Rep. Frederica Wilson calls Trump's Chief of Staff John Kelly a liar

A Florida congresswoman amped up a war of words with the White House on Friday, calling chief of staff John Kelly a liar.

Gen. Kelly had come to the defense of President Trump, who was accused by Rep. Frederica Wilson of being insensitive to a grieving military family during a phone call.

Kelly, whose own son was killed while serving in Afghanistan, said during a press conference on Thursday that Wilson is an "empty barrel" who "makes noise."

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Wilson criticized Trump again early Friday for his phone call to the pregnant widow of Green Beret Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed in action in Niger. However, she also took Kelly to task for claiming that he "secured the money" for the FBI building in Miramar.

Kelly had ripped the congresswoman for saying that she had been the one to get the money for the building, according to the Miami Herald. They had both attended a ceremony for the building in 2015.

The congresswoman criticized Kelly in comments to the Herald on Thursday, and addressed the feud again Friday morning.

"I feel sorry for Gen. Kelly," Wilson told CNN. "He has my sympathy for the loss of his son. But he can't just go on TV and lie on him."

Wilson was in the car with Johnson's family when Trump called on Tuesday. She said in an interview that Trump had told Johnson's widow that "you know that this could happen when you signed up for it ... but it still hurts."

Johnson's aunt said the family took that remark to be disrespectful.

"There's nothing to misinterpret," Rep. Wilson told CNN on Friday. "He said what he said, I just don't agree with it. I just don't think that's what you should say to grieving families."

With News Wire Services

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