Trump denies remarks to widow

The mother of a US soldier killed in an ambush in Niger on 4 October has confirmed a congresswoman’s report that US president Donald Trump told his widow he “knew what he signed up for”.

Florida congresswoman Frederica Wilson said she was in the car with Myeshia Johnson on Tuesday on the way to Miami International Airport to meet the body of Mrs Johnson’s husband, Sergeant La David Johnson, when the president called.

Ms Wilson said she and others heard part of the conversation on speakerphone. Asked by Miami station WPLG if she heard Mr Trump say that, she answered: “Yeah, he said that. To me, that is something that you can say in a conversation, but you shouldn’t say that to a grieving widow. That’s so insensitive.”

In a tweet yesterday , Mr Trump denied the claim, writing: “Democrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action (and I have proof ). Sad!”