President Donald Trump has stepped back from his claim that "President [Barack] Obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls" to the families of soldiers killed in combat.
"If you look at President Obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls," he said when asked why he waited weeks before contacting the families of four Army Green Berets killed in Niger this month. "A lot of them didn't make calls. I like to call when it's appropriate."
When asked on Fox News Radio by host Brian Kilmeade about making calls to the families of deceased soldiers, Trump said, "to the best of my knowledge I think I've called every family of somebody that's died and it's the hardest call to make. And I said it very loud and clear yesterday. The hardest thing for me to do is do that. Now, as far as other representatives, I don't know."
He then referenced the death of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly's son, Marine 2nd Lt. Robert Kelly, saying, "you could ask General Kelly did he get a call from Obama."
Trump then admitted, "I don't know what Obama's policy was. I write letters and I also call."
He later added, "I'm not speaking for other people. I don't know what [former President George W.] Bush did, I don't know what Obama did. You could find out easily what President Obama did. All you have to do is ask the military people but I believe his policy was somewhat different than my policy.
"I can tell you my policy is I've called every one of them. And, you have to let a little time go by. You can't just call immediately, but I will be calling, have called and will be calling the parents and the loved ones, wives, et cetera of the soldiers that recently were killed."
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.