The odd detail on Donald Trump’s personal cheque to dead soldier’s family
The family of a fallen US soldier has received a US$25,000 (AU$32,000) personal cheque from President Donald Trump a week after media reported that the money hadn’t arrived.
Chris Baldridge and his wife, Jessie, said that Trump had promised a cheque in a phone call after their son Sergeant Dillon Baldridge, 22, was killed in a Taliban attack in Afghanistan in June.
However, it wasn’t until a Washington Post article reported that the promise was still unfulfilled that White House officials announced the cheque was in the mail.
And sure enough, the cheque is dated October 18 – the same day the Post article came out.
“The cheque has been in the pipeline since the President’s initial call with the father. The President has personally followed up several times to ensure that the cheque was being sent. As stated earlier, the cheque has been sent,” White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said last week.
“It’s disgusting that the media is taking something that should be recognised as a generous and sincere gesture, made privately by the President, and using it to advance the media’s biased agenda.”
EXCLUSIVE: NC #GoldStar family receives $25,000 personal check, months after condolence call from @POTUS @realDonaldTrump. @ABC11_WTVD @ABC pic.twitter.com/eTUxCCgYMY
— Jonah Kaplan (@KaplanABC11) October 23, 2017
Trump made the offer to the family after Mr Baldridge told the president that only his ex-wife would receive money from the Pentagon’s US$100,000 (AU$128,000) death gratuity.
“He said, ‘I’m going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,’ and I was just floored,” Mr Baldridge told The Washington Post.
“I could not believe he was saying that, and I wish I had it recorded because the man did say this. He said, ‘No other president has ever done something like this,’ but he said, ‘I’m going to do it.’”
“We just thought he was saying something nice,” Mr Baldridge’s wife Jessie Baldridge told ABC11.
“We got a condolence letter from him and there was no cheque, and we kind of joked about it,” she said.
According WTVD, the personal cheque also came with a letter from the president that read:
“Dear Christopher,
I am glad my legal counsel has been able to finally approve this contribution to you. Enclosed is a check for $25,000 — I hope this will make things a bit easier, but nothing will ever replace your son, Dillon. He was an American hero.
Sincerely, Donald Trump”
In letter to Baldridge family, shared only w/ @ABC11_WTVD, @realDonaldTrump says "I hope this will make things a bit easier." @ABCWorldNews pic.twitter.com/MFu2DpGlQK
— Jonah Kaplan (@KaplanABC11) October 23, 2017
Mrs Baldridge told ABC11 that they were incredibly grateful to receive the money.
“I’m still speechless,” Mrs Baldridge said. “We are so moved and grateful, and we promise to use the money to honour Dillon’s legacy.”
The Baldridge family said they intend to use the money to start a non-profit organisation in Dillon’s name with the intention of helping as many of their fellow Americans as possible.
Two other soldier also died in the same attack but it is unknown if their families would also be receiving money from the president.