CNN’s Jake Tapper spoke with Gold Star father Paul Monti, whose son, Medal of Honor recipient Army Sgt. Jared Monti, was killed by enemy fire in Afghanistan while attempting to save a fellow soldier.
“Politics has no place in the Gold Star community,” Monti told Tapper.
The interview took place shortly after President Trump’s chief of staff John Kelly’s comments during Thursday’s White House briefing, in which he defended Trump’s handling of the recent ambush attack in Niger that killed four US soldiers. Kelly also shared his own experiences of losing his son, Marine Lt. Robert Kelly.
Monti stated unequivocally to Tapper that when military families are mourning such a loss, the political impact is the furthest thing from their minds.
“Gold Star families do not want to be involved in politics,” Monti said. “That’s the last thing they want to get involved in. It’s not a political matter.”
Monti commented on the recent controversy surrounding the President by reflecting on his own loss, detailing how in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy there are prolonged periods of waiting to understand what happened and logistical delays for returning the body home.
“You’re not expecting a call from the President,” Monti said. “Nobody is expecting that kind of response from the White House. At the time when your child is killed, and the guys in uniform come to your house, you really go into a different world. You’re not expecting anything, you don’t know what to expect.”
