Gold Star Father Claims Trump Promised Him $25,000 But Didn’t Deliver
- 7 years ago
The father of a fallen U.S. soldier is reportedly claiming that President Trump failed to follow through on promises he made--including a personal gift of $25,000.
The father of a fallen U.S. soldier is reportedly claiming that President Trump failed to follow through on promises he made--including a personal gift of $25,000.
Chris Baldridge, whose 22-year old son Army Corporal Dillon Baldridge was killed in Afghanistan in June, told the Washington Post that part of his 15-minute condolence call with the president involved talking about his financial difficulties.
“[Trump] said, ‘I’m going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,’ and I was just floored," Baldridge recounted to the Post. "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.'"
Baldridge says he later received a letter from the president but no check.
His story adds to continuing controversy involving Trump and Gold Star families; on Monday, he faced significant backlash after claiming former President Obama and other predecessors did not typically call the families of soldiers killed in duty.
Trump made the comment after being asked about his lack of contact with the families of four U.S. service members killed in Niger.
He attracted further criticism after one of those calls, allegedly telling the widow of Sergeant La David Johnson that her husband “must've known what he signed up for.”
Trump has denied making the remark.
And the White House has slammed the Baldridge report, with spokesperson Lindsay Walters telling the Post, “The check has been sent. It’s disgusting that the media is taking something that should be recognized as a generous and sincere gesture, made privately by the President, and using it to advance the media’s biased agenda.”
But CNN is reporting that the check was sent out on Wednesday--the same day the story was made public--with host Wolf Blitzer suggesting the action was likely prompted by the Post’s inquiry about the matter.
The father of a fallen U.S. soldier is reportedly claiming that President Trump failed to follow through on promises he made--including a personal gift of $25,000.
Chris Baldridge, whose 22-year old son Army Corporal Dillon Baldridge was killed in Afghanistan in June, told the Washington Post that part of his 15-minute condolence call with the president involved talking about his financial difficulties.
“[Trump] said, ‘I’m going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,’ and I was just floored," Baldridge recounted to the Post. "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.'"
Baldridge says he later received a letter from the president but no check.
His story adds to continuing controversy involving Trump and Gold Star families; on Monday, he faced significant backlash after claiming former President Obama and other predecessors did not typically call the families of soldiers killed in duty.
Trump made the comment after being asked about his lack of contact with the families of four U.S. service members killed in Niger.
He attracted further criticism after one of those calls, allegedly telling the widow of Sergeant La David Johnson that her husband “must've known what he signed up for.”
Trump has denied making the remark.
And the White House has slammed the Baldridge report, with spokesperson Lindsay Walters telling the Post, “The check has been sent. It’s disgusting that the media is taking something that should be recognized as a generous and sincere gesture, made privately by the President, and using it to advance the media’s biased agenda.”
But CNN is reporting that the check was sent out on Wednesday--the same day the story was made public--with host Wolf Blitzer suggesting the action was likely prompted by the Post’s inquiry about the matter.