If you thought the report about Donald Trump calling a fallen soldier’s widow was bad. Just wait.
The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the President told a grieving father he would personally cut the man a check for $25,000.
And never followed through.
The father of 22-year-old Sgt. Dillon Baldbridge received a condolences phone call from the President and talked with him for about 15 minutes about various things, particularly about Dillon and his manner of death.
At some point in the phone call, Baldbridge mentioned his financial circumstances and how the government’s $100,000 death benefit would go to his ex-wife because Dillon’s mother was his son’s beneficiary.
But in true Trump fashion, the President could not offer the $25,000 without bragging and preening about how great he is.
“He said, ‘I’m going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,’ and I was just floored,” Baldridge said. “I could not believe he was saying that, and I wish I had it recorded because the man did say this. He said, ‘No other president has ever done something like this,’ but he said, ‘I’m going to do it.’ ”
Unreal.
Baldridge told the WaPo he never received a check. Only a sympathy card from the White House.
Baldridge said that after the president made his $25,000 offer, he joked with Trump that he would bail him out if he got arrested for helping. The White House has done nothing else other than send a condolence letter from Trump, the father said.
“I opened it up and read it, and I was hoping to see a check in there, to be honest,” the father said. “I know it was kind of far-fetched thinking. But I was like, ‘Damn, no check.’ Just a letter saying ‘I’m sorry.’ ”
The White House said in a statement on Wednesday from spokeswoman Lindsay Walters that said, “The check has been sent.”
This is reminiscent of the fundraiser Trump held when he acted like a spoiled brat and skipped a Republican debate. All the monies raised from the event were promised to helping veterans organizations.
But until the media shamed Trump after he won the election, the funds stayed in his accounts.
I have no hope Donald Trump will learn any lesson from the latest news cycle over his call to LA David Johnson’s widow, but hopefully, he’ll learn not to make promises he doesn’t intend to keep to grieving Gold Star families.
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