The White House drafted a statement of condolence for President Donald Trump to make on Oct. 5 after the Niger incident, but it was never released and the president waited 12 days to respond to the ambush, the deadliest combat since he took office, Politico reported.
Four U.S. soldiers died and two were wounded on Oct. 4 when 50 ISIS-affiliated fighters ambushed them. Trump has been criticized for his delay in responding, and for telling the widow of one of the soldiers "must have known what he signed up for."
The statement was written by a staffer at the National Security Council:
"Melania and I are heartbroken at the news that three U.S. service members were killed in Niger on October 4 while providing guidance and assistance to Nigerien security force counter-terror operations. We offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of these brave American soldiers and patriots. They will remain in our thoughts and prayers.
"We are also praying for the two U.S. service members who were injured in the incident. We wish them a complete and swift recovery.
"The heroic Americans who lost their lives yesterday did so defending our freedom and fighting violent extremism in Niger. Our administration and our entire nation are deeply grateful for their sacrifice, for their service, and for their patriotism."
It was not clear why the statement was never released and an NSC spokesman declined to comment, according to Politico.