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Frederica Wilson Mad at Notion She Misinterpreted Trump: 'This Is Not a Question to Ask Me'

October 20, 2017

Democratic Rep. Frederica Wilson (Fla.) was pushed by CNN's Alisyn Camerota on whether she misinterpreted President Donald Trump's intentions during his phone call to a Gold Star family, but the congresswoman pushed back, saying it "is not a question to ask me."

Camerota initiated the exchange on Friday by asking how the disagreement over Trump's call with Sgt. La David Johnson's widow will end.

"How does this end? Is it time for you all to get on a phone conversation? Is it time for you to speak to the president directly?" Camerota asked.

"If he wants to help us, I sent something to him with the Congressional Black Caucus, it's called the Commission of the Social Status of Black Men and Boys. It would help us if he made that a law and established that commission in the White House. That would help our entire community," Wilson responded.

"How about Congresswoman, from your end? Are you willing to allow today that it's possible that you misinterpreted what the president's intentions were in that phone call to Sergeant Johnson's wife?

"There's nothing to misinterpret. He said what he said. I just don't agree with it. I don't agree with that is what you should say to grieving families," Wilson said.

The answer didn't satisfy Camerota given that White House Chief of Staff John Kelly and others have pointed out the congresswoman could have interpreted the president's words differently than he intended.

"But in terms of his intention not being callous and maybe he got the tone wrong, but that you misinterpreted his intention or his callousness?"

"I think my intentions are not important in this today. This has to do with the family that's grieving. It's their intentions. They were hurt. This is not a question to ask me because I can only imagine how she [Johnson's widow] feels," Wilson said.

"So let's get to the real basis of why everyone is so upset and everyone is so grief-stricken," Wilson continued. "It has absolutely nothing to do with the phone call. It has a lot to do with what we're talking about now."

While Wilson said it has "nothing to do with the phone call," the reason she has conducted numerous interviews this week has been because she criticized Trump during the phone call. White House Chief of Staff John Kelly said during a press briefing on Thursday he was "stunned" and "brokenhearted" by the congresswomen's reaction to the president's phone call to Johnson's widow, and her efforts to politicize it. He said the president's intentions were genuine, but immediately following Kelly's remarks, the congresswoman said the retired Marine was "trying to keep his job" and would "say anything."

While the congresswoman has maintained her intention is not to "politicize" anything, she has routinely brought up her political projects during interviews. Wilson has also called it "phenomenal" how she's now a "rock star" for her feud with the White House over Trump's conversation with a military widow.