{"id":176477011,"date":"2017-10-22T22:22:16","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T03:22:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/?p=176477011"},"modified":"2017-10-22T22:22:16","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T03:22:16","slug":"info-in-attack-on-frederica-wilson-over-trumps-call-to-widow-john-kelly-gets-facts-wrong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/2017\/10\/22\/info-in-attack-on-frederica-wilson-over-trumps-call-to-widow-john-kelly-gets-facts-wrong\/","title":{"rendered":"INFO: In attack on Frederica Wilson over Trump\u2019s call to widow, John Kelly gets facts wrong"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_176477012\" style=\"width: 327px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-176477012\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-176477012\" src=\"http:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/miami-herald-logo.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"317\" height=\"66\" srcset=\"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/miami-herald-logo.jpg 317w, https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/10\/miami-herald-logo-300x62.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 317px) 100vw, 317px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-176477012\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">OCTOBER 19, 2017<\/p><\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><b><style>.mcclatchy-embed{position:relative;padding:40px 0 56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%}.mcclatchy-embed iframe{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%}<\/style><div class=\"mcclatchy-embed\"><iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.mcclatchydc.com\/news\/article179791656.html\/video-embed\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div><br \/>\n<\/b><span style=\"font-size: 10pt; color: #000000;\"><strong><span class=\"caption-text\">White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said he was \u201cstunned\u201d and \u201cbroken-hearted\u201d by the comments made by Rep. Frederica Wilson on the President\u2019s phone to the widow of a fallen soldier during the Thursday\u2019s press briefing. <\/span><span class=\"credits\">The White House<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div id=\"story-header\">\n<h3 class=\"title\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 36pt;\">In attack on Frederica Wilson<\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"title\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 36pt;\"> over Trump\u2019s call to widow, <\/span><\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"title\"><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 36pt;\">John Kelly gets facts wrong<\/span><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"story-body-items\">\n<div class=\"byline element-spacing-small\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 14pt;\"><strong><span class=\"ng_byline_name\">BY ALEX DAUGHERTY,<br \/>\nANITA KUMAR AND DOUGLAS HANKS<br \/>\n<\/span><\/strong><\/span><span class=\"ng_byline_email\"><a href=\"mailto:adaugherty@mcclatchydc.com\">adaugherty@mcclatchydc.com<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"share-tools-wrapper\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"dateline-storybody\">\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"dateline\" style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">WASHINGTON <\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-target\" class=\"clearfix\">\n<div id=\"content-body-\" class=\"content-body\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">When White House Chief of Staff John Kelly condemned a Miami congresswoman on Thursday for sneering at President Donald Trump\u2019s condolence call to a soldier\u2019s widow, the retired general recalled when the two attended a somber ceremony in Miramar to dedicate a new FBI building named after two slain FBI agents.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Kelly criticized Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson for claiming \u201cshe got the money\u201d for the new building during the 2015 ceremony while he and others in the audience were focused on the heroism of agents Benjamin Grogan and Jerry Dove, killed during a 1986 shootout with bank robbers south of Miami.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Thursday night, Wilson said Kelly got the story flat-out wrong. In fact, she said Washington approved the money before she was even in Congress. The legislation she sponsored named the building after Grogan and Dove, a law enacted just days before the ceremony.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"teads-inread sm-screen\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><a title=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/article179952536.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>UPDATE: VIDEO OF FREDERICA WILSON\u2019S 2015 SPEECH SHOWS JOHN KELLY WAS WRONG<\/strong><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cHe shouldn&#8217;t be able to just say that, that is terrible,\u201d Wilson said of Kelly\u2019s remarks in the White House briefing room, the latest volley in the controversy over Trump\u2019s condolence call to a military widow from Miami Gardens, an area Wilson represents. \u201cThis has become totally personal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"ndn-widget-embed-1\" class=\"inform-embed ndn_embed ndn_embedding ndn_embedContainer ndn-widget-embed-1 ndn_embedded\" data-placement-id=\"inform-video-player-1\" data-config-distributor-id=\"90045\" data-config-width=\"100%\" data-config-height=\"9\/16w\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"perfectpixeltop-target\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">In 2015, Wilson won praise from Miami Republicans for sponsoring the bill to name the long anticipated federal building after two agents who became legends in local law enforcement.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ng_digital\">\n<div class=\"photo-inline-horizontal\">\n<div class=\"photo-inline-horizontal\">\n<div class=\"img-container picture \">\n<picture><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/national-politics\/3h7v2a\/picture179869316\/alternates\/FREE_1140\/Frederica%20Wilson%202\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/national-politics\/3h7v2a\/picture179869316\/alternates\/FREE_960\/Frederica%20Wilson%202\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/national-politics\/3h7v2a\/picture179869316\/alternates\/FREE_768\/Frederica%20Wilson%202\" media=\"(min-width: 601px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/national-politics\/3h7v2a\/picture179869316\/alternates\/FREE_640\/Frederica%20Wilson%202\" media=\"(min-width: 441px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/national-politics\/3h7v2a\/picture179869316\/alternates\/FREE_480\/Frederica%20Wilson%202\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\" lazy responsive-image\" title=\"Frederica Wilson 2\" src=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/national-politics\/3h7v2a\/picture179869316\/alternates\/FREE_1140\/Frederica%20Wilson%202\" alt=\"Frederica Wilson 2\" width=\"600\" height=\"413\" data-original=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/national-politics\/3h7v2a\/picture179869316\/alternates\/FREE_1140\/Frederica%20Wilson%202\" \/><\/picture>\n<div class=\"inline-caption\">\n<div class=\"inline-caption-text\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong>Democratic U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson of Miami<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"inline-creditInfo\"><span style=\"font-size: 10pt;\"><strong><span class=\"inline-photographer\">PEDRO PORTAL <\/span><span class=\"inline-credits\">pportal@miamiherald.com <\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 14pt;\">At the dedication ceremony, James Comey, then director of the FBI, lauded Wilson\u2019s legislation, which was signed into law by President Barack Obama three days before the April 2015 ceremony.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cRep. Wilson truly did the impossible, and we are eternally grateful,\u201d Comey said in his remarks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000; font-size: 14pt;\">On Thursday evening, an administration spokesman issued a statement that said: \u201cThe White House stands by Gen. Kelly\u2019s account of the event.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-media inline-video\">\n<div class=\"teaser\">\n<div id=\"video-detail-179542016-1508696684315\" class=\"media-wrap\">\n<div class=\"video-media sm\" data-id=\"179542016\" data-index=\"\">\n<div id=\"player-179542016-1508696684315\" class=\"jwplayer jw-reset jw-state-idle jw-skin-mi-video jw-stretch-uniform jw-flag-aspect-mode jw-breakpoint-4 jw-flag-user-inactive\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"mi-video-utility-bar share-icons sm\"><b><style>.mcclatchy-embed{position:relative;padding:40px 0 56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%}.mcclatchy-embed iframe{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%}<\/style><div class=\"mcclatchy-embed\"><iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/article179542016.html\/video-embed\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-media-details\">\n<h4 class=\"title \"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/article179542016.html\">Trump feuds with Congresswoman<br \/>\nover call to fallen soldier&#8217;s widow<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"leadtext \"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">President Donald Trump and U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson from Miami Gardens have been feuding over a call he made to a fallen soldier&#8217;s widow. Sgt. La David T. Johnson was killed in an ambush during a joint-military mission in Niger on Oct. 4, 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><span class=\"photographer\">Produced by Matias J. Ocner and Adrian Ruhi<\/span> <span class=\"credits\">Miami Herald Staff<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The controversy was still raging at the White House late Thursday night. Shortly before 11 p.m., Trump tweeted: \u201cThe Fake News is going crazy with wacky Congresswoman Wilson(D), who was SECRETLY on a very personal call, and gave a total lie on content!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"story-related\" class=\"story-related element-spacing-large\">\n<h2>RELATED STORIES FROM MIAMI HERALD<\/h2>\n<div id=\"related-links\">\n<article>\n<div class=\"teaser\">\n<div class=\"img-container picture \"><picture><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/miami-gardens\/fepx5c\/picture179796751\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/La%20David%20Johnson%20portrait\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/miami-gardens\/fepx5c\/picture179796751\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_960\/La%20David%20Johnson%20portrait\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/miami-gardens\/fepx5c\/picture179796751\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_768\/La%20David%20Johnson%20portrait\" media=\"(min-width: 601px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/miami-gardens\/fepx5c\/picture179796751\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_640\/La%20David%20Johnson%20portrait\" media=\"(min-width: 441px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/miami-gardens\/fepx5c\/picture179796751\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_480\/La%20David%20Johnson%20portrait\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img class=\"responsive-image\" title=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/miami-gardens\/fepx5c\/picture179796751\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/La%20David%20Johnson%20portrait\" alt=\"For soldier killed in Niger, making life better every day in the world was his mission\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"title\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/miami-dade\/miami-gardens\/article179796766.html#storylink=related_inline\">For soldier killed in Niger, making life better every day in the world was his mission<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article>\n<div class=\"teaser\">\n<div class=\"img-container picture \"><picture><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/nation-world\/rof43j-Trump-on-Soldier.mp4\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/Trump%20on%20Soldier.mp4\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/nation-world\/rof43j-Trump-on-Soldier.mp4\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_960\/Trump%20on%20Soldier.mp4\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/nation-world\/rof43j-Trump-on-Soldier.mp4\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_768\/Trump%20on%20Soldier.mp4\" media=\"(min-width: 601px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/nation-world\/rof43j-Trump-on-Soldier.mp4\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_640\/Trump%20on%20Soldier.mp4\" media=\"(min-width: 441px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/nation-world\/rof43j-Trump-on-Soldier.mp4\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_480\/Trump%20on%20Soldier.mp4\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img class=\"responsive-image\" title=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/nation-world\/rof43j-Trump-on-Soldier.mp4\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/Trump%20on%20Soldier.mp4\" alt=\"With no recording of Trump\u2019s call to soldier\u2019s widow, will it be he said\/she said?\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"title\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/article179552516.html#storylink=related_inline\">With no recording of Trump\u2019s call to soldier\u2019s widow, will it be he said\/she said?<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article>\n<div class=\"teaser\">\n<div class=\"img-container picture \"><picture><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/umcs1i\/picture179613096\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/11SURVIVORS_BOKO+HARAM_CPJ\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/umcs1i\/picture179613096\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_960\/11SURVIVORS_BOKO+HARAM_CPJ\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/umcs1i\/picture179613096\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_768\/11SURVIVORS_BOKO+HARAM_CPJ\" media=\"(min-width: 601px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/umcs1i\/picture179613096\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_640\/11SURVIVORS_BOKO+HARAM_CPJ\" media=\"(min-width: 441px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/umcs1i\/picture179613096\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_480\/11SURVIVORS_BOKO+HARAM_CPJ\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img class=\"responsive-image\" title=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/umcs1i\/picture179613096\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/11SURVIVORS_BOKO+HARAM_CPJ\" alt=\"Frederica Wilson: Trump disrespected a local hero, whose death must be investigated\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"title\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/opinion\/op-ed\/article179610466.html#storylink=related_inline\">Frederica Wilson: Trump disrespected a local hero, whose death must be investigated<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article>\n<div class=\"teaser\">\n<div class=\"img-container picture \"><picture><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/epty7i\/picture179991676\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/FBI_New%20Building%200341%20JAI\" media=\"(min-width: 992px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/epty7i\/picture179991676\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_960\/FBI_New%20Building%200341%20JAI\" media=\"(min-width: 768px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/epty7i\/picture179991676\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_768\/FBI_New%20Building%200341%20JAI\" media=\"(min-width: 601px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/epty7i\/picture179991676\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_640\/FBI_New%20Building%200341%20JAI\" media=\"(min-width: 441px)\" \/><source srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/epty7i\/picture179991676\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_480\/FBI_New%20Building%200341%20JAI\" media=\"(min-width: 320px)\" \/><img class=\"responsive-image\" title=\"\" srcset=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/epty7i\/picture179991676\/alternates\/LANDSCAPE_1140\/FBI_New%20Building%200341%20JAI\" alt=\"Video of Frederica Wilson\u2019s 2015 speech shows John Kelly was wrong\" width=\"600\" height=\"337\" \/><\/picture><\/div>\n<h4 class=\"title\"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/article179952536.html#storylink=related_inline\">Video of Frederica Wilson\u2019s 2015 speech shows John Kelly was wrong<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The exchange began during a rare appearance in the White House briefing room by Kelly to address the firestorm over Wilson sharing her first-hand account of Trump\u2019s call Tuesday to the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed during an Oct. 4 ambush in Niger in West Africa. Wilson said Trump was disrespectful to his widow, Myeshia, by saying her husband had known what he was getting into by joining the Army, and by calling him \u201cyour guy\u201d instead of using his name.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Kelly tapped into his personal experience as the former head of the U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Doral, a position that often had him representing the Defense Department in local events. That included the dedication of the FBI regional building in Miramar, when he said Wilson\u2019s remarks were jarring and self-serving.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cA congresswoman stood up, and in a long tradition of empty barrels making the most noise, stood up there in all of that and talked about how she was instrumental in getting the funding for that building, and how she took care of her constituents because she got the money, and she just called up President Obama, and on that phone call, he gave the money, the $20 million, to build the building, and she sat down,\u201d Kelly told reporters.<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"embed-media inline-video\">\n<div class=\"teaser\">\n<div id=\"video-detail-179839821-1508696684318\" class=\"media-wrap\">\n<div class=\"video-media sm\" data-id=\"179839821\" data-index=\"\">\n<div id=\"player-179839821-1508696684318\" class=\"jwplayer jw-reset jw-state-idle jw-skin-mi-video jw-stretch-uniform jw-flag-aspect-mode jw-flag-user-inactive jw-breakpoint-4\" tabindex=\"0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"mi-video-utility-bar share-icons sm\"><b><style>.mcclatchy-embed{position:relative;padding:40px 0 56.25%;height:0;overflow:hidden;max-width:100%}.mcclatchy-embed iframe{position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%}<\/style><div class=\"mcclatchy-embed\"><iframe src=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/article179839821.html\/video-embed\" width=\"640\" height=\"400\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"true\"><\/iframe><\/div> <\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"embed-media-details\">\n<h4 class=\"title \"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/article179839821.html\">Rep. Frederica Wilson on the situation between her<br \/>\nand President Trump over call to soldier&#8217;s family.<\/a><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"leadtext \"><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Miami Gardens Representative addressed the issue while attending at a hearing she organized to get expert opinions on what needs to change to protect frail and dependent people in the future. Mental health, emergency operations, fire rescue and nursing home personnel lined a table opposite Wilson and other elected officials.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\"><span class=\"photographer\">Pedro Portal<\/span> <span class=\"credits\">pportal@miamiherald.com<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The Miami Herald could not obtain video of the April 10, 2015, event, or a transcript of the remarks. Wilson denied saying what Kelly described, and said the timing made no sense.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The General Services Administration had already bid out a $144 million construction contract for the project in <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/govtribe.com\/project\/bridging-design-build-bdb-construction-services-new-federal-office-building-broward-county-florida\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">September 2010<\/a>, just a few months before Wilson won her congressional seat. The bidding for federal projects takes place after Congress has secured the funding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cThat is crazy that I got [the money] and Mr. Obama just gave it to me,\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThat building was funded long before I got to Congress. I didn\u2019t say that. I have staff, people who write the speeches. You can\u2019t say that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The 380,000-square-foot pair of glass towers cost <a title=\"\" href=\"http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/local\/community\/broward\/article18218537.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$194 million<\/a> to build, much higher than the $20 million Kelly cited in his White House remarks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Months before the ceremony, Republican members of Congress from the Miami area praised Wilson\u2019s effort to honor the FBI agents with a building in their names.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cI especially commend my friend, the gentlelady from Miami, Dr. Wilson, for spearheading this effort to commemorate and thank our law enforcement officers and especially to highlight the sacrifice these two agents made,\u201d Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said on the <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=j12cKiKaB9U\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">House floor<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Wilson has been involved in a back-and-forth exchange with Trump over his conversation with Johnson\u2019s widow. When Trump called Johnson\u2019s family on Tuesday, Wilson was with them in a limo on the way to the airport to meet the casket.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Trump said \u201che knew what he signed up for \u2026 but when it happens it hurts anyway,\u201d according to Wilson, who heard the call on speakerphone in the car.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cI think it\u2019s so insensitive. It\u2019s crazy. Why do you need to say that?\u2019\u2019 Wilson told the Miami Herald. \u201cYou don\u2019t say that to someone who lost family, the father, the breadwinner. You can say, \u2018I\u2019m so sorry for your loss. He\u2019s a hero.\u2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cI\u2019m livid. He can\u2019t even have an open-coffin funeral because his body is so messed up,\u2019\u2019 she added.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">On Wednesday morning, Trump then accused Wilson of lying about his conversation with Johnson\u2019s family.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cDemocrat Congresswoman totally fabricated what I said to the wife of a soldier who died in action,\u201d Trump tweeted. \u201cSad!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Wilson stood by her remarks, which were corroborated by Johnson\u2019s family members in the car.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">The saga prompted Kelly\u2019s press conference on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Johnson was a constituent of Wilson\u2019s who participated in a program founded by the longtime legislator called the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project, which mentors African-American boys and young men.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cSgt. Johnson was a member of my community and of the 5000 Role Models of Excellence Project that I founded to help boys of color build successful futures,\u201d Wilson said in a statement. \u201cHe was killed while on a mission to provide training and security assistance to West African armed forces battling vicious insurgents like Boko Haram, the group whose defeat I\u2019ve been fighting for since it abducted nearly 300 Nigerian schoolgirls more than three years ago.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Wilson said Thursday that she is intent on finding out why it took 48 hours for Johnson\u2019s body to be located after the ambush, and that the White House is attacking her to distract from an investigation into Johnson\u2019s death.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Florida, also called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Johnson\u2019s death on Thursday.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">\u201cWhy do you think they [The White House] are continuing all of this?\u201d Wilson said. \u201cThink about what they should be doing. They should be trying to find out why Sgt. La David Johnson was separated from his battalion for two days.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"ng_endnote_contact\">\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Herald staff writer Howard Cohen contributed to this story.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 14pt;\">Alex Daugherty: <a title=\"\" href=\"tel:202-383-6049\">202-383-6049<\/a>, <a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alextdaugherty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">@alextdaugherty<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<div><a title=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/alextdaugherty\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nRead more here: http:\/\/www.miamiherald.com\/news\/politics-government\/national-politics\/article179869321.html#storylink=cpy<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said he was \u201cstunned\u201d and \u201cbroken-hearted\u201d by the comments made by Rep. Frederica Wilson on the President\u2019s phone to the widow of a fallen soldier during the Thursday\u2019s press briefing. The White House &nbsp; In attack on Frederica Wilson over Trump\u2019s call to [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","_s2mail":"yes"},"categories":[6],"tags":[4,12,11],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176477011"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176477011"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176477011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":176477048,"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176477011\/revisions\/176477048"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176477011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176477011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kalamu.com\/neogriot\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176477011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}