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1) Reading the transcript from John Kelly's press briefing I'm struck by something particularly ugly that hasn't received enough attention
2) Kelly basically confirmed what Trump denied yesterday: that POTUS said on that call "he knew what he signed up for"
3) According to Kelly, he gave Trump this guidance based on what Joe Dunford had said to him when his son died 
4) By Kelly's telling Trump was trying to console Sgt. Johnson's widow - but it seems that somehow that was lost translation
5) Apparently Myeshia Johnson broke down crying when Trump called. Others in the car felt POTUS had disrespected Sgt. Johnson
6) One could certainly give Trump the benefit of the doubt here. That his attempt at consoling Myeshia Johnson went awry
7) But here's the ugly part: at no point today did Kelly or the WH apologize to Myeshia Johnson or the family of Sgt. Johnson
8) Putting everything else aside, POTUS made a Gold Star widow cry. Even if unintentionally that should bother John Kelly
9) And yet, once again, John Kelly made no public statement about Myeshia Johnson's reaction to Trump's words.
10) Instead he savagely attacked Cong. Frederica Wilson for publicizing what happened when Trump called Myeshia Johnson
11) A White House & a Chief of Staff w/ even a sliver of human decency would feel terrible about Myeshia Johnson's reaction to Trump's words
12) They would make it a priority to apologize to Myeshia Johnson and to soothe her pain
13) Instead Kelly used his appearance today to defend Trump, attack Cong. Wilson and say not a word about Myeshia Johnson
14) To be sure, one could defend Trump while also saying how terrible POTUS feels that his words were misunderstood
15) But John Kelly didn't do that. He defended Trump & said nothing about the unimaginable grief of Myeshia Johnson. That is ugly
16) And if anyone should understand the pain of a Gold Star wife it's John Kelly.
17) So we learned a lot about what John Kelly today and none of it is good
18) One more point worth making: one can criticize Cong. Wilson for publicizing the call. I don't really agree but I suppose it's legitimate
19) But Cong. Wilson was not just along for the ride. She knew & mentored Sgt. Johnson. His death has to be particularly painful for her
20) There's a reason after all that she was in that car and that the family of Sgt. Johnson wanted her to be there
21) She is suffering as well with this loss and for John Kelly to use her as a political punching bag to defend Trump is ghastly
22) Even if you disagree w/Wilson publicizing the call where's the empathy for her & recognition of her relationship to the Johnson family?
23) John Kelly has already debased himself both at DHS & as CoS in enabling Trump. But today was so much worse.
24) Today was a troubling example of how the WH has become captive to Trump's narcissism, selfishness & lack of basic decency & compassion
25) To view the story of a devastated Gold Star widow through the prism of POTUS's hurt feelings is not the America that I know
