The Woodward book has some telling details on how Trump dealt with the deaths of service members.
"When Trump had phone calls with the families of others from the military who had been killed, the White House staff noticed how hard and tough it seemed for him."
"'He's not that guy,' Bannon said. 'He's never really been around the military. He's never been around military family. Never been around death.' The deaths of parents of small kids struck him particularly hard. 'That had a big impact on him, and it's seen throughout everything'"
"A staffer who sat in on several calls that Trump made to Gold Star families was struck with how much time and emotional energy Trump devoted to them. He had a copy of material from the deceased service member's personnel file."
"'l'm looking at his picture — such a beautiful boy,' Trump said in one call to family members. Where did he grow up? Where did he go to school? Why did he join the service?"
"'I've got the record here,' Trump said. 'There are reports here that say how much he was loved. He was a great leader.'"
"Some in the Oval Office had copies of the service records. None of what Trump cited was there. He was just making it up. He knew what the families wanted to hear."
