The big news during the government shutdown was that President Trump had to cancel his vacation at Mar-A-Lago. The spin regarding his tweets and the calls to children on Christmas Eve was something to behold. Then everything went silent. Until today when Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted that the Trumps had snuck into Iraq to visit our troops.
President Trump used the cover of the partial government shutdown to slip off to visit US troops in Iraq.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump met with military personnel on Wednesday at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq, according to photos from Reuters.
His whereabouts sparked speculation about what Trump was up to because he hadn’t tweeted in more than 17 hours, no press aides were in the media office and lights were turned off on the second floor where White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has her office.
President Trump and the First Lady traveled to Iraq late on Christmas night to visit with our troops and Senior Military leadership to thank them for their service, their success, and their sacrifice and to wish them a Merry Christmas. pic.twitter.com/s2hntnRwpw
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) December 26, 2018
Mystery solved!
Does that mean that Trump will pull troops out of Iraq? Not so fast.
I think it’s pretty cool that this was able to happen. The logistics of such an endeavor of getting a President and First Lady into what is essentially a war zone is quite something to pull off … AND keep it secret. Just as the media was caught off guard when President Bush snuck into Iraq to visit the troops in 2003, they were caught off guard now. Bet that really chaps their hide that folks in the Trump Administration kept this secret.
They spent all day yesterday yelling into Twitter that Trump was the first President to NOT visit any troops since 2002.
shot. shot. chaser pic.twitter.com/cF8yIZIKRS
— siraj hashmi (@SirajAHashmi) December 26, 2018
The media wants to have it all ways.
Trump is terrible because he hasn’t been to Iraq. And now he’s terrible because he has. https://t.co/dDCz5q1yiG
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) December 26, 2018
Of course, others are stampeding to the point that he went to Iraq ONLY to change up the Trump government shutdown BAD! news cycle. You know what? They can just shut it.
The president and first lady spent about three hours on the ground at Al Asad, which is the main U.S. military base in western Iraq’s Anbar Province — the birthplace of the Islamic State. During his time at the base, the president met with troops and senior military commanders and made remarks to troops gathered on site.
Where ABC News whiffed on this story is by stating that Melania Trump was the first First Lady to visit a war zone. Problem is, she isn’t and ABC shouldn’t known that. Laura Bush visited Afghanistan three times, Barbara Bush went to Iraq, Hillary went to Bosnia (but managed to escape sniper fire *eyeroll), and so on.
The media and Trump critics are now mad that their narrative regarding Trump dissing the military just got shot down in flames.
.@FLOTUS Melania and I were honored to visit our incredible troops at Al Asad Air Base in Iraq. GOD BLESS THE U.S.A.! pic.twitter.com/rDlhITDvm1
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 26, 2018
I imagine for all our troops at Al Asad Air Base, a visit from President and Mrs. Trump was one of the major highlights of their day.
To all our troops here at home and abroad, we applaud you and we are so grateful for all you do to keep us safe.
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Feature Photo: Sarah Sanders Twitter, cropped
Whitehall says: I think the catch phrase to give to the media is “Talk to the hand.”
I have no use for most of them most of the time and consider the MSM a failed institution with negative civil contribution.
Good leaders know it is their privilege and duty to share with those on the front lines. Trump is a GREAT leader.
Born Free says: POTUS needs to get some smile-strengthening coaching from FLOTUS, but aside from that, how was your day, Mrs. Clinton?
GWB says: Laura Bush visited Afghanistan three times, Barbara Bush went to Iraq, Hillary went to Bosnia (but managed to escape sniper fire *eyeroll)
Well, Bosnia was not a “war zone”. It was a “conflict” zone (for pay and medal purposes). But, it wasn’t a war. We were told so incessantly while there (along with “we have no enemies in Bosnia” *eyeroll* ).
And the only thing I can find on Barbara Bush visiting troops is in Saudi Arabia, a couple of months before we kicked off Desert Storm. So, arguably, not yet a “war zone”.
But, yeah, not the first.
(Actually, you could argue Mrs Lincoln was the first. I didn’t investigate Martha Washington in that regard.)
John says: Notice the race and gender of the people in the pic.
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