‘The Atlantic’ Published A Hit Piece That Listed Sources Refute

The Atlantic published an explosive article alleging that Trump expressed he needed the kind of generals Hitler had as well as refusing to pay for the funeral costs of a slain Hispanic soldier while making loaded racial remarks.

Breitbart News reports:

The outlet’s new report claimed that Trump had offered to help Guillen’s mother out with the costs of the funeral, but then eight months later during a December 4, 2020, Oval Office meeting, had asked about the costs. The Atlantic claimed, citing “attendees” and “contemporaneous notes” of the meeting taken by “a participant,” that an aide told Trump the funeral cost $60,000, to which the outlet claimed that Trump “became angry” and said, “It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a fucking Mexican!” and turned to his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, and issued an order: “Don’t pay it!” The outlet claimed that Trump later in the day — according to a “witness” said, “Fucking people, trying to rip me off.”

No one has been able to verify these claims, and the contrary, people mentioned in the article vehemently deny them.

Those in attendance at the meetings in question insist that Trump showed nothing but kindness and compassion to the Guillen family.

Vanessa Guillen’s sister responded to the article saying, “Wow. I don’t appreciate how you are exploiting my sister’s death for politics – hurtful & disrespectful to the important changes she made for service members. President Donald Trump did nothing but show respect to my family & Vanessa. In fact, I voted for President Trump today.”

She later added, “I am beyond grateful for all the support President Donald Trump showed our family during a trying time. I witnessed firsthand how President Trump honors our nation’s heroes’ service. We are grateful for everything he has done and continues to do to support our troops.”

Mark Meadows clarified, “I was in the discussions featured in the Atlantic’s latest hit piece against President Trump. Let me say this. Any suggestion that President Trump disparaged Ms. Guillen or refused to pay for her funeral expenses is absolutely false. He was nothing but kind, gracious, and wanted to make sure that the military and the U.S. government did right by Vanessa Guillen and her family.”

The Guillen family’s lawyer wrote, “After having dealt with hundreds of reporters in my legal career, this is unfortunately the first time I have to go on record and call out Jeffrey Goldberg@the Atlantic: not only did he misrepresent our conversation but he outright LIED in HIS sensational story. More importantly, he used and exploited my clients, and Vanessa Guillen’s murder… for cheap political gain. I would like to also point out that the timing of this “story” is quite suspicious, as this supposed conversation that Trump had would have occurred over 4 years ago! Why a story about it now?! As everyone knows, not only did Trump support our military, he also invited my clients to the Oval Office and supported the I Am Vanessa Guillen bill too. I’m grateful we were successful in getting bipartisan support of the I Am Vanessa Guillen Act, and because of everyone’s hard work and efforts our service members now have more protections and rights while serving our country.”

Breitbart News continues:

The Atlantic is the same outlet that published the anonymous report claiming that Trump had called fallen World War II veterans “suckers and losers.” The outlet then, as now, did not name any sources. In fact, the reporter behind the new report, Jeffrey Goldberg, was the same reporter behind the “suckers and losers” report.

CNN’s newly re-hired Brian Stelter shared the article, emphasizing a quote from General John Kelly — who was fired by the former president — saying that “many, many people [had] heard him say these things” referring to him denigrating service members as well as admiring Hitler. Many found the timing of these claims suspicious.

The story, its lack of credibility and its circulation among establishment media may explain declining public trust in traditional news. Once-trusted publications seem to be frantically abandoning journalistic standards in pursuit of desired political outcomes, contributing to the collapse of vital American institutions.