'The cheque's in the mail', Donald Trump tells father of slain US soldier

The grief-stricken father of a US serviceman killed in Afghanistan has claimed President Trump reneged on a promise to send him a personal cheque for $25,000 after calling to offer his condolences.

Four months after the president made the offer in a telephone call to Chris Baldridge, the father of slain US Army corporal Dillon Baldridge, the money had still not materialised.

Finally last night, the White House confirmed that the cheque was in the mail to the Baldridge family - sent on the same day the Washington Post disclosed that Mr Trump appeared to have failed to follow through with his pledge.

Political analysts speculated today that the only reason the cash was sent was because the media drew attention to the president’s unfulfilled gesture.

But White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters immediately went on the offensive.

"The cheque has been sent," she insisted. "It's disgusting that the media is taking something that should be recognised as a generous and sincere gesture, made privately by the President, and using it to advance the media's biased agenda."

The row blew up just a day after Mr Trump was accused of telling the grieving widow of another US military hero killed while serving his country that her husband "knew what he signed up for, but I guess it still hurt."

Defending his own delay in reaching out to the families of four soldiers killed in Niger, Mr Trump has also suggested he was the only president to make personal calls to the loved ones of soldiers who have fallen while on duty.

Mr Baldridge, a construction worker, told the Post that Mr Trump called him at his home in Zebulon, North Carolina, in June, a few weeks after his 22-year-old son and two other soldiers were gunned down by an Afghan police officer.

"He said, ‘I’m going to write you a check out of my personal account for $25,000,’ and I was just floored," said Mr Baldridge.

"I could not believe he was saying that, and I wish I had it recorded because the man did say this. He said, ‘No other president has ever done something like this,’ but he said, ‘I’m going to do it.’"

Mr Baldridge claimed the President also said he would direct his staff to launch an online fund-raiser for the family, but that never happened either.

All he received was a letter of condolence, said the father.

"I opened it up and read it, and I was hoping to see a cheque in there, to be honest," said Mr Baldridge. "I know it was kind of far-fetched thinking. But I was like, ‘Damn, no cheque.’ Just a letter saying ‘I’m sorry.’"

The White House was insistent today that the cheque had been in the pipeline since the president’s conversation and that Mr Trump had "personally followed up several times to ensure that the cheque was being sent.’"

The President himself claimed he had not been "insensitive" to the widow of Sgt. La David Johnson, who was killed earlier this month in Niger, by saying he "knew what he signed up for."

The allegation was made by Congresswoman Frederica Wilson, who overheard the 15-minute call between Mr Trump and six-months-pregnant Myeshia Johnson.

But the President said last night: "I didn't say what that congresswoman said. Didn't say it at all. She knows it. And she now is not saying it. I did not say what she said."

Mr Trump also posted in a tweet that Congresswoman Wilson had "totally fabricated" what happened and that he had "proof."

He didn’t say what the proof was.