Trump threatens Pelosi's safety in childish stunt to get back at her
Trump isn’t getting his way, so now he’s taking revenge on Speaker Pelosi by putting her in danger.
Trump is handily losing the fight over shutting down the federal government. So in a stunning act of petulance, he publicly canceled Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s planned trip to Afghanistan, breaching security protocol by revealing her trip to a war zone.
“Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed,” Trump wrote in a letter tweeted by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over.”
He then invoked the 800,000 federal workers whose paychecks he’s holding hostage to claim “that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate.”
Trump also suggested Pelosi could “make your journey by flying commercial.”
Trump’s petty act revealed to the world — including the Taliban, which has killed Americans and Afghanis for the entire length of the 18-year-long war in Afghanistan — the secret travel plans of the woman who is second in line to the presidency.
“The details of Pelosi’s planned travel to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan — particularly those destinations — had not been previously announced,” CBS reporter Steven Portnoy wrote. “Earlier today her aides asked news organizations not to report that the trip would take place, citing national security.”
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said the announcement was “petty and ridiculous” and that it “demeans” the American presidency.
Former Secretary of State John Kerry remarked, “The President of the United States just compared visiting our troops in a war zone to a ‘public relations event.’ Another sad day for our nation when that’s how the Commander in Chief sees such a visit.”
According to reporters, Pelosi was scheduled to leave for Afghanistan from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland just a little before Trump’s letter was released.
At the same time Trump announced the cancellation of Pelosi’s trip and other planned congressional travel, the Trump administration announced that Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin would head a delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Trump’s decision to cancel Pelosi’s trip to visit U.S. troops in a war zone comes one day after she voiced concerns that thanks to Trump’s shutdown, Secret Service agents tasked with securing the Capitol for the State of the Union would be unpaid.
Pelosi suggested postponing Trump’s prime-time speech until those responsible for his security would be properly compensated for their work.
Rather than reopening the government to pay the thousands of federal employees he is shortchanging, Trump stayed true to form. Like a spoiled child, he lashed out, giving those who seek to harm major American leaders like Pelosi a heads-up, just to soothe his wounded ego.
Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.
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