In an emotional interview on Wednesday, the parents of fallen Army Spec. Etienne Murphy, who Donald Trump has not called since their son was killed in Syria, said they don’t care about getting a call or letter from the president – they just want him to honor their son’s sacrifice.
Sheila Murphy, the mother of the slain soldier, said she doesn’t care that Trump hasn’t reached out to her – despite the president’s claim this week that he, unlike Barack Obama, writes and calls Gold Star families – but instead she wants Trump to appropriately honor their son.
Video:
Emotional Gold Star Parents Tell Trump They Want Him To Honor Their Son, Not Call Them #MSNBC #GoldStarFamilies #Trump pic.twitter.com/kpUsWttQYQ
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
— Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) October 18, 2017
Murphy told MSNBC’s Ari Melber:
I understand that President Trump may have been busy. I understand that he may not have the compassion or the concern that I have because it’s my child. So it really doesn’t matter to me whether I receive a call or a letter. … I’m just trying to let people know about my son and the many countless others and I just don’t want them to be forgotten. I don’t want it to be a phone call or a letter not being received, but more so about what are we doing now to honor them and what are we doing now to help their families.
Despite the pleas from brave Gold Star family members like Sheila Murphy, Trump continues to show this week that he has little interest in honoring the lives of all the men and women who have put their lives on the line to protect this country.
Instead, he prefers to use fallen soldiers as a political pawn in a stunt that has quickly backfired for the international embarrassment living in the White House.
As Jason Easley wrote earlier today, “Donald Trump never sacrificed in his life, so it is not surprising that he would be incapable of empathizing with the pain of Gold Star families.”
Army Spec. Etienne Murphy and his grieving family – and all the men and women who courageously serve this country every single day – deserve a commander-in-chief who acknowledges and honors their service to this country.
Unfortunately, Donald Trump has shown that he is incapable of being that leader.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.
