Washington Post editorial board: Kelly owes Dem rep an apology

The Washington Post’s editorial board is calling on White House chief of staff John Kelly to apologize to Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-Fla.) after he mischaracterized her remarks from a 2015 event, calling her an “empty barrel” at a press briefing this week.

“White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly owes Rep. Frederica S. Wilson (D-Fla.) an apology. That is the only conclusion that can be drawn after watching a video of the representative’s remarks at the dedication of an FBI building in Miramar, Fla., in 2015,” the board wrote on Friday. 

“It is unfortunate that the sacrifice of brave people such as these two agents or the four soldiers killed in Niger can get overwhelmed by the petty name-calling of politics. That is a point Mr. Kelly was trying to make Thursday, and that he undercut with his misrepresentation of Ms. Wilson. He needs to set the record straight.”

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The editorial comes as Trump officials find themselves in a war of words with Wilson, who claimed this week that Trump told the widow of Army Sgt. La David Johnson, one of the four soldiers killed in Niger this month, that he “knew what he signed up for … but when it happens it hurts anyway.”

Kelly, who is himself a Gold Star father, condemned Wilson’s remarks, saying he was “stunned” she spoke publicly about the call. 

However, Kelly said during the White House press briefing on Thursday that Wilson took credit for securing the funding for a building dedicated to fallen FBI agents in Florida in 2015.

Video published Friday by the Sun Sentinel of south Florida showed Wilson spent several minutes claiming credit for legislation that named the building for two slain FBI agents, but she made no mention of winning funding for it.

The White House on Friday stood by Kelly’s criticism of Wilson’s 2015 speech despite the video showing he misrepresented her remarks.

“Gen. Kelly said he was ‘stunned’ that Rep. Wilson made comments at a building dedication honoring slain FBI agents about her own actions in Congress, including lobbying former President Obama on legislation,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.