The Latest: Gold Star family says Trump sent promised $25K

trump-fallen-soldier

This image from video released by ABC shows Myeshia Johnson, La David Johnson's widow, during an interview on "Good Morning America," Monday, Oct. 23, 2017, in New York. (ABC News via AP)

trump-fallen-soldier

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on President Donald Trump’s handling of service member deaths (all times local):

1 p.m.

A North Carolina couple says President Donald Trump has sent a $25,000 check months after promising the gift during a June condolence call.

Two North Carolina television stations report that Christopher and Jesse Baldridge of Zebulon confirm receiving the check that Trump pledged after Army Sgt. Dillon Baldridge was killed in Afghanistan. Christopher Baldridge last week told The Washington Post the check hadn’t come since the phone call about his son.

WTVD reports the check was dated the same day the Post’s story appeared.

An accompanying letter on White House letterhead and bearing the president’s signature says he’s glad his “legal counsel has been able to finally approve this contribution” to Baldridge.

Jessie Baldridge says the couple plan to use the money to start foundation honoring Dillon’s legacy.

___

8 a.m.

Gold Star father Khizr Khan, who traded barbs with President Donald Trump in last year’s presidential campaign, is criticizing the administration’s handling of the deaths of four service members in Niger.

Khan says White House chief of staff John Kelly and other close aides should have done more to ensure the president practiced “dignity” and “restraint” in speaking with family members because “he’s void of both.”

Khan also says it was important for him to view his son’s body. The widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, one of four service members killed Oct. 4, has said her repeated request to see her husband’s body was denied.

Khan told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe”: “She was deprived of that dignity as well. We owe tremendous respect, restraint and dignity to this wonderful lady.”

___

President Donald Trump’s feud over a condolence call to a fallen soldier keeps dragging on. Now, he is defending his call to the widow, saying he was “respectful” and did not forget the slain soldier’s name.

Trump addressed the call on Twitter Monday after Myeshia Johnson, La David Johnson’s widow, appeared on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” She said that in Trump’s call to her last week he “couldn’t remember my husband’s name.”

Johnson added: “The only way he could remember my husband’s name was he told me he had my husband’s report in front of him and that’s when he actually said La David.”

Johnson and three comrades died Oct. 4 in Africa in an attack.