Congresswoman Frederica Wilson On Sergeant David Johnson: 'He Died As A Hero' | Morning Joe

OTHER THAN THE FACT THEY'RE NEVER GOING TO SEE THEIR SON OR
THEIR DAUGHTER AGAIN. >> AND THE PRESIDENT HAS NOW
MADE THOSE PHONE CALLS TO THOSE FAMILIES OF THE FALLEN IN NEGER.
SERGEANT LA DAVID JOHNSON, WHOSE WIDOW SPOKE WITH THE PRESIDENT
YESTERDAY. SHE WAS IN A CAR TRAVELING TO
MEET HER HUSBAND'S REMAINS WHEN THE PRESIDENT CALLED TWO WEEKS
AFTER HER HUSBAND'S DEATH. SHE SPOKE TO THE PRESIDENT ON
SPEAKER PHONE, SURROUNDED BY FAMILY AND HER CONGRESSWOMAN,
FLORIDA DEMOCRAT FREDERICA WILSON, WHO JOINS US NOW FROM
MIAMI. SHE RECOUNTED THAT PHONE
CONVERSATION TO REPORTERS YESTERDAY, SAYING THE PRESIDENT
SAID, QUOTE, HER HUSBAND KNEW WHAT HE SIGNED UP FOR BUT I
GUESS IT STILL HURTS. YOU'RE IN THE CALL WITH MS.
JOHNSON THERE. IT GOES UP ON SPEAKER PHONE AND
WHAT DID YOU HEAR FROM THE PRESIDENT?
>> EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID. THAT'S NOT THE WORST PART.
SHE WAS CRYING THE WHOLE TIME AND WHEN SHE HUNG UP THE PHONE
SHE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, HE DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER HIS NAME.
THAT'S THE HURTING PART. >> AND SO WHAT I THINK HAS MADE
SOME HEADLINES IS THE LINE THAT YOU RECOUNTED FROM THE PRESIDENT
SAYING THAT SERGEANT JOHNSON KNEW WHAT HE WAS GETTING INTO
WHEN HE SIGNED UP. WHAT WAS THE TONE AND THE TENOR
FROM THE PRESIDENT IN THOSE PARTICULAR COMMENTS?
>> HE WAS ALMOST LIKE JOKING. HE SAID, WELL, I GUESS YOU
KNEW -- SOMETHING TO THE FACT THAT HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS GETTING
INTO WHEN HE SIGNED UP. BUT I GUESS IT HURTS ANYWAY.
YOU KNOW, JUST MATTER OF FACTUALLY.
THAT THIS HAPPENS. ANYONE WHO IS SIGNING UP FOR
MILITARY DUTY IS SIGNING UP TO DIE.
AND THAT'S THE WAY WE INTERPRETED IT.
AND IT WAS HORRIBLE. IT WAS INSENSITIVE.
IT WAS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY, UNNECESSARY.
I WAS LIVID. >> WAS THAT SERGEANT JOHNSON'S
WIDOW'S READ OF THE CALL AS WELL OR ARE YOU SPEAKING FOR
YOURSELF? >> SHE WAS IN TEARS.
SHE WAS IN TEARS AND SHE SAID HE DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER HIS NAME!
>> KATTY? >> CONGRESSWOMAN IT'S KATTY KAY
HERE. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVEN'T HEARD
DIRECTLY FROM MRS. JOHNSON. SHE'S GOING THROUGH AN AWFUL
LOT. THIS CONVERSATION HAS BECOME
INTENSELY POLITICIZED, FIRST FROM THE PRESIDENT BUT NOW DO
YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANY QUALMS FROM YOUR POINT OF VIEW ALSO
POLITICIZING THIS CONVERSATION? IS IT RIGHT THAT YOU ARE
SPEAKING OUT ABOUT WHAT WAS A CONVERSATION BETWEEN MRS.
JOHNSON AND THE PRESIDENT? >> WHAT I'M REALLY CONCERNED
ABOUT, AND I WROTE A LETTER TO GENERAL MATTIS ABOUT THE
CIRCUMSTANCES SURROUNDING HIS DEATH.
I'M NOT TRYING TO POLITICIZE WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID.
THAT LETTER WENT OUT LONG BEFORE THE CONVERSATION.
I HAVE A REAL CONCERN BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING BOKO HARAM
FOR THREE YEARS IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES EVER SINCE
THEY KIDNAPPED 274 SCHOOL GIRLS FROM A PRIVATE SCHOOL IN
NIGERIA. SO, BRING BACK OUR GIRLS IS MY
PROJECT IN THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES.
I HAVE PASSED BILLS. I HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH
NIGERIA. I TRAVELED TO THE REGION.
AND FOR LA DAVID TO BE FROM MIAMI AND PART OF MY MENTORING
PROGRAM, THE ROLE MODELS OF EXCELLENCE SINCE HE WAS A LITTLE
BOY AND TRAVEL TO THE AREA WHERE I HAVE BEEN FIGHTING AND TO LOSE
HIS LIFE, WHY, MY GOODNESS, I WAS OUT OF MY MIND.
SO I WANT ANSWERS SURROUNDING HIS DEATH.
I WANT A COMPLETE INVESTIGATION AS TO WHAT HAPPENED TO HIM.
WHY WAS HE MISSING FOR 48 HOURS? WHY WAS HE IN AN UNARMORED CAR?
WHY DIDN'T THEY HAVE APPROPRIATE WEAPONS?
BOKO HARAM IS THE MOST DANGEROUS TERRORIST GROUP IN THE WORLD.
THEY BURN BABIES AND USE LITTLE GIRLS AS SUICIDE BOMBERS.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN, YOU'RE QUITE RIGHT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN
INVESTIGATION IN THIS AND THERE'S BEEN FAR TOO LITTLE
COVERAGE OF THIS AND NOW THE PENTAGON WILL HAVE AN
INVESTIGATION INTO HOW THOSE FOUR SOLDIERS DIED AND THERE
SHOULD BE MORE INFORMATION. WHAT I'M ASKING YOU SPECIFICALLY
IS ARE YOU COMPLICIT IN POLITICIZING THIS CONVERSATION
AROUND THE DEATHS OF FALLEN SOLDIERS?
>> SOMEONE ASKED ME A QUESTION, DID YOU HEAR THE CALL?
TELL US WHAT YOU HEARD. I TOLD THEM WHAT I HEARD.
>> MARK HALPERIN. >> THAT'S NOT POLITICIZING
ANYTHING. THAT WAS MY CONSTITUENT.
>> YEAH. MARK HALPERIN?
>> CONGRESSWOMAN, THANK YOU FOR SPENDING PART OF YOUR TIME
HELPING COMFORT THIS FAMILY THAT SACRIFICEDIFICED FOR AMERICA.
I'M WONDERING WHAT YOU EITHER KNEW BEFORE OR HAVE LEARNED
ABOUT SERGEANT JOHNSON THAT YOU CAN SHARE WITH PEOPLE, ABOUT
WHAT KIND OF PERSON HE WAS. >> SERGEANT JOHNSON WAS
WONDERFUL. HE WAS SMART.
HE WAS ATHLETIC. HE WAS MARRIED TO THE MOST
WONDERFUL WOMAN WHO HAS TWO CHILDREN AND SHE IS WITH CHILD.
THEY ARE DEVASTATED. HE WAS RAISED BY HIS LOVELY AUNT
AND UNCLE. HE HAS TWO YOUNGERER BROTHERS A
THEY ALL CAME THROUGH THE 5,000 ROLE MODELS OF EXCELLENCE
PROJECT. ONE OF THEM IS IN COLLEGE IN
FLORIDA NATIONAL UNIVERSITY STUDYING ENGINEERING.
THE OTHER ONE IS IN THE 5,000 ROLE MODELS OF EXCELLENCE FIRE
COLLEGE. HE IS GOING TO BE A FIREFIGHTER.
AND WE HAVE STARTED A SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR HIS
CHILDREN, FOR HIS TWO THAT ARE LIVING AND FOR THE ONE YET BORN.
AND ALREADY WE HAVE REACHED $150,000 IN ONE DAY.
WE'RE ASKING YOU TO GIVE. IT'S LA DAVID JOHNSON
SCHOLARSHIP FUND. GO FUND.
AND HE WAS JUST A WONDERFUL YOUNG MAN.
YOU KNOW, IN MY LINE OF WORK WITH THE MENTORING PROGRAM, A
DROPOUT PREVENTION PROGRAM, ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM, I LOSE A
LOT OF YOUNG BLACK BOYS EVERY YEAR TO CRIME IN THE STREET.
BUT WHEN A COMMUNITY LIKE MINE HAS A HERO THAT WE CAN LIFT UP
AND CELEBRATE AND LOVE, THAT'S ALL WE CARE ABOUT.
WE'RE SO PROUD OF HIM AND EVERYTHING THAT HE HAS
ACCOMPLISHED. HE DIED AS A SERGEANT.
HE DIED AS A HERO. THERE ARE NOT MANY BLACK GREEN
BERET IN THE MILITARY. SO WE ARE SO PROUD OF HIM.
AND MR. TRUMP WAS EXTREMELY INSENSITIVE TO THAT FAMILY AND I
WILL STICK BY THAT. I'M NOT TRYING TO POLITICIZE IT,
BUT I THINK IT WAS A DISGRACE. >> WE COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
>> IT WAS A DISGRACE. >> COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND.
>> CONGRESSWOMAN FREDERICA WILSON OF FLORIDA.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING, FOR YOUR SUPPORT
OF SERGEANT JOHNSON'S FAMILY. AND, AGAIN, LET'S TURN THIS INTO
A POSITIVE. AS YOU SAID, HIS WIDOW WILL NEED
A LOT OF SUPPORT. 6-YEAR-OLD, 2-YEAR-OLD, SIX
MONTHS PREGNANT WITH ANOTHER CHILD ON THE WAY.
SO THAT GO FUND ME PAGE, LA DAVID JOHNSON, LOOK IT UP AND
DONATE IF YOU CAN. WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> MARK HALPERIN, A LOT TO THINK ABOUT THERE.
TELL US, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? >> WELL, JUST TO CLARIFY
SOMETHING I SAID EARLIER, NO ONE IS CHALLENGING THE ACCOUNT OF
THE CONGRESSWOMAN, THE OTHER OFFICIAL WHO WAS IN THE CAR AND
SO GRATEFUL TO THEM FOR HELPING THE FAMILY.
THE POINT I WAS MAKING BEFORE AND KATTY'S QUESTION GOT AT
THIS. THE PRESIDENT SET THIS CHAIN OFF
IN WAYS THAT CRITICIZED PRESIDENT OBAMA FALSELY, ET
CETERA, THAT ARE UNFORTUNATE. THE REALITY IS THAT THIS IS
STILL THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF STILL CALLING FAMILIES.
WHETHER YOU THINK HE DID A GOOD JOB OR BAD JOB, HARD TO KNOW,
BASED ON THOSE ACCOUNTS. THEY DON'T THINK HE DID A GOOD
JOB. THE IMPORTANT THING FOR THE
COUNTRY IS TO NOT LET THIS SACRED ACT OF THE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF CALLING THESE FAMILIES BECOME PART OF POLITICAL FIGHTS.
IT'S JUST NOT -- IT LEADS TO A BAD PLACE.
>> PEGGY? >> I AGREE.
I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME NOW IN THE FUTURE
GOING THROUGH THIS VERY SAD AND UNFORTUNATE STORY ABOUT THE
PHONE CALL AND THE CAR, ET CETERA, BUT, BOY, I'M STRUCK BY
THE LIFE OF SERGEANT JOHNSON. WHAT A YOUNG MAN.
A GREAT YOUNG GUY. >> AND WHAT A LEGACY HE LEAVES
BEHIND WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
>> I THINK WE SHOULD ALSO LOOK AT THAT VIDEO ONE MORE TIME, IF
WE STILL HAVE IT, OF A WIDOW NOW --
>> YES. >> BENT OVER A FLAG-DRAPED
CASKET, HAVING TO GO TO MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
>> JUST HEARTBREAKING. >> TO HAVE HER HUSBAND COME HOME
IN A BOX. SHE HAS A 6-YEAR-OLD, WHO
REPORTS SAY STOOD THERE STOICALLY.
YOU CAN SEE HER IN THE BACKGROUND, A 2-YEAR-OLD IN THE
BACKGROUND BEING HELD BY SOMEONE ELSE AND HER PREGNANT BELLY
PRESSING UP AGAINST THE CASKET. THOSE ARE THREE CHILDREN.
AND THIS IS WHAT FAMILIES IN AMERICA SACRIFICE.
THIS IS THEIR HUSBANDS AND WIVES AND THEIR DADS AND THEIR MOMS GO
AWAY FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME. THEY GO INTO HARM'S WAY.
THEY DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE GOING TO COME BACK AND SOMETIMES
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Congresswoman Frederica Wilson On Sergeant David Johnson: 'He Died As A Hero' | Morning Joe | MSNBC

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