Yet another scandal surrounding former President Donald Trump has gotten the most unlikely support from one surprising figure: Mayra Guillén, sister of the late Army Specialist Vanessa Guillén. In the whirlwind of controversies-from accusations that Trump is a monster to her sister, to mismanaging funeral expenses of the family for her-the praise she has heaped on the former president has become highly debated.
Background on Vanessa Guillén
Vanessa Guillén was an Army specialist at Fort Hood, in Texas. She was murdered in April 2020 by a fellow soldier. Her death called out a number of systemic issues in the military relating to sexual harassment and violence that infuriated the public and spurred lawmakers to act. Legislation later named the “I am Vanessa Guillén Act” is a reform in sexual harassment processed through military chains of command-in memory of her and an assurance from the family that such tragedies will not happen again.
Shortly after Vanessa’s death, the Guillén family met with Donald Trump in their quest for justice and support. Trump had issued condolences at the time and offered to assist with funeral arrangements, which were later reported to be partially covered by the military, as well as donations from the community.
The controversy
An article published by The Atlantic recently claimed that Trump had made remarks that Vanessa’s funeral expenses were too high and cited that he once became angry over a $60,000 bill. Trump was alleged to have said: “It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a f—ing Mexican!” But the assertions were received with furious denials from Trump’s camp, which labeled them “absolutely false.”
To this, Mayra Guillén shot back that she was furious about what she felt was political gain on the back of her sister’s death. Taking to social media, she said, “President Donald Trump did nothing but show respect to my family & Vanessa. In fact,. I voted for President Trump today.” Her comments are underlined by a deep-seated belief that the narrative surrounding her sister’s death is being manipulated for partisan purposes.
Mayra’s account and defense of Trump
The reason behind Mayra’s defense of Trump has roots in what happened to her during one of the most trying and traumatic times of her life. She has publicly come out with claims that Trump treated her family with dignity and respect whenever he spoke to them. She reinforced that what had been alleged against him was not only upsetting but disrespectful toward her sister’s memory and the work they did in military policy.
In response to the claims from The Atlantic, she said, “It’s unbelievable that anybody would politicize my sister’s life in this manner.” Mayra added that, instead of focusing on political rhetoric, the actual reforms enacted by the “I Am Vanessa Guillen Act” are what change the game in protecting service members from harassment and maintaining accountability through the military ranks.
The consequences of political narratives
Mayra’s words underscore a larger question about the ways in which individual tragedies are hijacked into political narratives of one kind or another. Events that get media coverage really seem to impact how people interpret something, especially if celebrities or any other influential figures are involved. Based on this, Mayra’s declaration for Trump being spoken is almost a counter-narrative to what she understands as a possible smear campaign against Trump’s actions with regard to her sister’s funeral and legacy.
Moreover, her support of Trump raises questions of loyalty and perspective in families torn asunder by tragedy. Whereas many would assume that any family would be in opposition and thus align with the narratives of political critique after incidents of this sort, Mayra’s position shows that individual experiences can lead to a variety of understandings of events.
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