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Family Responds To The Atlantic Reporter After Story

Family Responds To The Atlantic Reporter After Story

Jeffrey Goldberg, the editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, faced sharp backlash this week after publishing an article claiming that former President Donald Trump made disparaging remarks about the late Army Specialist Vanessa Guillén, whose death in 2020 shook the nation. In the article, Goldberg alleged that Trump not only refused to cover Guillén’s funeral expenses as he had promised but also made an offensive comment about the cost. This account was swiftly refuted by multiple sources, including Guillén’s family, who have publicly voiced their dismay at the article’s portrayal of the events.

Mayra Guillén, Vanessa’s sister, took to social media to express her anger, stating that her sister’s tragic death should not be politicized. In an X-post, she called Goldberg’s article “hurtful” and “disrespectful,” adding, “President Donald Trump did nothing but show respect to my family & Vanessa. In fact, I voted for President Trump today.” Her clear rejection of the story undermined Goldberg’s narrative and cast doubt on the authenticity of his reporting.

The crux of Goldberg’s article is a reported conversation from a December 2020 national security meeting, in which Trump allegedly asked about a bill for Guillén’s funeral. According to Goldberg, Trump reacted angrily to the cost, saying, “It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a f**king Mexican!” and ordered his staff not to pay it. However, this account has been flatly denied by key figures involved, including Trump’s former Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, who called the story “absolutely false” and emphasized Trump’s respect for the Guillén family.

Adding fuel to the controversy, Goldberg’s piece also drew parallels to a previous 2020 article in which he claimed Trump referred to American soldiers killed in battle as “losers” and “suckers” during a canceled visit to Belleau Wood, a World War I cemetery in France. That article was similarly criticized, with officials who were present at the time explaining that poor weather had grounded helicopters, preventing the visit—not any disrespect from Trump.

Ben Williamson, a senior staffer to Meadows, also chimed in, accusing Goldberg of distorting his statement to fit the narrative. Williamson clarified that although he provided a statement at Meadows’ direction, Goldberg twisted his words to insinuate that Meadows confirmed the offensive comments, despite Meadows being out of earshot at the time of the alleged remarks.

Even the family’s attorney, Natalie Khawam, who helped pass the bipartisan “I Am Vanessa Guillén Act” to protect service members, pushed back against Goldberg’s reporting. Khawam stressed that Trump supported the Guillén family, invited them to the Oval Office, and showed nothing but concern and kindness toward them. She described Goldberg’s article as an attempt to exploit the tragedy for “cheap political gain.”

Theo Wold, a former Deputy Assistant to Trump who was present at the Guillén family meeting, corroborated the family’s account and stated that Trump met with them privately, genuinely concerned about the tragedy. He echoed Mayra Guillén’s sentiment, calling the article a “lie” and describing Trump’s respectful and caring demeanor during the meeting.

The timing of the article has also been called into question, with many wondering why a story about a supposed conversation from over four years ago is being pushed now. Critics, including those from Trump’s camp, see this as yet another example of political hit pieces timed for maximum damage in the run-up to the election.

Written by Mark Stevens - October 23, 2024