President Trump says he will visit a 'war zone' following a report that he was avoiding a trip out of concerns for his personal safety.
As he prepared to board a helicopter for sunny Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving, the president fielded a question about whether he was afraid to visit a war zone like Afghanistan.
'No, I'm going to a war zone,' the president responded.
He didn't say whether he intended to visit troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, or when he might do so. Previous presidents have scheduled close-held surprise trips to war zones to visit with U.S. troops stationed overseas, sometimes timed to the holidays.
'No, I'm going to a war zone,' the president responded when a reporter asked if he was afraid to go to a place like Afghanistan. The president is spending the Thanksgiving holiday at Mar-a-Lago with family
His comment comes after public clashes with retirement military officers, including retired Adm. William McRaven over the successful mission to kill Osama bin Laden. Trump said in a TV interview it would have been nice if it happened 'sooner.'
Trump said he would visit following a Washington Post report that indicated Trump doesn't want to be associated with the wars and has avoided visiting service members because he's worried about the security risks to himself.
'He’s afraid people want to kill him,' a White House official told the news outlet.
The report said he's mulling a trip but did not allude to timing of the prospective visit. A spokesman for the National Security Council indicated to DailyMail.com that one is not imminent.
In an interview that aired on Sunday, Trump cited his 'unbelievable busy schedule' as a reason he hasn't visited active duty troops overseas in the nearly two years he's been in office and the 'phony witch hunts' into alleged collusion with Russia.
'I think you will see that happen. There are things that are being planned. We don’t want to talk about it because of -- obviously because of security reasons and everything else,' he told Fox News.
President Trump says he will visit the troops in Afghanistan or Iraq , but the timing of a possible trip is being closely-held out over concerns about his safety
A visit to a war zone would be a first for Trump, who obtained medical deferments during the Vietnam War due to bone spurs in his feet.
The president is leaving for Florida today for the Thanksgiving holiday and will not return until early next week. He's leaves several days later for Argentina, where he's attending the G20 summit.
A trip to Colombia that was nixed over an alleged scheduling conflict after the G20 could provide an opportunity for him to visit the troops while he's already overseas.
White House officials were able to comment on timing of the visit that Trump had indicated was under discussion during his Fox News interview on Tuesday and whether it could replace his cancelled trip to Colombia.
'We have no announcement at this time,' NSC spokesman Garrett Marquis told DailyMail.com.
Trump has not been to a war zone yet in his presidency, and the holidays could provide an opening for him to thank American service members.
It could also help him get out from under criticism that he skipped a traditional Veterans Day event at Arlington National Cemetery last week after a dust-up over a cancelled appearance at a memorial service for soldiers who died on a French battlefield in WWI.
An official told the Washington Post that he's 'never been interested in going' to a war zone and 'he’s afraid of those situations.'
The trips are something that every modern president has done, including George W. Bush, who visited service members in Iraq over Thanksgiving, and George H.W. Bush, who make a Thanksgiving trip to Saudi Arabia. Bill Clinton went to Kosovo over Thanksgiving during the second term of his presidency.
Presidents typically make trips to combat zones in secret, telling a limited number of staff and the a small groups of reporters who will be traveling on Air Force One, in order to reduce the risks associated with delivering the president to a danger zone.
Former President Barack Obama made his first and only trip to Iraq three months after taking office.He made also surprise visits to Afghanistan 2010, 2012, and 2014.
His first Afghanistan visit came over Memorial Day weekend under the cover of darkness roughly 15 months into office.
The White House claimed he was spending the holiday at Camp David, only to gather reporters in secret at Andrews Air Force Base for the covert trip.
That visit came during a period when Obama was supposed to be traveling in Indonesia and Australia. He'd called the visits off to oversee the congressional debate over health care reform.
He made a 12-hour night flight that was announced after he was already in Kabul. He returned to the U.S. after spending six hours in the war-torn country.
Trump has not been to a war zone yet in his presidency, and the holidays could provide an opening for him to make his first trip
Asked this week on 'Fox News Sunday' why he had not yet visited Iraq or Afghanistan yet, Trump said 'things that are being planned' but he couldn't say more 'because of security reasons and everything else.'
'But there are things that are planned. As you know, I was very much opposed to the war in Iraq. I think it was a tremendous mistake, should have never happened,' he insisted.
Host Chris Wallace noted that the trip is about the troops not the Bush-era war that Trump says he opposes. Soldiers currently stationed in the Middle East are fighting the terrorist group ISIS.
'I don’t think anybody’s been more with the military than I have, as a president. In terms of funding, in terms of all of the things I’ve been able to get them, including the vets. I don’t think anybody’s done more than me,' Trump said in his defense on Fox.
He contended, 'I’ve had an unbelievable busy schedule, and I will be doing it.
'On top of which you have these phony witch hunts. On top of which -- I mean, we’ve just been very busy. But I will be doing that,' he promised.
Link hienalouca.com
https://hienalouca.com/2018/11/21/trump-mulls-first-overseas-visit-to-troops-in-iraq-or-afghanistan/
Main photo article President Trump says he will visit a ‘war zone’ following a report that he was avoiding a trip out of concerns for his personal safety.
As he prepared to board a helicopter for sunny Mar-a-Lago for Thanksgiving, the president fielded a question about whether he was afraid to visit a ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2018/11/20/21/6445474-6410135-image-a-61_1542749454411.jpg
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