Trump makes surprise Christmas visit to troops in Iraq in first trip to combat zone

[GMDino]

Someone is worried about their ratings....

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/president-donald-trump-visits-us-troops-deployed-iraq/story?id=60021004

Quote:President Donald Trump went to Al Asad Air Base in Iraq on his first visit to U.S. troops in the Middle East as president.


First lady Melania Trump joined him on the unscheduled Wednesday visit.

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Quote:
[/url]Sarah Sanders

@PressSec




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.

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2:18 PM - Dec 26, 2018

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Trump visited with U.S. troops stationed in South Korea in Nov. 2017, but he had yet to visit Americans deployed in the Middle East.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet military personnel at the dining facility during an unannounced visit to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq Dec. 26, 2018.more +


(MORE: Trump claims 'many' furloughed or unpaid federal workers want wall, support gov't shutdown)

Trump’s immediate predecessors each visited troops in the region much earlier: President George W. Bush first traveled to Baghdad in Nov. 2003, roughly eight months after ordering American troops to Iraq.
President Barack Obama, who first visited Iraq as a senator, made his first trip as commander-in-chief in April 2008, roughly three months after taking office.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet military personnel at the dining facility during an unannounced visit to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq Dec. 26, 2018.more +

Trump first visited with troops overseas in Italy in May 2017, roughly four months after taking office.
His visit Wednesday, the day after Christmas, continues a long tradition of presidents visiting with service members at home or abroad during the holiday season. On Christmas Day, Trump participated in a video call with service members serving across the country and overseas during the holidays.

(MORE: Trump thanks troops by phone, hints he might visit Afghanistan war zone)

Trump’s visit comes after the president’s decision to withdraw American troops from Syriasurprised Washington, blindsiding lawmakers, members of the administration and American allies across the world and on the ground fighting Islamic State in Syria.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet military personnel at the dining facility during an unannounced visit to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2018.more +

On Thursday, the Trump administration announced it was planning to reduce the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, cutting the current force of 14,000 service members to 7,000. Those troops could return home by the end of spring, an American official told ABC News.

(MORE: President Trump not going to change his mind on Syria, even after resignations: Mick Mulvaney)



(MORE: Trump planning to pull 7,000 troops from Afghanistan, reducing force by half)

Defense Secretary James Mattis also resigned Thursday, after the decision was made, having clashed with the president over policy and their divergent worldviews and philosophies on American military power.
While his resignation letter said he would stay on until the end of February to ensure a smooth transition, Trump moved up the timeline, forcing Mattis out of the administration by the end of the year.

Jonathan Ernst/Reuters
President Donald Trump, flanked by National Security Adviser John Bolton, first lady Melania Trump and U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Doug Silliman, meets political and military leaders during an unannounced visit to Al Asad Air Base, Iraq, Dec. 26, 2018.more +


(MORE: Secretary of Defense James Mattis to leave post by start of new year, earlier than expected, Trump announces)

Deputy defense secretary Patrick Shanahan, a former Boeing executive with no prior military or government experience, will replace the retired Marine in an acting capacity.

And no, I don't give him too much "credit" for finally going.  Until he shows signs of being a decent person/POTUS he doesn't get credit for simply doing what every other POTUS has done.