Mayra Guillén, sister of Army soldier Vanessa Guillén, who was murdered in 2020, voiced her support for former President Donald Trump and rejected claims made by The Atlantic alleging that Trump had promised but failed to pay for her sister’s funeral expenses.
In a post on the social media platform X, Guillén condemned the use of her sister’s death for political purposes, stating, “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. President Donald Trump did nothing but show respect to my family & Vanessa. In fact, I voted for President Trump today.”
Vanessa Guillén, a 20-year-old Army private, was brutally murdered in 2020 by another soldier at Fort Hood, Texas. Her remains were discovered two months later, and her death led to national outrage and significant reforms in how the military addresses sexual harassment and assault.
In an article by The Atlantic’s Editor-in-Chief, Jeffrey Goldberg, it was alleged that Trump promised to cover Vanessa’s funeral costs but grew angry upon learning the bill was $60,000, reportedly saying, “It doesn’t cost $60,000 to bury a f‑‑‑‑‑‑ Mexican!” The article further claimed that Trump later told his chief of staff, Mark Meadows, not to pay the bill.
Mark Meadows publicly refuted the claims in The Atlantic’s unsourced article, stating, “I was in the discussions featured in The Atlantic’s latest hit piece against President Trump. Let me say this: Any suggestion that President Trump disparaged Ms. Guillén or refused to pay for her funeral expenses is absolutely false. He was nothing but kind and gracious and wanted to ensure the military and the U.S. government did right by Vanessa Guillén and her family,” he posted on X.
The Guillén family’s attorney, Natalie Khawam, was quoted in the article as saying she had sent the funeral bill to the White House but never received payment. However, Khawam later posted on X accusing Goldberg of misrepresenting their conversation, stating he “outright LIED in HIS sensational story” and had used her clients and Vanessa Guillén’s murder for “cheap political gain.”
Trump’s campaign also dismissed the report as “absolutely false.” Adviser Alex Pfeiffer said, “President Donald Trump has spent his life caring for America’s military heroes. There has been no greater advocate for our brave military men and women than Donald J. Trump.”
As the controversy unfolds with both sides disputing the details, Mayra Guillén continues to stand by Trump, stressing the respect he showed her family.
