Trump denies 'insensitive' remarks to soldier's widow (Videos)

Trump denies 'insensitive' remarks to soldier's widow

But to me, even she should be called on the carpet, unless these folks vote down more money for the military, vote down the war machine, re-direct that money to schools, health care and social services, stop threatening that there will be no social security for seniors when they can no longer work, bring all the troops home and close all the military bases around the world, to me she is just as bad as he is, they are all war mongers and they are the reason young people are being killed in countries thousands of miles away, leaving behind heart broken and grieving families. That's what I got to say about that!

What do his accusers say?

Ms Wilson, who represents a Florida district, told CNN the president's call had been made shortly before Sgt Johnson's coffin arrived by aircraft in Miami. 

Ms Wilson told WPLG, a Miami TV station, she had heard the president's "so insensitive" remarks to the widow on speakerphone in a limousine.

"Yeah, he [President Trump] said that," Ms Wilson said. "To me, that is something that you can say in a conversation, but you shouldn't say that to a grieving widow.

"And everyone knows when you go to war, you could possibly not come back alive. But you don't remind a grieving widow of that." Ms Wilson told the Washington Post that Ms Johnson, who is expecting the couple's third child, had broken down in tears after the conversation.

"He made her cry," Ms Wilson said.

The congresswoman told the newspaper that she had wanted to grab the phone and "curse him out", but an army sergeant who was holding the handset would not let her speak to the president.

She later responded to Mr Trump's denial by tweeting: "I stand my account of the call with @realDonaldTrump and was not the only one who heard and was dismayed by his insensitive remarks."

And Sgt Johnson's mother, Cowanda Jones-Johnson, told the Washington Post newspaper that President Trump "did disrespect my son".

She said she was present during the call from the White House on Tuesday, and stood by Ms Wilson's account of the call.