President Donald Trump‘s address to Congress took an emotional turn as he introduced the widow of a Navy SEAL killed last month in a raid in Yemen.
A teary-eyed Carryn Owens took deep breaths and wept as the joint chamber offered a long standing ovation in the memory of William “Ryan” Owens – something Trump later joked may have broken a record.
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Questions have been raised about the effectiveness of the operation that ended in a fierce firefight. In addition to Owens, 14 militants and several civilians were killed. But senior U.S. and military officials – including Trump – have insisted the raid was a success and that the military collected critical information, including computers, cellphones and other data.
Trump sought to rebut the notion the raid didn’t yield valuable information, saying he’d been reassured of that fact just before his speech by Defence Secretary James Mattis.
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“Ryan was a part of a highly successful raid that generated large amounts of vital intelligence that will lead to many more victories in the future against our enemies,” Trump said, quoting Mattis.
Trump noted Carryn Owen’s presence in the emotional high point of his speech, leading to a long standing ovation as Owens, visibly crying, held her hands together and looked up to the sky while mouthing “thank you.”
“Ryan died as he lived: a warrior, and a hero, battling against terrorism and securing our nation,” Trump said.
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Trump has said the raid gleaned “important intelligence that will assist the U.S. in preventing terrorism against its citizens and people around the world.”
Owen’s father, Bill, has called for an investigation into the raid’s planning and criticized the Trump administration for its timing.
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