>> i've written them personal letters. they've been sent, or they're going out tonight, but they were written during the weekend. >> reporter: but then, he said this -- >> the traditional way, if you look at president obama, and other presidents, most of them didn't make calls. a lot of them didn't make calls. i like to call when it's appropriate, when i think i'm able to do it. >> reporter: he tried to walk it back. >> president obama, i think, probably did sometimes and maybe sometimes he didn't. i don't know. that's what i was told. all i can do -- all i can do is ask my generals. >> reporter: but the backlash was immediate. president obama's attorney general tweeted, "stop the damn lying, you're the president." an aide to president george w. bush said he "called and/or met privately with hundreds if not thousands" of grieving families. and some gold star families, going public with their outrage, too. this mom tweeting, "trump does not speak for me and did not speak for my son. he is an embarrassment." white house press secretary