000 promise to the father of a fallen U.S. soldier]
 Trump’s  offer of $25 000 adds a dimension to  his  relationships with Gold Star families  and the disclosure follows questions about how often the president has called or written to the parents or spouses of those killed.
[12 days of silence: How  Trump  handled the deadliest combat incident of  his  presidency]
 Trump  said this week that  he  has “called every family of somebody that’s died  and it’s the hardest call to make.” At least 20 Americans have been killed in action since he became commander in chief in January. The Post interviewed the families of 13. About half had received phone calls  they said. The others said they had not heard from the president.
In his call with  Trump   Baldridge  a construction worker  expressed frustration with the military’s survivor benefits program. Because  his  ex-wife was listed as their son’s beneficiary  she was expected to receive the Pentagon’s $100 000 death gratuity — even though “I can barely rub two nickels together ”  he  told  Trump .
The president’s response shocked  him .
Natasha De Alencar describes her phone call with President  Trump   who called her after her husband  Mark Rochetto De Alencar  was killed in action. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post)
The president has been on the defensive since details emerged of his phone call Tuesday with the widow of Sgt. La David T. Johnson  who was killed Oct. 4 along with three other U.S. soldiers in Niger. After not addressing the incident for 12 days   Trump  on Monday falsely claimed that previous presidents never or rarely called the families of fallen service members. In fact  they did so regularly.
[The private life of Sgt. La David Johnson  the slain soldier ensnared in a  Trump  controversy]
Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.) said  Trump  called Johnson’s widow  Myeshia Johnson  on Tuesday and said her husband “knew what he was signing up for  but I guess it hurts anyway.” Wilson was riding in a limousine with the widow and said she heard the conversation on speakerphone.
 Trump  denied the allegation Wednesday  saying in a tweet that Wilson had “totally fabricated” what happened and that he had “proof.” But the soldier’s childhood guardian  Cowanda Jones-Johnson  told The Post that she also was in the car when  Trump  called  and said that  “President Trump  did disrespect my son and my daughter and also me and my husband.”
 Trump  later expanded  his  denial  saying that  he  did not say what Wilson alleged and that “she knows it.”
 He  added: “I had a very nice conversation with the woman  with the wife who was — sounded like a lovely woman. Did not say what the congresswoman said  and most people aren’t too surprised to hear that.”
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the president  saying in a news briefing that  Trump  was “completely respectful” during the call. Several White House officials  including Chief of Staff John F. Kelly  were in the room at the time  she said.
[TGT]offered  [TGT]  $25 000 and said  [TGT]  would direct  [TGT]  staff to establish an online fundraiser for the family  but neither happened  the father said.
Chris Baldridge  the father of Army Sgt. Dillon Baldridge  said that  [TGT]called him at his home in Zebulon  N.C.  a few weeks after his 22-year-old son and two fellow soldiers were fatally shot by an Afghan police officer on June 10. Their phone conversation lasted about 15 minutes  Baldridge said  and centered for a time on the father’s struggle with the manner in which his son was killed — shot by someone he was training.
[Latest: After [TGT]fulfills [TGT] $25 000 promise to the father of a fallen U.S. soldier]
 Trump’s  offer of $25 000 adds a dimension to  [TGT]  relationships with Gold Star families  and the disclosure follows questions about how often the president has called or written to the parents or spouses of those killed.
[12 days of silence: How  [TGT]handled the deadliest combat incident of  [TGT]  presidency]
 [TGT]said this week that  [TGT]  has “called every family of somebody that’s died  and it’s the hardest call to make.” At least 20 Americans have been killed in action since he became commander in chief in January. The Post interviewed the families of 13. About half had received phone calls  they said. The others said they had not heard from the president.
In his call with  Trump   Baldridge  a construction worker  expressed frustration with the military’s survivor benefits program. Because  his  ex-wife was listed as their son’s beneficiary  she was expected to receive the Pentagon’s $100 000 death gratuity — even though “I can barely rub two nickels together ”  he  told  [TGT] .
The president’s response shocked  him .
Natasha De Alencar describes her phone call with President  Trump   who called her after her husband  Mark Rochetto De Alencar  was killed in action. (Thomas Johnson/The Washington Post)
The president has been on the defensive since details emerged of his phone call Tuesday with the widow of Sgt. La David T. Johnson  who was killed Oct. 4 along with three other U.S. soldiers in Niger. After not addressing the incident for 12 days   [TGT]on Monday falsely claimed that previous presidents never or rarely called the families of fallen service members. In fact  they did so regularly.
[The private life of Sgt. La David Johnson  the slain soldier ensnared in a  [TGT]  controversy]
Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.) said  [TGT]called Johnson’s widow  Myeshia Johnson  on Tuesday and said her husband “knew what he was signing up for  but I guess it hurts anyway.” Wilson was riding in a limousine with the widow and said she heard the conversation on speakerphone.
 [TGT]denied the allegation Wednesday  saying in a tweet that Wilson had “totally fabricated” what happened and that he had “proof.” But the soldier’s childhood guardian  Cowanda Jones-Johnson  told The Post that she also was in the car when  [TGT]called  and said that  “President [TGT]did disrespect my son and my daughter and also me and my husband.”
 [TGT]later expanded  his  denial  saying that  he  did not say what Wilson alleged and that “she knows it.”
 He  added: “I had a very nice conversation with the woman  with the wife who was — sounded like a lovely woman. Did not say what the congresswoman said  and most people aren’t too surprised to hear that.”
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended the president  saying in a news briefing that  [TGT]was “completely respectful” during the call. Several White House officials  including Chief of Staff John F. Kelly  were in the room at the time  she said.