President Donald Trump reportedly sent a $25,000 check to the father of a fallen U.S. soldier on Wednesday — the same day a Washington Post report accused the president of not following through on a promise he made in June to send that check.
Chris Baldridge, whose son Army Sgt. Dillon Baldridge was killed by an Afghan police officer in June, told the Post that Trump promised to send him a check and set up an online fundraiser for the family. After the Post asked about Chris Baldridge's claims, the White House said a check was in the mail. CNN reports that check was sent the same day the Post's story was published.
Trump has done something very similar to this before. On the campaign trail, he said he gave $1 million of his own money to a charity for veterans. But he didn't actually make the donation until months later — after reporters hounded him about it.
Trump's relationship with military families is under more scrutiny lately after Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson accused him of making "insensitive" comments to the widow of fallen soldier La David T. Johnson. After Johnson died this month in Niger, Trump allegedly said Johnson "knew what he signed up for," according to Wilson and Johnson's mother. Trump has denied the claims.
During his presidential campaign, he attacked the parents of another fallen soldier after the soldier's father criticized him during the Democratic National Convention.
