Donald Trump accused of 'outrageous lie' after saying Barack Obama never called families of US war dead

Donald Trump, the US President, takes questions at a White House press conference
Donald Trump, the US President, takes questions at a White House press conference Credit: AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

Donald Trump has triggered furious row with Barack Obama’s former aides after accusing his predecessor of never calling the families of America’s war dead.

The US President was accused of an “outrageous and disrespectful lie” after spontaneously making the claim during a press conference.

Mr Trump also faced a backlash from relatives of fallen soldiers who said that other former presidents he criticised had personally consoled them.

Mr Trump's comment came after being pushed on why he had failed to comment on the deaths of four soldiers in Niger on October 4.

It has led to a heated debate about the US President’s tendency to make what critics say are overblown and misleading statements when publicly challenged. 

However Mr Trump has refused to back down, urging reporters to talk to military figures including his chief of staff John Kelly to prove his point.

The row was ignited when Mr Trump defended his record of writing and calling relatives of American soldiers killed in action during a press conference.

“If you look at President Obama and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls. A lot of them didn't make calls,” Mr Trump said.

“I like to call when it's appropriate, when I think I'm able to do it. They have made the ultimate sacrifice, so generally I would say that I like to call.”

The comment triggered an immediate backlash, with the US President softening his claim when challenged a second time at the press conference but not abandoning it entirely.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders later backed up Mr Trump's comments, saying that “the President wasn't criticizing predecessors, but stating a fact".

However pictures soon circulated online of Mr Obama meeting the caskets of fallen troops as they returned from Afghanistan - something he was photographed doing dozens of times at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

Aides who worked for Mr Obama also took to social media to defend their former boss in the strongest terms.

“This is an outrageous and disrespectful lie even by Trump standards,” said Ben Rhodes, Mr Obama's foreign policy adviser.

Alyssa Mastromonaco, a deputy chief of staff under Mr Obama, called Mr Trump a “deranged animal” while former attorney general Eric Holder wrote: "Stop the damn lying - you’re the President.”

There was also criticism from those linked to Mr Bush, who oversaw the invasion of both Afghanistan and Iraq after the September 11 attacks. 

Freddy Ford, a spokesman for the ex-president, said Mr Bush wrote to “all the families of the fallen” while in office and called or met “hundreds if not thousands” of relatives.

One sister of a killed American solder also described how Mr Bush “listened while I screamed at him and then held me as I sobbed”. 

Pushed on his comments during a round of talk radio interviews on Tuesday, Mr Trump refused to back down, urging reporters to ask the military about Mr Obama’s record.

He also said they should ask Mr Kelly - the former general now chief of staff to Mr Trump whose son died in Afghanistan - whether he got a call from Mr Obama.

Mr Trump did tone down his comments, saying: "I really speak for myself. I am not speaking for other people. I don't know what (George W.) Bush did. I don't know what Obama did.”

"I believe his policy was somewhat different than my policy. I can tell you, my policy is I have called every one of them."

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