Rep. Frederica Wison didn’t sit back and let a Trump administration official lie about her, no matter how much she may sympathize with his pain of losing his son in combat.
Video:
Rep. Frederica Wilson says John Kelly lied about her in the White House briefing: "How dare he." https://t.co/4lRFzYkXP3
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 20, 2017
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On CNN’s New Day, Rep. Wilson (D-FL) said, “I heard him say that I bragged that I secured the money for the FBI building in Miramar, and that’s a lie. You know, I feel sorry for Gen. Kelly. He has my sympathy for the loss of his son, but he can’t just go on TV and lie on me. I was not even in Congress in 2009 when the money for the building was secured, so that’s a lie. However, I named the building at the behest of Director Comey with the help of Speaker Boehner, working across party lines, so he didn’t tell the truth, and he needs to stop telling lies on me.”
The discussion turned to Kelly calling Rep. Wilson an empty barrel and called a racist term. Conservative media have hopped on Wilson’s statement that Kelly used a racist term while ignoring the point that he lied about the Congresswoman.
The whole point of Trump trotting John Kelly out in front of the cameras was to use Gen. Kelly’s son’s death as cover for the President’s words and behavior. The press conference didn’t work in the way that the White House was hoping. Instead of vindicating Trump, Kelly showed his own lack of character by willingly lying for the President.
The one lesson of this administration is that anyone who defends Trump is going to come out looking bad and losing credibility.
Rep. Wilson was right to stand up for herself and the truth. She also didn’t let Trump hide behind Gen. Kelly’s personal loss. Trump will do anything to suppress the truth, but Rep. Wilson is showing that she will not be silenced.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association