WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Aides to former President Barack Obama have launched harsh attacks on President Donald Trump after the president claimed that his predecessor did not call the families of fallen U.S. service members.
Trump suggested during a press conference with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ken., on Monday that he has does more than previous presidents to reach out to the families of members of the military that were killed in action.
'The traditional way -- if you look at President Obama and other Presidents, most of them didn't make calls, a lot of them didn't make calls,' Trump said.
'I like to call when it's appropriate, when I think I'm able to do it,' he added. 'They have made the ultimate sacrifice.'
Obama's deputy chief of staff of operations Alyssa Mastromonaco struck back at Trump in a post on Twitter, accusing the president of lying.
'That's a f---ing lie. to say president obama (or past presidents) didn't call the family members of soldiers KIA - he's a deranged animal,' Mastromonaco tweeted.
Ben Rhodes, Obama's deputy national security adviser, also accused Trump of lying and pointed to his attack on a 'Gold Star family' that had been critical of him.
'This is an outrageous and disrespectful lie even by Trump standards. Also: Obama never attacked a Gold Star family,' Rhodes tweeted.
Mastromonaco and Rhodes both retweeted a post from former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Martin Dempsey claiming Obama and former President George W. Bush both cared deeply about the families of the fallen.
'POTUS 43 & 44 and first ladies cared deeply, worked tirelessly for the serving, the fallen, and their families. Not politics. Sacred Trust,' Dempsey said.
Trump clarified later in the press conference that he did not know if Obama called the families but claimed he was told the former president did not call often.
'President Obama I think probably did sometimes, and maybe sometimes he didn't. I don't know,' Trump said. 'That's what I was told. All I can do is ask my generals.'
Trump reiterated in an interview with Fox News Radio on Tuesday that he does not know Obama's policy but suggested reporters ask White House Chief of Staff John Kelly if he received a call.
An administration official told Fox News that Obama did not call Kelly, whose son Robert died in Afghanistan in 2010.
(Photo: Gage Skidmore)
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