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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump Made a Mess of His Trip to Visit Troops in Iraq
President Donald Trump had been scheduled to close out 2018 with a 16-day vacation at Mar-a-Lago, up from the 11 days he spent at the Winter White House to bring home his first year in office. But prior to Christmas, the president decided to shut down the government because Congress wont fund a border wall. The display of obstinance involved sticking around Washington for the holidays. Its a disgrace whats happening in this country, Trump told reporters at the White House on Christmas morning. But other than that, I wish everybody a merry Christmas.
On Christmas night, however, Trump and Melania took off for a surprise trip to Iraq, where the president visited with the active duty service members in a combat zone for the first time since taking office. Accompanying the trip was the requisite hype video, this one set to Lee Greenwoods God Bless the U.S.A.
Link to tweet
This being Trump, the trip overseas wasnt without a small flurry of controversies. Newsweek even pointed out that the hype video may have revealed the location of SEAL Team Five, a covert operations unit. In the video, Trump appears to be shaking hands with members of the unit, and a pool report notes that he took a picture with U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Kyu Lee, who identified himself as the units chaplain.
Operational security is the most important aspect of personnel deployments, former intelligence specialist Malcolm Nance told Newsweek. The real names, faces, and identities, of personnel involved in special operations or activities, are usually a closely held secret in a combat zone. Revealing them casually, through an unusual media exposure even if its the commander in chief, would prove a propaganda boom if any of this personnel are detained by a hostile government or captured by a terrorist group. There would be no denying who you are and what you do.
The video ends with some shots of Trump in a bomber jacket speaking to an assemblage of troops. This, too, wound up being problematic. Marred by partisan rhetoric and lies, the address was almost indistinguishable from one one he might give at a campaign rallies. The Democrats dont want to let us have strong borders, the president griped. He then trailed off, talking about how the troops he was addressing are modern-day warriors, before musing that the best way to get the wall would be to tell Democrats that he doesnt want it. I figured out the solution, he said. First Lady, tell Nancy Pelosi I dont want the wall.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-visit-troops-iraq-772783/
CatMor
(6,212 posts)to put it simply, he is such an asshole.
That's a lot more elegant than he would ever deserve...
CatMor
(6,212 posts)it drives me crazy that someone so incredibly stupid is living in the White House.
SammyWinstonJack
(44,129 posts)CatMor
(6,212 posts)YessirAtsaFact
(2,064 posts)No need to apologize
CatMor
(6,212 posts)gratuitous
(82,849 posts)This "surprise" visit was actually months in the making, according to White House sources. If so, then why did Trump previously schedule a 16 day "vacation" for the end of the year? Don't try to tell us that was a clever cover story to preserve the "surprise." Also, if it was months in the planning, why didn't the administration notify our military's Iraqi hosts? Instead, the Iraqis are rightfully pissed that Trump was using them as a campaign prop.
And on and on.
Cha
(296,878 posts)teamster633
(2,029 posts)...the Iraqis went to kick our troops out of the country. He really does have the shit-Midas touch.
SunSeeker
(51,522 posts)Sabah al Saadi, the leader of the Islah parliamentary bloc, called for an emergency session of parliament to discuss this blatant violation of Iraqs sovereignty and to stop these aggressive actions by Trump who should know his limits: The U.S. occupation of Iraq is over.
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142231267
Shitler could have smoothed things over by meeting with the Iraqi Prime Minister while there, but Ol' Cadet Bonespurs was too chickenshit to leave the air base, so the meeting never happened.
VOX
(22,976 posts)The entire Iraq junket was to distract 45s cult followers with tales of great victories in the East by righteous, red-blooded, Christian armies of light, led by their fearless, globalist-slaying Fuhrer.
Now, pardon me while I go outside and barf out my entire soul.
dixiegrrrrl
(60,010 posts)It is huge. bet he had a boner the whole time he was in it.
VOX
(22,976 posts)Old 45 has clearly been stress-eating, with the TV remote in one hand, and the other fist crammed into an endless box of Christmas bon-bons.
Blech.
LakeSuperiorView
(1,533 posts)Looked like an overweight toddler playing dressup.
doc03
(35,300 posts)of the law he broke. He made a partisan political ralley out of visiting the troops on public funds!
Hekate
(90,565 posts)doc03
(35,300 posts)In my opinion what he said to the troops is treason or something our military are not all white Republican men there are Democrats, Republicans, black, white, women and many Mexicans. His speech is something a dictator would do.
smirkymonkey
(63,221 posts)murielm99
(30,717 posts)He makes a mess of everything.
mnhtnbb
(31,374 posts)volstork
(5,399 posts)just fill in the blank with ANYthing this dude tries to do.
Stuart G
(38,414 posts)It isn't a partial mess, or 3/4 mess, a total mess ...... end of message...!!
Blue Owl
(50,291 posts)And the rest of us are left with the mess...
The Genealogist
(4,723 posts)And it is hard to find people to change is didie.
Vinca
(50,237 posts)It must have cost millions to cart his orange ass over there and back.
MsLeopard
(1,265 posts)NRaleighLiberal
(60,008 posts)Doodley
(9,048 posts)Stuart G
(38,414 posts)Ciaphas Cain
(124 posts)Other than him obviously being shaken up by the landing. I was amused by that.