Trip’s off, neener neener
President Donald Trump said Thursday he was denying House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a military plane for a trip to Afghanistan that was set to begin in the afternoon, a tit-for-tat retaliation that deepened the divide between the leaders and brought the government no closer to reopening.
…
Pelosi had been scheduled to leave within the hour that Trump’s letter was made public, making for the awkward site of a large blue Air Force bus idling outside the Capitol as the implications of the President’s missive came into focus.
This is what it is to have a stupid malevolent narcissistic child in the executive role in government.
The administration “worked with the Air Force and (the Defense Department) and basically took away the rights to the plane from the speaker,” one White House official said.
“Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed,” Trump wrote Pelosi on Thursday. “We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over.”
Later, Pelosi’s spokesman said the stop in Brussels was mainly to allow the pilot to rest and that Egypt was not on her itinerary.
“Excursion.” As many people are heatedly pointing out, it wasn’t an “excursion,” it was a visit to troops in a combat zone…which Trump exposed. The trip was classified.
Pelosi’s spokesman said the stop in Brussels was mainly to allow the pilot to rest and that Egypt was not on her itinerary.
Even though Afghanistan — an active US combat zone — was one of the countries on her planned itinerary, Trump suggested she fly commercial.
“Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative,” Trump wrote.
Right now I would like to jump up and down on his face wearing heavy boots with chains on them.
White House officials, including acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, began discussing canceling Pelosi’s trip early Thursday morning, according to two people with knowledge of how the day unfolded. Aides felt caught off guard when Pelosi publicly released her letter calling on Trump to postpone his State of the Union address, or deliver it in writing, and felt canceling the military air travel would be an ideal response.
How stupid can they be?! You’d think it was a fucking shopping trip. She was leading a Congressional delegation to visit troops in a combat zone. That’s not a junket or a treat or a perk, and it’s not something Donnie Heel Spurs looks good grabbing away out of stupid toddlery spite.
“The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines,” Pelosi spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted.
Oh, really? I thought it was to eat truffles and sip champagne in Monte Carlo.
.@SpeakerPelosi: Thank you for planning a visit to Afghanistan as one of your first trips, as Speaker, this Congress.
It is shameful that @realDonaldTrump has decided to not allow you to go and thank our troops.
Nonetheless, your intent to go is GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.
— VoteVets (@votevets) January 17, 2019
https://twitter.com/Susan_Hennessey/status/1085992119658000389
Okay, now I understand, and posted my comment on the next post prematurely. He can cancel the plane. All makes sense now. Never mind.
As for it being classified, since when has that ever stopped one of his blurts?
GG, he’s sure showing her… As if visiting some of the victims of the Forever War is a fun privilege.
If he wanted her to stop laughing he misstepped.
The responsibilities of governing consist of nothing BUT fun photo ops.
Playing at diplomacy and decision making with secret papers spread out before guests at his golf club? Check.
Pushing past head of state to make sure he gets his photo op sooner? Check.
Thumbsup and smiling while visiting recovering victims of school shooting? Check.
Thumbsup and smiling on his way to a memorial (which he was asked not to attend) for Jewish victims of an anti-semetic mass murderer? Check.
Gamely tossing rolls of paper towels out to hurricane victims as if he’s at a kid’s camp with a t-shirt gun? Check.
Pretending to drive various trucks while they are parked? Check.
Pretending to be working through a paper on his desk, while bored underlings stand around, pretending to “help?” Check?
Good times!
This is a partial list. A complete one would use up more, more time, bandwidth and electricity than I’d like to have to pay for. You get the idea.