President Donald Trump invited the widow of a Navy SEAL killed during a raid in Yemen to attend Tuesday night's speech when he telephoned to offer his condolences.
White House press secretary Sean Spicer says Trump called Carryn Owens on Jan. 30 and invited her and her three children to attend the speech.
The family visited the White House on Tuesday and met with Trump.
Spicer says the kids ate lunch in the Navy-run cafeteria in the White House and toured the building. They did not attend Trump's speech.
Spicer brushed aside criticism that Trump used Carryn Owens as a prop, saying she accepted the invitation and has the right to honor her husband's legacy.
"If that's the criticism that people have, they have a right to it in this country," Spicer said. "But I would also suggest that we have a right to honor the sacrifice that [Owens] made."
"You can say what you want about a number of policies, but I hope to God that everybody in America could literally say that's the country we live in and that you honor and support not just Ryan's sacrifice, but recognize what she's going to go through, what her children are going to go through," Spicer added.
Senior Chief William "Ryan" Owens was killed in January in a raid approved by Trump.
© Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.