it says ladavid johnson. so i thought from the beginning, there's no hesitation. one of the great memories of all time. no hesitation. i think she's a fantastic woman.

this young man, ladavid johnson. some issues surrounding why he was separated, et cetera, so let's deal with that. for the commander in chief who i think made a call with good intentions, but we know trump is inartful in his speech. it's awful. i think he echoed what general kelly told him and he just parodied it and got it wrong and offended the family. it hasn't helped the white house at all. >> i want to ask you about your reaction to two former presidents speaking out on the same day this week. i'm curious, jonathan, if you were surprised certainly by president bush coming out so forcefully. >> i was a little bit surprised because he's been pretty quiet since, you know, since he left office. but there was no subtlety to these remarks even though he didn't mention president trump by name. the most important part of them i think is when he said that if the -- basically if people at the top act like bullies, that sends a message to families and to children across america. what the president does, the way he comports

and what happened to sergeants ladavid johnson? two weeks after that deadly ambush, sarah sanders was expected to have some details. she didn't. >> is the president satisfied he's learned everything he wanted to know about this situation itself in niger. >> i believe they're still looking into the details of that, but i don't think the president can ever be satisfied when there's loss of life from men and women in uniform. >> and the questions continued, including whether the niger operation is looking anything like benghazi. >> she says that is the president's benghazi. what say you about that? >> i'm not going to get into the details of that action at this time. >> this comes as cnn is learning a private contractor called barry aviation was used to evacuate the troops after the ambush. we start with barbara at the pentagon. at this point with the deadliest combat loss in the trump administration so far, what do we know? >> good evening. tonight we don't know a lot more than we knew two weeks ago when it all unfolded and that is m

the mother of sergeant ladavid johnson has backed a democratic congresswoman's claim that mr. trump displayed in sensitivity towards the soldiers pregnant wife when he found to offered his condolences. the president has flatly denied the claim. our north american correspondent reports. reporter: an all-too-familiar picture, the return of a fallen hero, the brief of a family that will never be the same again. sergeant ladavid johnson was killed, along with three other soldiers, in an ambush in niger two weeks ago. but his family and local congresswoman say the president disrespected his memory in a phone call just before the body arrived back home. >> i was in the car when president trump called. he never said the word hero. he said to the wife, i guess he knew what he was getting into. how insensitive can you be? reporter: what's more, according to the congresswoman, the call left the widow in tears as the president did not seem to know her husband's name. in characteristic style, donald trump responded on twitter. "democratic congresswoman totally fabricated what i said to th

here's a picture of ladavid johnson. this morning his wife talked emotionally on "good morning america" saying president trump couldn't even remember her husband's name when he called to offer his condolences. now the president is firing back on twitter. abc's lana zach reports. >> reporter: she buried her husband, sergeant ladavid johnson over the weekend with a final kiss, final good-bye. today she spoke exculusively to "good morning america" about the man she loved and the call from the president that created a political firestorm. >> i was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said it. he couldn't remember my husband's name. and that was hurting me the most because if my husband is out here fighting for our country, and he risks his life for our country, why can't you remember his name? >> reporter: president trump is disputing that on twitter writing "i had a very respectful conversation with the widow of sergeant la david johnson and spoke his name from the beginning without hesitation." mrs. johnson says

sergeant ladavid johnson's widow kissing the casket. their two young children there as well. sergeant johnson, one of four u.s. soldiers killed in niger october 4th. >> we have conflicting stories. we want to get the full, accurate story and get it right. >> reporter: republican lawmakers say they're not getting a clear picture of what actually happened. >> we don't know exactly where we're at in the world militarily, and what we're doing. i didn't know there was 1,000 troops in niger. >> reporter: reports that the mission was seen as routine. the risk so low, the soldiers did not use armored vehicles or have a drone overhead. months before this attack, the military's africa command warned congress of about rising threats. and complained about the lack of helicopters and drones. and 20 to 30% of its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance needs were being met. "this limits situational understanding, support to operations, and fails to offer threat indications and warnings." >> mr. president, did you authorize the mission in niger? >> thank you all very much. >> reporter

sergeant ladavid johnson was one of four servicemen killed in niger by islamist militants earlier this's some of what general kelly said: i was stunned when i came to work yesterday morning, and brokenhearted at what i saw a member of congress doing. the member of congress who listened in on a phone call from the president of the united states to a young wife. who, in his way, tried to express an opinion "here's a brave man, a fallen hero. he knew he was getting himself into because he enlisted. there was no reason to, yet he enlisted. it was where he wanted to be, exactly where he wanted to be with exactly the people he wanted to be with when his life was taken." that was the message. that was the message that was transmitted. it stuns me that a member of congress would have listened in on that conversation. absolutely stuns me. and i thought at least that was sacred. john kelly had lost his own son in afghanistan to our north american editor was in the briefing room when he spoke. he explained to my call and a colleague that the politicised atmosphere the chief of staff found himself

, wife of ladavid johnson, deceased. one of four troops that died in niger earlier this month. about an hour after that interview, the president treated "i had a very respectful conversation with the widow of sergeant ladavid johnson and spoke his name from the beginning without hesitation." john roberts is live on the north lane. a difference in memory on that matter. >> certainly. what makes this painful for the widow, myeshia johnson, is the fact that her husband, sergeant ladavid johnson was missing in niger for 48 hours, raising a lot of questions as to how did he get separated, why did it take so long to find him. a national security forces have told me his beacon was pinging the entire time. so still a lot of answers that mrs. johnson does not have to that. we have now heard from the member of congress, frederica wilson about her recollection of that phone call, the aunt that raised sergeant johnson and now his widow all saying the same thing. one of the things that she was particularly upset about, as you heard h

she knows it. >> reporter: myesha johnson, wind of staff sergeant ladavid widow of staff sergeant ladavid johnson, grieved over her husband's casket yesterday as it arrived home from niger. she also received a call from the president. congresswoman frederica wilson listened in. >> he never said the word "hero." he said to the wife, "well, i guess he knew what he was getting into." how insensitive can you be? >> reporter: sergeant johnson's mother confirmed the congresswoman's account to the "washington post." white house press secretary sarah huckabee sanders said she did not have a recording of the conversation but did not specifically deny congresswoman wilson's charges. sanders did question the congresswoman's motives. a i think it is appalling what the congresswoman has done and wae way that she's politicized this issue and the way that she is trying to make this about something that it isn't. >> reporter: the president said nothing about the military deaths until he was asked dnday, 12 days after the soldiers were killed. in his answer he implied other presidents did less. >> most of

some clarification to what became of sergeant ladavid johnson. his widow has been in a back and forth with the white house hover the phone call from the president of the united states. suffice it to say, his body was recovered two days later. but again, local tribesmen were the ones that gave over his body to u.s. authorities. the window, you might recall, earlier today was angry because authorities were not allowing her to see her husband's body. general dunford making it very clear that at times arrangements are made that it might not be wise to see them. but it's their call. we have our panel here with us. colonel, what do you make of that? you heard the final question about whether this is another benghazi. to me, the timeline doesn't add up and the commitment in a region of the world we weren't in. we discovered 800 troops were there. what do you make of this? >> the general made it clear, neil, we have 6,000 troops in africa, 53 different countries. we have engagements from somalia to nigerian. isis has to go somewhere. we fought them in li

sergeant brian black, staff sergeant jeremiah johnson, staff sergeant dustin right, and sergeant ladavid johnson. johnson's body was reportedly left behind for 48 hours before it was recovered. as his body was being returned to dover air force base, president trump was golfing. in somalia, rescue operations are ongoing in mogadishu after two massive truck bombs exploded in quick succession, killing at least 300 people, wounding more than 300 others. the disaster is now being referred to as the mogadishu massacre and some are calling at the 9/11 of the somali people. we will have more on the bombings after headlines. back in the united states at fort bragg, north carolina, army sergeant bowe bergdahl pleaded guilty in a military court monday to charges of desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. bergdahl spent five years in taliban captivity until the obama administration negotiated his release in 2014 in exchange for five prisoners held at guantanamo. bergdahl has said he walked off his post in an attempt to reach another u.s. base and report wrongdoing in his unit. bergdahl and his lawyers h

it says ladavid johnson. so i thought from the beginning, there's no hesitation. one of the great memories of all time. no hesitation. i think she's a fantastic woman. i was extremely nice to her, extremely respectful. >> what the president was talking about, when you make the calls, he does have an informational card in front of him that gives him points about the person who he is calling, points about the person that is deceased. the president saying again, shep, this afternoon that these are the most difficult calls to make. they're very difficult calls for the family to field as well. we heard about what john kelly said. the family is looking for re-assurance from the people that their deceased loved one was in the field with but the. does feel compelled to make the calls. the one thing i should have asked him, does he intend to make more calls. we'll save that for next time. shep? >> shepard: thanks, john. now back to tension between the president and a couple members of his party. a day after announcing his decision not to run for re-election. jeff flake say

was stunned by the criticism of the president's phone call to comfort the family of a sergeant ladavid johnson, who died while serving in niger. and this video is trending on bbc.com...it‘s the moment when three of europe's leading politicians decided to make their conversation a little less public. both the french president and german chancellor decided to keep their advice to the british prime minister private. what they actually said on their way into an eu summit in brussels is still a mystery. and the top story here in the uk...as the number of recorded crimes in england and wales rises sharply, norfolk police say they're getting rid of all of their police community support officers and closing down seven police stations. nissan's production in japan nissan's production injapan comes toa nissan's production injapan comes to a screeching halt as it admits to production goblins. and the end of an era as the last card to be manufactured in australia rolls off the assembly line. —— last car. yet more trouble for corporate japan. its second—largest carmaker, nissan, says it plans to suspend do

her husband ladavid johnson was one of four killed in combat in niger. president ease call had been a source of controversy for a week. yesterday she said it brought her to tears. >> it made me cry because i was very angry at the tone of his voice and how he said he could not remember my husband 's name, only way he remembered my husband name because he told me, he had my husband report in front of him and that is what he actually said ladavid. i heard him stumbling trying to remember my husband's name. >> the president refutes her claims tweeting i had a very respectful conversation with the widow of sergeant ladavid johnson and spoke his name from beginning without hesitation. >>> time 4:49. lets get to delaware, new castle county, police officers doing their part to help soldiers returning from war. news journal of wilmington reported new castle county police department will form a veterans response team to ensure officers are trained to help out veterans if they are having a mental crisis. the teen will be a compliment to the already crisis intervent

sergeant ladavid johnson was killed in the african nation of niger on october 4th. following the disappearance the president tweeted that his conversation was respectful, and that he spoke sergeant johnson's name, without hesitation. >> i remember him stumbling trying to remember my husband 's name and that hurt me the most because if my husband is out there fighting for our country, and he risk his life for our country, why can't you remember his name? >> the 25 year-old widow confirmed that president trump set her husband ladavid johnson knew what he signed up for, she also complained that she has not been allowed to see her husband's body and has been told nothing about his death. >>> philadelphia archbishop charles chaput took to the streets of center city to bring attention to the pro life movement. archbishop led 40 days for life, prayer vigil in front of the planned parenthood on 11th and locust streets. the focus of today's gathering was to address abortion issues in local communities. archbishop says that every state of human life need to be supported. >> ev

four special on soldiers were killed and president trump spoke with myesha johnson the wife of ladavid johnson seen sobbing over her husband's casket. she was with myesha on the way to the airport to receive his remains and heard part of the conversation on speaker phone when president trump told the grieving window he knows what he signed up for and it hurts any way. >> that is not a good message to say to anyone that lost a child at war, you don't sign up because you think are you going to die. you sign up to serve your country. >> it stuns me that a member of congress would have listened in on that conversation. >> the chief of staff who also listened in never denied wilson's account only that he counciled trump on what to say base ond what he was told when his son robert was killed in afghanistan in 2010. >> my best friend told me, he knew what he was getting into when he joined that 1%. that is what the president tried to say to four families the other day. >> president trump has gone on record saying that congresswoman wilson fabricated the story and never said that but even sergeant joh

the body of 25-year-old ladavid johnson. sergeant ladavid johnson, on its way to the burial ground, after a funeral taking place in his hometown of cooper city at the christ rock church. he's a father of two. father of a 2-year-old and a 6-year-old. now being laid to rest. at any moment when they do reach that burial ground. all right, is elena and nathan gonzalez, thank you so much, appreciate it. >>> all right, coming up, a sobering warning from a top republican. >> the war is headed to africa. it's beginning to morph as we suppress the enemy in the mideast. they're going to move. they're not going to quit. >> details on the latest u.s. effort to combat the expanding global terror network. hey, you every talk to anybody about your money? yeah, i got some financial guidance a while ago. how'd that go? he kept spelling my name with an 'i' but it's bryan with a 'y.' yeah, since birth. that drives me crazy. yes. it's on all your email. yes. they should know this? yeah. the guy was my brother-in-law. that's ridiculous. well, i

soldiers killed in action earlier this month including sergeant ladavid johnson. johnson's wife took the call on the way to the airport to receive his body. congresswoman wilson was in the car with johnson's widow when the widow got the call. >> he said to the wife, well, i guess he knew what he was getting into. how insensitive can you be. >> reporter: the president denies he said that. >> didn't say what that congresswoman said. didn't say it at all. she knows it. >> reporter: sergeant johnson's family told the "washington post" that congresswoman wilson's account is accurate. >> this man is a sick man. he is cold-hearted and he feels no pity or sympathy for anyone. >> reporter: president trump doubled down tuesday on his statement that previous administrations did not call gold star families after their loved ones were killed in action. and he pointed to his own chief of staff as evidence. >> i mean, could you ask general kelly, did he get a call from obama? you could ask other people. i don't know what obama's policy was. >> reporter: white house records show

. >> the remains of ladavid johnson arrived yesterday in miami and his widow wept over his casket and moments earlier, the president spoke with her over the phone. according to a democratic ng johnson that her husband, quote, knew what he signed up for but it hurts anyway. >> yeah, he said that. you know, to me, that is something that you can say in a conversation, but you shouldn't say that to a grieving widow, and everyone knows when you go to war you could possibly not come back alive. but you don't remind a grieving widow of that. it's so insensitive. so insensitive. he should not have said that, and as he shouldn't have said it. >> the white house has only said that conversations with the families of the fallen are private. you recall the president said some of his predecessors didn't call the families of fallen service members which was not the reality. that congresswoman is a harsh, harsh critic of the president. and these phone calls are not something that you can necessarily practice when you're phone call was five minutes long, and the woman coming forward talking about the

sargeant ladavid johnson of four soldiers killed in africa last week. congresswoman fredricka wilson was with johnson's widow yesterday when his remains arrived in miami. wilson said she overheard the conversation between the president and johnson's widow and was shocked by something the president said. >> sarcastically he said, but you know he must have known what he signed up for. everyone knows when you go to war you could possibly not come back alive, but you don't remind a grieving widow of that. that's so insensitive. >> when asked about congresswoman wilson's characterization of that call a white house official says, quote, the president's conversations with the families of american heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice are, of course, private. >>> a federal court has blocked president trump's latest travel ban. it was supposed to take effect today. now, people will rally against it outside of the white house today. it's called the no bust muslim rally. >>> today is the start of a new season for the washington wizards. the team has high exp

the aunt that was the woman who brought up sergeant ladavid johnson after his mother died was critical of it as well saying she agreed with the congresswoman and the president was insensitive in his remarks. sarah huckabee sanders for the first time addressed that this afternoon. let's listen here. >> if the spirit of which those comments were intended were misunderstood, that's very unfortunate. as the president has said, as general kelly said who i think has a very deep understanding of what that individual would be going through, his comments were very sympathetic, very respectful and that was the spirit in which the president intended them. if they were taken another way, that is unfortunate. >> one thing the white house has stopped doing, trace is arguing the did not say what it's alleged he said in the telephone. they're saying his remarks about the fact that johnson knew what he was getting into and kelly went through all that yesterday. may have been misconstrued. sarah huckabee sanders saying today that she's surprised this thing is still going. we should point out discrepancy

sergeant ladavid johnson was killed in an isis ambush in west africa.ar-old along with three other u.s. service members were killed earlier this month in niger. today in johnson's home state of florida, strangers and veterans came to pay their respects. >> everybody is just crying again. he was very respectful. ery helpful. kimberly: the ambush still under investigation including how johnson got separated from away. and the fallen hero also leaves behind two children. in ocean city today, dozens gathered along the beach to remember the maryland police and correctional officers who died in the line of duty. prince george's county police tweeted these photos at the law enforcement memorial. a beautiful day to remember those lives lost there. on this sunny saturday. threatening words now. from attorney general jeff sessions to criminals. spoke at the major city's chiefs association fall meeting in philadelphia. about initiatives to reduce violent crime. >> our goal is not to fill up the courts or just fill up prisons. our goal is not to manage crime or mer

sargeant ladavid johnson was one of four soldiers killed in africa last week. congresswoman fredricka wilson was with johnson's widow when his body arrived in miami yesterday. wilson said she overheard the conversation between the president and johnson's widow and was shocked by something the president said. >> sarcastically he said, but you know he must have known what he signed up for. everyone knows when you go to war you could possibly not come back alive, but you don't that's so insensitive. >> she said she did not hear the entire conversation and when asked about congresswoman wilson's characterization of that call, the white house responded the president's conversations with families of american heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice are private. >>> well, it happened again. a federal court has blocked president trump's latest travel band. it was supposed to take effect today and while the band will not be in place for now, people will still rally against it outside of the white house today. it is being called the no muslim ban ever rally. people wi

president trump for what she said was an insensitive condolence call to the widow of sergeant ladavid johnson, who was killed in action in niger. kelly called her an empty barrel and claimed she talked only about herself when he saw her at a 2015 dedication of an f.b.i. building in florida. >> she just called up president obama and on that phone call, he gave the money, the $20 million to build the building, and she sat down. and we were stunned. >> reporter: wilson responded today. >> i was not even in congress in 2009 when the money for the building was secured. so that's a lie. how dare he. >> reporter: wilson's version appears to be supported by video of the speech posted today by the "florida sun sentinel". wilson did that day tell about leading the effort to get the building named for two f.b.i. agents who had been killed in the line of duty. >> we're going to get this done! >> reporter: but she spent the bulk of that speech praising the two fallen agents. >> place their names and pictures high where the world will know that we are proud of their sacrifice. >> reporter: today, we asked

the conversation on speakerphone in which president trump told the grieving widow of sergeant ladavid johnson, quote, he knew what he signed up for, but when it happens it hurts anyway. >> you heard that? >> yeah, he said that. everyone knows when you go to war, you could possibly not come back alive, but you don't remind a grieving widow of that. that's so insensitive. so insensitive. >> reporter: wilson was with johnson as she got the call on the way to the airport to receive her husband's remains. mother two of, six months pregnant with their third captured clinging to her husband's casket. sergeant johnson along with three other green berets were killed during an isis raid in ni go e rerks. >> reporter: and the mother is corroborating congresswoman wilson's story. she told the washington post, quote, president trump did disrespect my son and my daughter, and also me and my husband. abc news, washington. >>> new this morning, a woman was killed in a house fire in oakland overnight. the oakland fire department says the fire started just after 11:00 last night at a home not far from the gran

the fourth, of sergeant ladavid johnson, two days later. the u.s. has about 800 troops deployed in niger, training and supporting local forces who are mttling islamic militants. debora patta has more on this. debora what do we know about the region where the u.s. troopers were ambushed? >> reporter: this is one of the most remote and lawless regions in the world right now. there are more than a dozen extremist groups operating along the border between niger and mali, but they have loose and shifting alliances. essentially, they're a mix of al qaeda, isis, and even criminals. this is also a major hub for the trafficking of weapons and arms, ead there is absolutely no government control here. so it would have been dangerous for u.s. troops. >> mason: why, debora, would u.s. and nigerian troops stopped er this village, tongo tongo, to re-supply? >> reporter: this is one of the biggest unanswered questions we have. this village in the border region where isis has been recruiting recently so the presence of u.s. soldiers would have attracted immediate at

sergeant ladavid johnson was separated from the group and his body recovered 48 hours later by nigeriances. s litary investigators andgresaw asking whether this was a failure of intelligence or areparation. white house spokesperson sarah sanders. t we're going to make sure that we get full and adequate answers str not just the american people but for the families of those that were lost. >> reporter: 800 u.s. troops are i niger to advise and assist dvcal forces in their fight against terrorism. >> americans aren't doing the actual fighting unless it's self-defense, and in this instance to me, clearly, it was lelf-defense. >> reporter: lisa williams served as ambassador to niger igring the obama administration. >> it's important because niger can create a bulwark. it can be... we can... if we can help them stop terrorism there, then we are less to worry about on the homefront. >> reporter: cbs news spoke with ermily member of one of the injured u.s. soldiers. he's a staff sergeant with seven deployments, and he's back at fort bragg recovering from a bullet wound to his elbow. meanwhile,

staff sergeants dustin wright, jeremiah johnson, bryan black, and sergeant ladavid johnson. on friday, defense secretary james mattis met with arizona senator john mccain. the chairman of the armed services committee threatened to issue subpoenas to get more details about that october 4 attack. the fallout has rattled the military, congress and the country. but it was the president's calls and what he said that ignited a national debate. florida democratic congresswoman frederica wilson said she heard the president tell the widow of one of the soldiers who was killed that, quote, her husband knew what he signed up for, but i guess it still hurts. end quote. mr. trump denied saying that and his chief of staff, john kelly, a retired marine general whose son was killed in afghanistan seven years ago, defended the president. >> he called four people the other day and expressed his condolences in the best way that he could. and he said to me, what do i say? i said to him, sir, there's nothing you can do to lighten the burden on these families. >> hours later, president trump atta

was stunned by the criticism of the president's phone call to comfort the family of a sergeant ladavid johnson bbc.com... it's the moment when three of europe's leading politicians decided to make their conversation a little less public. both the french president and german chancellor decided to keep their advice to the british prime minister private. what they actually said on their way into an eu summit in brussels is still a mystery.

this evening the body of one of the green berets, sergeant ladavid johnson was flown to miami.ergeant johnson was 25. he leaves a pregnant wife and two children. wr holly williams was one of n e few western journalists to witness the celebration yesterday as u.s.-backed forces pushed the last isis fighters from raqqa. today the militias declared victory in the city isis considered its capital. holly reports it came at a terrible price. >> reporter: we walked into the heart of raqqa today, once the slide of the so-called islamic state. now reclaimed after a four-month battle by these u.s.-backed fighters, who took us to al naim circle. it's a place where isis showcased its brutality. this photo of a jihadi's young ran captures their depravity. what isis did here in al naim wrcle was designed to izrrorize, not just the people here in raqqa who witnessed it er person, but anywhere where people saw the photos and the videos on the internet. to get rid of the extremists, they've destroyed the city, leaving hardly a building unscathed. u.s. coalition air strikes have flattened many o

sergeant ladavid johnson was one of four servicemen killed in niger by islamist militants earlier this donald tusk has said there's no space for the eu to get involved in mediation over catalonia. he was speaking on the first day of an eu summit, and said the crisis over the region's bid for independence would not be widely discussed by european leaders. the men's magazine playboy is to feature it's first ever transgender centrefold. ines rau is a french model who first appeared in the magazine three years ago but will now be the centerfold for the first time. she will appear in the november issue, which pays tribute to the magazine founder hugh hefner, who died last month. the charity unicef is warning that 12,000 rohingya children are at grave risk after fleeing myanmar for bangladesh. more than half a million rohingyas have arrived in bangladesh since august alone and now face food shortages and the threat of disease. clive myrie reports from the kutupalong refugee camp in bangladesh. you may find some of the images distressing. every breath is a struggle for mohammad ibrahim. six m

sergeant ladavid johnson was one of four servicemen killed in niger by islamist militants earlier this council president donald tusk has said there's no space for the eu to get involved in mediation over catalonia. he was speaking on the first day of an eu summit, and said the crisis over the region's bid for independence would not be widely discussed by european leaders. two former us presidents have made veiled criticisms of the trump presidency. fellow republican george w bush has condemned what he calls the "bullying and prejudice" in today's american public life. though mr bush didn't mention his successor by name, he said that civic values were forgotten. and speaking at a rally in virginia to support a democratic party candidate for governor, president trump's predecessor barack 0bama took aim at what he described as the fear and bitterness that marked the 2016 presidential election campaign. and so the question, now, at a time when politics just seems so divided and so angry and so nasty, is whether — whether we can regain that spirit, whether we can support and embrace somebod

but sergeant ladavid johnson was still missing. >> i want to know why it took d.em 48 hours to find my husband. my reporter: johnson's widow teshia told abc today that she still has not been told where her husband's body was found and why she wasn't allowed to open knocasket. e, i know my husband's body from head to toe, and they won't let me see anything. i don't know what's in that box. it could be empty for all i know. ti there are times when we make a suggestion to the family that they may not want to review the remains. at the end of the day, the policy is it's the family's decision as to whether or not they do that. >> reporter: dunford promised ilansparency and said investigators are still working to gather answers for the families and for members of congress. evme key lawmakers said they weren't even aware that the u.s. had 800 service members stationed in niger until after this happened, anthony. >> mason: nancy cordes. thanks, nancy. espor garrett has been looking into the white house response to this. >> reporter: myeshia johnson spoke for the first time about the call she r

etvestigators are still trying to determine how or when sergeant ladavid johnson, an army mechanic, goted from the 11 other u.s. troops. un's also unknown whether he was alive when the wounded troops were evacuated. his body was recovered two days later. on the morning of october 4th, the soldiers were on a joint patrol with 30 nigerian earces near the village of tongo tongo where they had just met with elders and loaded up with supplies. they were at the end of a 24-hour mission when the attack began, an hour into the fight, the patrol called for help, and french forces arrived 30 minutes later. the military soon declared a dust one or duty status whereabouts unknown for sergeant johnson. a request was made the chairman of the joint chiefs, joseph dunford, for more u.s. personnel. u.s. commandos based in the sgion were launched. >> at that point, knowing that we had a missing soldier, we made a decision to make sure that all of the resources including national assets were available for the recovery of that operation. >> reporter: it is still unclear eaether the attack was pre- planned,

army special forces sergeant ladavid johnson, 25, was from miami gardens, florida.was killed along with three green berets. two other soldiers were wounded. the americans were ambushed on wednesday during a counterterrorism patrol in niger. al-qaeda is suspected but other militant groups operate in the area. a major political crisis is unfolding in spain. the catalonia region in northeast spain is expected to declare independence this week following a vote last weekend. many catalans complained that they give a lot more to the spanish government than they receive in return. seth doane is in the regional capital, barcelona. >> viva espana. >> reporter: those who opposed last week's vote found their voice today. chanting "viva espana," hundreds of thousands poured on to spain's streets calling for unity. many of the people in this crowd here are telling us that their voices were not heard during that october 1st referendum. these people are marching here in barcelona in favor of catalonia remaining part of spain. >> we are spanish, we are catalans but also spanish. >>

i'm saying a final farewell to a fallen hero funeral services will be held forearm it sargent ladavid johnson, one of the four americans killed this month and the services will be held in cooper city, florida. wilson leaves behind a child, two children, a wife and another child arriving in january. and in other news the preliminary damage estimate on the wildfires in california are topping a billion dollars and that figure is expected to go up as crews come through the devastation. the fires killing at least 42 people and destroying more than 8,000 buildings. some people now returning home for the first time since the fires broke out just two weeks ago. i'm in washington now back to bulls & bears of course for all your headlines log on to fox news.com. >> we did not find clear evidence that secretary clinton or her colleagues intended to violate laws governing the handling of classified information, there is evidence that they were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive highly classified information. we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these f

army sergeant ladavid johnson returned home. the soldier with the's let u.s. army special force, one of four who died nearly two weeks ago in niger. only an hour before president trump calling her offering condolences but according to democratic representative fredricka wilson, in that call the president told the grief-stricken johnson he knew what he signed up for but when it happens it hurts anyway. >> so insensitive. >> reporter: wilson only heard parts of the more than five-minute call. >> you don't say that he is the president of the united states. this is a soldier who gave his life. >> reporter: according to the white house the president's conversations with the families of american heroes who have made the ultimate sacrifice are private. but the new controversy coming after the president defended his claim that other presidents including president obama did not ever personally call grieving families of fallen soldiers. >> i mean, you could ask general kelly, did he get a call from obama? >> reporter: kelly doesn't talk about his son's death and wouldn'

was stunned by the criticism of the president's phone call to comfort the family of a sergeant ladavid johnson, who died while serving in niger. and this video is trending on bbc.com... it's the moment when three of europe's leading politicians decided to make their conversation a little less public. both the french president and german chancellor decided to keep their advice to the british prime minister private. what they actually said on their way into an eu summit in brussels is still a mystery. welcome to hardtalk, i'm stephen sackur. in 17 months‘ time, britain — barring a sensational political u—turn — will be out of the european union, but on what terms? how will post—brexit britain relate to the club it has just quit, and the rest of the world? these are questions that theresa may's government is struggling to answer, but they are no less difficult for the opposition labour party. my guest today is labour's shadow foreign secretary, emily thornberry. what would the opposition do about brexit? emily thornberry, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. you have slammed theresa may and her govern

loved one say their final good bye to suggested ladavid johnson one of the four soldiers killed in the african country of niger. family and friends honored sergeant johnson being laid to rest in hollywood, florida yesterday. his death was at the center of the phone call controversy last week between president trump and a florida congress woman. meantime fbi has joined the investigation into how those soldiers were killed on october 4th, and they also want to know why johnson's body was found almost a mile away from the ambush side and how he became separated from his comrades. >>> well, we may soon have new information, about the 1963 assassination of president john f. kennedy. president trump tweeted yesterday that he is planning to authorize the release of governmental documents that could shed new light on the crime, correspondent kim hutchinson has more. >> reporter: president donald trump tweeted saturday he is planning to authorize release of classified documents that could reveal new details of the assassination of the president john f. kennedy. included in the release will be d

. >> come on we have to stop this a day after the feud are funeral, for sergeant ladavid johnson the president and his florida congress woman continue to criticize, one another. the guy the funeral goes on. um-hmm. the president pushing back against the south florida democrat tweeting that wilson is quote unquote a disaster for her party. wilson firing back, saying serviceman's death in niger will haunt the trump administration, the situation creating a political fire storm and embarrassment to the country in the wake of johnson 's funeral. >> i think this is going to be this administration's benghazi this is going to be trump's benghazi. trump's niger. they need to concentrate on what happening what happened, and is what happening. >> this is obviously a unfortunate situation. we need to unite behind our gold star families to embrace them with compassion and with support not drag them in partisan politics. sadly this is a bit symptomatic with what is afflicting our country. >> well, sergeant johnson was one of the four service members killed in an ambush attack earlier this month by

trump tried to convey to the young widow of sergeant ladavid johnson, one of those killed in niger. wilson said she was in the car when the president called the widow and was offended by mr. trump's suggestion that the 25-year-old soldier, quote, knew what he signed up for. mr. trump denied saying that. >> there's no perfect way to make that phone call. >> reporter: kelly and other white house staff were in the room when the president made the call. congresswoman wilson responded harshly, telling politico, john kelly's trying to keep his job. he will say anything. kelly did acknowledge that he told president trump that president obama did not call him after his son died, but he said he did not mean that as a criticism of mr. obama. >> thanks, chip. defense secretary james mattis says the mission in niger that ended in the deaths of the four u.s. army sergeants is still under investigation. jeremiah johnson, bryan black, dustin wright and ladavid johnson were not expecting enemy contact when they were attacked earlier this month. the americans were ambushed by a group of about 50 fig

sergeant ladavid johnson was one of four soldiers killed on patrol in niger more than two weeks ago. they were told no enemy contact expected. but the group about 40 in all were attacked by militants who the pentagon now believes are part of an offshoot of isis. >> the patrol that was attacked last week had actually done 29 patrols without contact over the previous six months or so. no indication that this was going to occur. >> their attackers were described as well trained and well organized. and with no armed overcraft overhead to call on for air strikes against their attacker, the green berets were attacked. the first aircraft to arrive were french mir and jets. >> they were able to have close air support overhead about 30 minutes after contact. >> but it was too rate flate fo sergeants were were mortally wounded. sergeant johnson was also killed. his wife is expecting their third child. president trump called his widow myisha johnson as she was on his way to retrieve his body. >> i heard him say, well, he knew what he was signing up for. >> sergeant johnson's mother confirm also

president tomorrow and monday. >> arthel: and mourners are paying respect in florida for sergeant ladavid johnsonled in an isis ambush earlier this month three other u.s. troops, who also died in the attack, were recognized at the service. their portraits went up bess iet johnson's and we thank them all for paying the ultimate sacrifice for our country. >> eric: republican lawmakers are pushing to overhaul the tax system. they are trying to get it done by the end of the year. senate majority leader mitch mcconnell saying that the g.o.p. has "a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to change the failing tax code." garrett, what does the path look like to try to achieve what the republican party wants to do? >> some are suggesting that it could happen by thanksgiving. this next week, house republicans are expected to release their proposed tax reform bill after the house approved the budget that the senate just passed. that will include a lot of key details, what cutoffs there are, incentives for retirement savings, and tax credits will be includ included. that will also be the area of debate in the weeks

. >> kelly defending the president's call to the widow of ladavid johnson. >> if you elect a call like this it is about the most difficult you could imagine. >> accused the president of disrespecting johnson. >> it stuns me a member of could would get in on that conversation. absolutely stuns me. >> he said when his own son was killed president obama didn't call. >> it was not a criticism. it was just to simply say i don't believe president obama called. that's not a negative thing. >> he recalls how his best friend -- >> he was doing exactly what he wanted to do when he was killed. he knew what he was getting into. >> that's the message trump tried to convey to johnson's family. >> and in his way try today express that opinion -- tried to express that opinion. he is a brave man, a fallen hero. he knew what he was getting himself into because he enlisted. >> even though the words reported by the congresswoman were totally fabricated. trump criticized past families for not calling the families of the fallen. it comes as two of those are speaking out each using public appearances to tyke