Donald Trump has drawn criticism for mocking a grieving widow whose husband was killed at one of his rallies. In a leaked audio recording from a dinner with donors in Colorado, the former president is heard making light of the woman’s sorrow after her husband was shot by a would-be assassin.
According to the recording, Trump quipped about presenting the widow with a check, joking that some of the donors’ wives in the room would have gladly traded their husbands for money. “We handed her the check – and she said, ‘This is so nice, and I appreciate it, but I’d much rather have my husband.’ Now, I know some of the women in this room wouldn’t say the same,” Trump said, as the audience laughed, reported The Guardian.
The comments were reportedly in reference to the widow of Corey Comperatore, a 50-year-old retired firefighter who was fatally shot at a July 13 rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump had made a similar joke at an August 1 rally in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, where he again joked about how some wives might prefer money over their husbands, to the laughter of the crowd.
In the leaked recording, Trump also recalled how members of his Mar-a-Lago resort contributed financially to the families of Comperatore and two other supporters who were wounded in the attack. “They gave me a check for a million dollars – that’s a lot of money,” Trump said. He added that a GoFundMe campaign raised over $6 million for the victims.
The former president’s remarks came at a fundraiser in Aspen on August 10, hosted by investors John and Amy Phelan. Among those in attendance were casino mogul Steve Wynn, billionaire businessman Thomas Peterffy, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, and Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert. Trump flew to the event on a private jet once owned by the late sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.
During his speech, Trump warned his supporters about the future of the country, stating, “Look, we gotta win and if we don’t win this country’s going to hell. There’s an expression, this could be the last election we ever have, and I really believe that.”
Trump also took aim at Vice President Kamala Harris, expressing concerns over her potential to become president, saying, “She wants to be president very badly… She’s supposed to be horrible at debating, although she’s nasty, and she’s supposed to be really bad at interviews. She can’t do an interview.”
The leaked audio has sparked backlash for its tone, with critics accusing Trump of insensitivity toward the grieving families.
