Former President Donald Trump promised a Gold Star parent that during his “first week” in office, he would establish a “commission” to find answers regarding his son’s death.
During his town hall event in Pennsylvania on Monday, Charles and Mary Strange, who lost their son Navy Petty Officer First Class Michael Strange on August 6, 2011, asked Trump for a “congressional hearing” regarding their son’s death, noting that they “still haven’t gotten any answers.”
Michael Strange was killed along with “29 other” U.S. service members and “eight Afghan security forces,” during a mission “southwest” of Kabul, Afghanistan, after “Taliban fighters shot down their helicopter,” according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The outlet noted that Michael Strange had been “part of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit responsible for killing Osama bin Laden”:
Michael was a cryptologist and part of the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit responsible for killing Osama bin Laden. At his core, though, we has a Wissinoming native, a graduate of North Catholic High School, and a “Philly boy” through-and-through.
“In the first week — not the first day, I’ve made a lot of promises in the first day,” Trump said. “We’re going to drill, baby, drill, we’re going to close up the border, we’re going to do a lot in the first day. In the first week, we will set up a commission — we’re going to find out.”
Trump’s comments came after Charles Strange asked for a “congressional hearing” regarding getting answers on their son’s death in Afghanistan.
“I would ask Mr. President, my son was killed August 6, 2011, with 29 other men,” Charles Strange said. “It was the biggest loss of life in the Iraq and Afghan war … 22 of them men were Navy Special Warfare. To this day, we still haven’t gotten any answers — I was wondering, I’m begging you — we would like a congressional hearing.”
Trump said the the Gold Star couple, “So many people in your same position — they want to know what happened: Why did it happen to their son or daughter. And, we’re going to do that within the first week. So, you get ready to come over to the White House.”
“We’re going to find out what happened,” Trump added. “We’re going to do that within the first week — you have my word.”
