TEXAS, USA — The sister of murdered Fort Cavazos soldier Vanessa Guillén is speaking out after a report from The Atlantic claims that Donald Trump disrespected the family and tried to go back on his word after offering to assist with her funeral expenses.
According to The Atlantic report, then-President Trump invited the Guillén family to the White House after her body was found in 2020 and offered to help pay for her funeral.
The report claims that later that year, during an Oval Office meeting, Trump reportedly became angry when told the funeral would cost $60,000, telling staff not to pay it, according to attendees of the meeting, who were not identified.
An unnamed witness reportedly said Trump accused the family of trying to "rip him off," according to The Atlantic.
Later in the article, a spokesperson for Trump reportedly told The Atlantic that the alleged conversation and Trump's remarks never happened, and that the story was an "outrageous lie", saying Trump had offered to personally pay for the funeral, and pushed for the Department of Defense to designate Vanessa Guillén's death as "in the line of duty", qualifying her for full military honors and giving her family access to benefits and financial assistance.
Mayra Guillén, Vanessa Guillen's sister, responded to the article on social media, accusing The Atlantic of "exploiting her sister's death for politics".
"Wow. I don’t appreciate how you are exploiting my sister’s death for politics- hurtful & disrespectful to the important changes she made for service members," Mayra Guillén said. "President Donald Trump did nothing but show respect to my family & Vanessa. In fact, I voted for President Trump today."
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Vanessa Guillén was murdered in April 2020 by a fellow soldier at Fort Cavazos. Her remains were found in June 2020.
The man accused of killing her reportedly escaped authorities while under military surveillance and shot himself the next day. An accomplice was sentenced to 30 years in prison for accessory to murder in 2023.
Vanessa Guillén was laid to rest in a private funeral in Houston on Aug. 15, 2020.
The 'I am Vanessa Guillen' Act, which included sweeping changes to the way the military handles sexual assault and harassment cases, was signed into law by President Joe Biden in December 2021.