Former President Obama hosted now-chief of staff John Kelly at a breakfast about six months after Kelly’s son died in Afghanistan.
Kelly attended the breakfast — held in May 2011 — for the relatives of U.S. troops killed in action, The Associated Press reported, citing White House visitor records.
Kelly and his wife reportedly sat at the table of former first lady Michelle Obama during the breakfast for Gold Star families.
{mosads}President Trump stirred controversy on Monday when he claimed past presidents, including Obama, didn’t call the families of fallen soldiers.
“If you look at President Obama and other presidents, most of them didn’t make calls,” Trump said Monday. “A lot of them didn’t make calls. I like to call when it’s appropriate.”
When he was pressed on the claim, Trump said he was “told” Obama didn’t call often.
On Tuesday, Trump against discussed the claim. The president said the press should ask Kelly if he received a call from Obama after his son died in Afghanistan.
“To the best of my knowledge, I think I’ve called every family of somebody that’s died, and it’s the hardest call to make,” Trump told Fox News Radio host Brian Kilmeade. “As far as other representatives, I don’t know, I mean you could ask Gen. Kelly, did he get a call from Obama?”
“I don’t know what Obama’s policy was,” he added. “I write letters, and I also call.”
Kelly’s son, Marine 2nd Lt. Robert Kelly, was killed in Afghanistan in 2010. A White House official confirmed to The Hill that Kelly did not receive a call from Obama at the time.