Trump makes surprise visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Washington Post

BAGRAM AIR BASE, Afghanistan — President Trump visited Afghanistan for the first time on Thursday, delivering Thanksgiving greetings to U.S. troops deployed here in America’s longest-running war. Making an unannounced trip, Trump touched down at Bagram air base — the primary hub for U.S. air operations located outside the Afghan capital of Kabul — after secretly departing Florida in the dark of night.

This is the president’s second visit to a combat zone; he visited troops in Iraq the day after Christmas in 2018. Vice President Pence made a surprise trip last week to Al Asad air base in Iraq, where he served turkey and greeted troops. Trump has long wanted to draw down forces in Afghanistan and his visit here comes as the Afghan government, together with a foreign force of around 15,000 U.S. and NATO troops, is locked in an extended stalemate with the Taliban.

The Trump administration appeared to be on the brink of striking a deal to jumpstart the peace process in September, when the president extended and then canceled an invitation for Taliban representatives to Camp David to cement an agreement to reduce U.S. forces. Trump has repeatedly questioned why the United States has kept troops in Afghanistan after nearly two decades of fighting, billions of dollars in aid, and more than 2,000 U.S. military lives have failed to transform the country.

Nineteen U.S. service members have been killed this year in Afghanistan by hostile forces, an increase from 2018.Trump campaigned in 2016 on withdrawing the United States from foreign wars, but in 2017, he agreed to authorize an increase in U.S. forces as part of a major strategy overhaul of the war. The president’s patience appears to have been wearing thin, however.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-makes-surprise-visit-to-us-troops-in-afghanistan/2019/11/28/7fe71f2a-11e8-11ea-bf62-eadd5d11f559_story.html

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Original article -

Trump makes surprise visit to U.S. troops in Afghanistan, his first trip to that country

By Washington Post Staff
November 28, 2019 at 1:58 p.m. EST

President Trump visited Bagram air base in Afghanistan on Thursday, delivering Thanksgiving greetings to U.S. troops deployed there in America’s longest-running war.

Trump has long wanted to draw down forces in Afghanistan, and his visit comes as the Afghan government, together with a foreign force of around 15,000 U.S. and NATO troops, is locked in an extended stalemate with the Taliban.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/national/wp/2019/11/28/trump-makes-surprise-visit-to-u-s-troops-in-afghanistan-his-first-trip-to-that-country/

[rzemanfl]

1. Pulling every distraction he can think of. n/t

[DENVERPOPS]

38. LOL

"after secretly departing Florida in the dark of night................."

How do you keep "secret" the largest and most iconic aircraft in the world leaving an airport and keep it secret???????

They have to shut down all airspace for a large radius, the aircraft prep would show alot of prep work, the plane doing its taxi, and then taking off......

If we are lucky, maybe he will "secretly depart" and go to Russia to attend a "Hero's Welcome" given by Putin...........

I'm sure Air Force One will look great, quickly repainted with White, Blue and Red stripes.................

[badhair77]

2. Color me stunned.

I just said to my husband trump was too much of a coward to go to a war zone to see troops. I still think it’s a campaign move. He could care less about those troops.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. It is a campaign move

With all the rancor surrounding the Seal pardons and Spencer penning a nasty Op Ed, a big distraction was needed to establish some military "cred".

[irisblue]

8. What the 2 of you said

[pazzyanne]

45. Believe the same as the three of you!

It was a tRump vanity move 100%!

[True Blue American]

53. To bad mouth

Obama! Slimy piece of, uh,well, you know.

[dhol82]

28. Must have heard that it was totally safe to go there at this particular moment.

Only way he would have been there.
Asshole.

[DENVERPOPS]

39. I am more

I am more than sure that the entire military between here and there were not just on standby, but activated and that there were probably more fighter escorts than you could count...........

[PatSeg]

36. Oh definitely a campaign move

Trump does not care about anyone, but Trump and never has. He certainly doesn't care about the troops.

Meanwhile, I'm quite sure he was scared shitless and couldn't wait to get out of there.

[Scarsdale]

3. It took him three years?

He must have run out of other tricks to take attention off the impeachment. Why not, after all golf is out of the question in this weather we are having. Did he take a plastic turkey like Dubya did, or was Ivanka too busy to go?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

6. I saw what you did there.

Plastic turkey = Ivanka

[greatauntoftriplets]

10. Exactly.

He's such a chickenshit.

[Brother Buzz]

13. It took him three years to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

[DENVERPOPS]

40. He loves taking his daughter

He loves taking his daughter everywhere instead of his wife. That way Ivanka can appear to be presidential material while he drools/slobbers all over her. Trump and his daughter's physical contact, (even in public) makes me totally nauseated.......I would NEVER put my hands on my daughter the way he does with her........( or even think of doing it for that matter)

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

5. How much do you want to bet he was talked into it by his staff

after much haranguing, and went very reluctantly - he's on record as saying he's afraid to go to those places because he fears people want to kill him. Which is probably true.

[Scarsdale]

19. He does not need to go thousands of miles away

to find people who want to kill him! He just went to make the troops miserable. He has done so much damage in the USA he is now exporting misery. Did he piss and moan about the impeachment "hoax", I wonder? I can not think of anyone I would rather NEVER see in person than this orange waste of space.

[pazzyanne]

46. Spot on!

And I'm still LOL at your post!

[jmbar2]

7. Where is the Taleban when you need them?

[captain queeg]

9. Not particularly brave to make a stop at Bagram.

It’s a city size fortified zone. He’ll make a quick stop and go somewhere plush for the night.

[DENVERPOPS]

41. Last time

Last time, he "cherryied" out quickly, got back on Air Force One, took off and immediately started tweeting (on his un-secure cell phone) pictures of all the faces of the SEALS present at the gathering for all the world to see. His lack of intelligence and fore thought caused the end of all those SEALS careers, thx to their photos being broadcast all over the world.

Just another photo op to show the world how great he is, but truly showing off his maniacal, self agrandizing, Narcistic pea sized brain.........

[DENVERPOPS]

48. He probably

On the way home, he probably will have the captain of Air Force One make an out of the way stop at his golf course in Scotland to refuel for the kerosene guzzling trip back home and he and the entire crew, along with all the secret service detail will rest up for a few days in the executive suites at his resort hotel....

Fucking grifter's gotta grift. He doesn't even try and hide it.............

[randr]

11. Another campaign photo OP paid for by guess who

[2naSalit]

12. Oh boy. I bet

the troops are just thrilled.

[Talitha]

20. Just what I thought, too.

It's not enough they're already in hell over there...
now this POS decides to pop in and ruin their Thanksgiving meal, too.

I hope he gets attacked by a gazilllion sand fleas.

[Judi Lynn]

24. They look ecstatic!

[47of74]

25. I think I'd volunteer to walk naked throguh the streets of Farah with a US flag stapled to my ass...

....then go to a fuck face pep rally.

[DENVERPOPS]

42. Nonsense

Nonsense, they are all paid actors, dressed up in camo costumes, brought along on a separate plane in order to have a deceptive photo op with them all paid to smile.......

[dhol82]

29. Impressive pix!

[djacq]

43. Nothing is as easy than a Commanded Audience.

I would bet there were many who'd asked, "is this an order?"

[myohmy2]

47. wow...

...the enthusiasm...

...a White House turkey must have thought serving trump to the troops would be tasty...

...

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

56. Troops: "Aren't we suffering enough?"

[2naSalit]

57. Good way to put it!

[brooklynite]

14. The Taliban believe in discriminating against women, so that should be an easy sell.....

[Mike Nelson]

15. Tried to watch the...

...whole speech, but even FOX cut away as he rambled...

[keithbvadu2]

16. His escort Melania did not go.

His escort Melania did not go.

[DENVERPOPS]

44. "Escort".......I saw what you did......LOL

A very benign word for the usual term used for a woman like her...........

Anyway, I think Melanoma is a much better name for her........

[left-of-center2012]

17. No turkey for Melania on Thanksgiving

He was in Afghanistan.

[intrepidity]

18. I thought the country felt lighter nt

[underpants]

21. Oh! DUzy!

[yaesu]

22. Nope, that wasn't tRump, its was his double, Rocky. nt

[Brother Buzz]

23. That, or the Spanish potato farmer, Dolores Leis Antelo

[stopbush]

26. "Giant turkey appears for dinner at army base..."

[dhol82]

30. That would not bother him.

[C_U_L8R]

31. Did he take his pet war criminal?

[oldsoftie]

33. He should have gone. But he also should have gone LONG before now.

Its what Presidents should do, whether we like them or loathe them. So he SHOULD have gone. But I dont think he's ever been before today. And thats SAD for someone who professes to love the military. He only pays them lip service though

[BumRushDaShow]

34. He hasn't gone before

and his whole reason to be was to carry out Bannon's "deconstruction of government" and dismantling the "deep state".

Of course what happened was that the brouhaha with micro-managing the Navy Seal discipline system via his pardons, firing his former Navy Secretary, which then lead to the penning of a stinging Op Ed by said former Secretary, seemed to rattle a whole segment of the military who were broadsided by what just unfolded the past couple weeks. So this seems to be an attempt to mend some fences with the military ahead of the election.

[oldsoftie]

35. Probably so.

[JohnnyRingo]

37. rec'd for LBN.

It doesn't give me a warm fuzzy feeling that douchebag was among what he considers his peers today, but I like to stay informed. Probably asking if he can meet other war criminals.

Thanx for posting.

[videohead5]

49. Tom Arnold

Thinks Trump had a stent put in one of his arteries when he went to the hospital because he has not been to a golf course since the hospital episode.

[nitpicker]

50. Wrapping himself in the flag

And claiming the Taliban want a deal.

IMO, the only deal the Taliban want is a full US withdrawal.

[Tech]

51. Accuse purple star vet of lying. Pardon war criminal navy seal. Force navy head to

resign. Desert kurds. Alienate allies.

All he has done is disgust me even more by "visiting" the troops.

[riversedge]

52. I give Trump NO credit. His only concern is the upcoming Election!

[doc03]

54. I bet he is also a hero to a large percentage of the

military because he took on the top brass. I am guessing the majority of the rank and file think that was right.

[YOHABLO]

55. Everything he does is about his campaign for President.

Trump doesn't fly to Afghanistan because he ''cares'' about the troops fighting over there, it's for his own political publicity.