Botched condolences from President Trump to a Gold Star widow prompted White House Chief of Staff John Kelly on Thursday to give reporters a play-by-play of the administration’s outreach to grieving military families.
Left out of Kelly’s account, however, was the cause of that grieving: an explanation for why a dozen US Army Green Berets were in Niger, when an ambush left four of them dead.
“The fact of the matter is,” Kelly told the press, “young men and women that were our uniforms are deployed around the world, and there are tens of thousands.”
He went on to reference US posts at the demilitarized zone in South Korea, in Okinawa, and “all over Latin America.” Kelly also noted the thousands of US soldiers in Europe “acting as a deterrent,” and troops “throughout Africa.”
“[They are] doing the nation’s work,” Kelly said.
US Africa Command has launched an investigation into the October 4 incident in Niger. So far, few details have been confirmed. Defense sources have claimed that the twelve-member Green Beret team was attacked by 50 fighters associated with a regional ISIS affiliate.
“This was not expected,” US Africa Command spokesman Army Col. Mark Cheadle told CNN.
Kelly told reporters broadly on Thursday that the roughly 800 US soldiers stationed in Niger are “working with partners” and providing training. “Teaching them how to be better soldiers, teaching them how to respect human rights, teaching them how to fight ISIS so that we don’t have to send our soldiers and Marines there by the thousands,” he claimed.
Kelly referred to the ongoing military investigation, when pressed for more specifics about the October 4 firefight.
The administration has, so far, been less than forthcoming about the details of the attack. On Thursday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) pondered the use of a subpoena to compel the release of more information to congressional overseers.
Kelly directed much of his fire Thursday at Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) who alleged this week that Trump upset the widow of one of the soldiers killed in Niger, Sgt. La David Johnson.
Rep. Wilson stated she was in the car with Johnson’s widow, Myeshia, when the President called, and heard the exchange over speakerphone.
“I was stunned when I came to work yesterday morning and broken-hearted at what I saw a member of congress doing,” Kelly said.
“When I listened to this woman,” he added, referring to Rep. Wilson, “and what she was saying and what she was doing on TV, the only I could do to collect my thoughts was to go and walk among the finest men and women on this earth.” Kelly claimed he visited Arlington National Cemetary.
To conclude the briefing, Trump’s Chief of Staff took three questions from reporters, but only from those who said they know a Gold Star family.
“It’s got to be from someone who knows,” Kelly said.
