by Sharelle Burt
October 24, 2024
How could he say something like that?
A new report claims former President Donald Trump made a racist comment about American soldier Vanessa Guillén after having to pay for her funeral costs following her murder, according to NBC News.
Atlantic Magazine issued a report claiming that during Trump’s White House term, he complained about the $60,000 cost of Guillén’s funeral after he promised her family he would foot the bill in July 2020. Unidentified sources said notes from a meeting just five months later, in December 2020, highlighted the former president’s annoyance after being told what the price tag was. “It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a f—ing Mexican!” he allegedly said at the time.
After his response, he told former chief of staff Mark Meadows not to pay for it. Guillén’s family attorney, Natalie Khawam, mentioned that the bill was sent to Trump, but funds were never received. Some of the funeral expenses were paid for by the U.S. Army and generous donations.
Guillén’s death made headlines after she was brutally murdered in 2020 by a fellow soldier while stationed at the Fort Hood Army post, now known as Fort Cavazos, in Texas. For two months, the soldier was missing before her body was found. According to The Guardian, Guillén was killed at the hands of Aaron Robinson, who killed himself after he was propositioned by law enforcement. His girlfriend, Cecily Aguilar, received 30 years behind bars for her role in the murder after pleading guilty to one count of accessory to murder and three counts of false statement or representation.
Public protests and outcry were led by the League of United Latin American Citizens and the nation’s oldest Latino civil rights group.
While the Hispanic community has expressed outrage over Trump’s alleged comments, not all feel that way, including Guillén’s own sister, Mayra. She pushed back on the Atlantic’s story and defended Trump on X. “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,” she wrote.
“President Donald Trump did nothing but show respect to my family & Vanessa. In fact, I voted for President Trump today.”
Khawam also condemned the story and celebrated Trump and his administration for his support. “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,” she said.
“More importantly, he used and exploited my clients and Vanessa Guillen’s murder … for cheap political gain. 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.”
While a statement from Trump’s campaign spokesman Alex Pfeiffer described the indicted businessman as spending his “life caring for America’s military heroes,” the light shed on his history with the Hispanic community looks tarnished. In 2015, Trump said immigrants from Mexico were rapists, criminals, and drug dealers. He even questioned the judicial ability of the U.S. District Judge Gonzalo Curiel due to his Mexican ancestry.
However, a recent poll revealed that 40% of registered Spanish voters admit their support of Trump. However, 54% want to see Vice President Kamala Harris in the White House.
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