Chuck Hagel: Trump's handling of Gold Star families "sickens" him"beneath the dignity of presidency

Ex-DefSec Chuck Hagel: Trump's handling of Gold Star families "sickens" him—"beneath the dignity of the presidency."

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Kelly defended Trump during an appearance in the White House briefing room on Thursday, saying he was "stunned" by Wilson's comments. He blamed Wilson, not Trump, for politicizing the issue. Kelly spent an hour at Arlington National Cemetery to compose himself, he said.

Hagel made some condolence calls himself, although he said he deferred to the White House where Obama made several calls. Instead, Hagel said he wrote letters to the families of fallen troops, taking time to learn a bit about each of those killed. Doing so, Hagel said, was a “sacred duty.”

“I wrote those myself,” Hagel said. “I wanted to know something about each of the troops.”

Hagel found it especially troubling, he said, that Trump exploited Kelly, a retired four-star Marine general who lost his son, Robert, a Marine lieutenant, in 2010. The White House stated that Obama did not call Kelly. Kelly and his wife did attend a reception for families of fallen troops, and was seated with then-First Lady Michelle Obama.

“Particularly as commander-in-chief to do this to score political points,” Hagel said. “This is one issue in which all Americans should be able to come together. There should be complete unity.”


https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2017/10/19/trumps-treatment-families-fallen-sickens-chuck-hagel/781153001/