Making another appearance at the daily White House press briefing today, General Kelly defended President Trump's recent call to the wife of a fallen soldier saying that he "expressed his condolences in the best way he could," adding he was "stunned" and "brokenhearted" at Democratic Representative Frederica Wilson’s criticism of what was supposed to be a private call between Trump and a killed military servicemember’s family.
"I was stunned when I came to work yesterday morning and brokenhearted 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, he tried to express that opinion that he was a brave man, a fallen hero. He knew what he was getting himself into because 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."
"It stuns me that a member of Congress would have listened in on that conversation. Absolutely stuns me."
"And I thought at least that was sacred. You know when I was a kid growing up a lot of things were sacred in our country. Women were sacred and looked upon with great honor...that's obviously not the case anymore as we see from recent cases. Life, the dignity of life, was sacred, that's gone. Religion, that seems to be gone as well. Gold Star families, I think that left in the convention over the summer."
"But, I just thought the selfless devotion that brings a man or a woman to die on the battlefield...I just thought that might be sacred."
Video: Gut-wrenching stuff as Gen. Kelly describes his emotions upon seeing Democratic Rep. Wilson parading around blasting Trump pic.twitter.com/1quiR8ta0R
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 19, 2017
Kelly concluded his remarks with a plea to the press pool, and to America at large, to please hold sacred the sacrifices of our service men and women.
"I still hope, as you write your stories, and I appeal to America, lets not let this last thing that is held sacred in our society, a young man, young woman going out and giving his or her life for their country, lets try to somehow keep that sacred."
"But it eroded a great deal yesterday by the selfish behavior of a member of Congress."
Video: Kelly describes Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson as engaging in "selfish behavior" for disclosing private phone call to blast Trump pic.twitter.com/LoSiBEXkRc
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 19, 2017
Why do we have a sneaking suspicion that plea fell on a room of mostly deaf ears?