President Trump claimed Wednesday it was U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s idea to surprise a U.K. family with the opportunity to meet the U.S. woman who killed their son.
“I spoke with Boris. He asked me if I’d do that. I did it,” Trump told reporters Wednesday. “I offered to bring the person in question in, and they weren’t ready for it. But I did offer.”
A spokesperson for Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn said during their White House visit Tuesday they were “ambushed” by the “bombshell” that Anne Sacoolas — the U.S. diplomat’s wife who fatally killed their son in a car accident and later fled the U.K. claiming diplomatic immunity — was in the building and was available for them to meet in front of a pool of reporters.
While the Dunn family had said previously they wanted to meet with Ms. Sacoolas in person on their terms, including that it occur “only on British soil,” Mr. Trump claimed the family “wanted to meet with her” but then backed out at the last minute.
“Unfortunately, when we had everybody together, they decided not to meet,” he said. “Perhaps they had lawyers involved by that time, I don’t know exactly. I know the people were lovely,” he continued.
Mr. Trump “expressed condolences on behalf of our country” and called the “beautiful” meeting “very sad.”
He also said Anne Sacoolas, who killed Dunn while driving the wrong way down an English street is something “that happens.”
“You go to Europe and the roads are opposite,” he said. “And it’s very tough if you are from the United States, you do make that decision to make a right turn when you are supposed to make a left turn. That happens to a lot of people, by the way. She says that’s what happened,”
Ms. Sacoolas’s lawyer told The Sun she wanted to handle the matter “privately,” but “accepted the invitation to the White House with the hope that the family would meet,” adding she “was disappointed” when they didn’t.
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