Republican: Trump ‘could have called back’ after military widow controversy

A long-serving House Republican said in an interview published Sunday that President Trump “could have called back” after his phone call to a military widow earlier this month became controversial.

“After the call he made, it was misunderstood, maybe he could have called back and said, ’I’m sorry you misunderstood me, but my deepest sympathies with you and your family,’ ” Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) told The Associated Press.

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Trump came under fire this month for his phone call with the widow of U.S. Army Sgt. La David Johnson, who died in an ambush in Niger on Oct. 4. Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.), who was with the widow at the time of the call, alleged that Trump was disrespectful in the call — a claim that the White House denies. The widow, Myeshia Johnson, also criticized Trump’s call.

Jones has written letters to the families of fallen service members for more than a decade — a practice he said is intended as “penance” for voting in favor of the Iraq war.

Last week, he signed letters to Johnson’s family, as well as the families of the three other U.S. soldiers killed in the ambush.

Jones said that he feels it necessary to write the letters because he sees himself as responsible for approving an “unnecessary” conflict — even if he was just one among 296 representatives to vote for it.

“For me, it’s a sacred responsibility that I have to communicate my condolences to a family,” Jones said. “And it’s very special to me because it goes back to my regretting that I voted to go into the Iraq war.”

He began writing the letters in 2003, after attending the funeral of Marine Sgt. Michael Bitz, who was killed in Iraq earlier that year. He recalled in the interview the guilt he felt as he sat by the fallen Marine’s widow at his service.

“And I felt the guilt, but also the pain of voting to send her husband as well as thousands of other military (sic) to a war that was unnecessary,” Jones said.

“Obviously, the majority of these families will never know me and vice versa. But I want them to know that my heart aches as their heart aches,” he continued.

The messages sent to families are form letters, according to the AP, but Jones signs each one by hand. He gets permission from a military liaison before sending them to make sure that the families are OK with receiving the condolences.

— Updated 2:45 p.m.