Trump says he'll postpone Pelosi's overseas trip over shutdown

[George II]

Source: Axios

President Trump sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Thursday informing her that he will postpone her planned 7-day overseas trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan -- presumably by denying her the use of military aircraft as transport -- as a result of the ongoing government shutdown, which is currently in its 27th day.

The big picture: On Wednesday, Pelosi sent Trump a letter asking him to delay his State of the Union address until the shutdown is resolved, citing security concerns. Trump used the same reasoning in his letter, and told Pelosi it would be "her prerogative" if she wished to fly commercial.

Read more: https://www.axios.com/donald-trump-letter-nancy-pelosi-trip-shutdown-555f1939-bd3d-425c-b622-a6627d614228.html

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Here is the text of the letter (actual letter at the link):

THE WHITE HOUSE

WASHINGTON

January 17, 2019

The Honorable Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the

House of Representatives
Washington, DC. 20515

Dear Madame Speaker:

Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed.

We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over. In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate. I also feel that, during this period, it would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security movement to end the Shutdown. Obviously, if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative.

I look forward to seeing you soon and even more forward to watching our open and dangerous Southern Border finally receive the attention, funding, and security it so desperately deserves!

Sincerely,



He's childishly playing tit-for-tat in response to Pelosi postponing the State of the Union Address. Suggesting that she make the trip commercially is idiotic and ludicrous!

[TeamPooka]

1. He has admitted in writing his failure to secure and protect our southern border. Okay.

[niyad]

2. how does he figure he can do that?

[Maeve]

7. She was flying with the military

And he can control Dept of Defense resources (I checked with CNN to find that out!)

[TeamPooka]

14. Do you or anyone know when this trip was to take place? how far ahead is Trump planning

on keeping it closed?
Was this supposed to happen in Feb?

[George II]

19. She was scheduled to leave TODAY!

[neohippie]

33. One hour after she got the letter

I was told that she was one hour away from the departure time, when this letter was sent.

[George II]

41. What a scumbag trump is!

[Maeve]

23. From what I'm seeing it was supposed to be this weekend, but not sure

Seeing that it was a 'closely held secret' but someone snitched....

[a kennedy]

3. OFFS......

[RKP5637]

4. We have a child sitting in the White House. n/t

[HopeAgain]

5. Take that trade any day.

Nancy loses an overseas trip and Trump loses the SOTU Address. Trump did not win that deal...

[dameatball]

51. Yup. I said in another thread "Pelosi hit a homer and Trump muffed a bunt."

[TomCADem]

6. She Probably Would Have Cancelled It Anyways

Given that recess has already been cancelled.

[TeamPooka]

12. She should say she already did but hadn't announced it just to piss him off.

[MosheFeingold]

58. The bus

Was in the driveway.

Ironically, Trump saved Pelosi from terrible optics. First Puerto Rico, then this? That's just stupid.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

8. Link to the original:

Letter from President Donald J. Trump to Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi

My bet's on "she could see this coming."

[FreepFryer]

28. Yup. By goading Trump into more self-erosive pettiness, Pelosi's letter was doubly brilliant. (n/t)

[Talitha]

44. That's what I thought, too.

I don't think it's a tit-for-tat... she's playing him - and he's too dumb to realize it.

[LanternWaste]

9. He truly is nothing more than a little man-child

throwing an 'Unh-uh, I'm rubber, you're glue" type tantrum my eleven year old niece would describe as a 'hissy-fit'.

[Grammy23]

10. So are we to assume he is going to keep his ass at the White House, too??

No trips for him?? That is unless he goes via tRump Airlines??

This I gotta see. Uhm, yea....Secret Service will agree to that. Like hell.

[NurseJackie]

11. LOL! She's **REALLY** getting under his skin!

I love it!!

[leftynyc]

13. Bill Maher picked a perfect week to return

from his vacation. I know some here don't like him but I do and can't wait to see his show tonight.

[TeamPooka]

15. he's on Friday night

[leftynyc]

18. Holy crap

I honestly thought it WAS Friday. I need to go swear for a while.

[TeamPooka]

22. we all wish it was friday today. :)

[leftynyc]

47. I haven't done that in a very long while

and it's usually the other way (think it's Thurs but it's really Fri so all is good). I'm still shaking my head.

[avebury]

16. We should start a pool to see how long Trump can hold out

before he has to go to one of his properties for a golf date.

[area51]

17. Wonder who wrote the letter for Trump.

It's way too erudite to be from his hand.

[WhiteTara]

27. Miller.

[canetoad]

39. Nah, it should be Madam Speaker

Not Madame.

The rest is like the writing of an academically average 13 year old.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

52. The inappropriate use of capital letters suggests he did write it,

or that he edited it to make it more stupid after an aide wrote it correctly. He seems to think capitalization is the same as emphasis.

[dameatball]

54. Yes. Plus "prerogative" was used correctly. He definitely did not write that.

[ffr]

20. Par for the course, Mr. Vindictive.

I call your pronouncement to bar me from hoping a Military jet already destined for each of those locations. And in that spirit, I challenge you will join in your own advice and choose to forego your travels on AF1, by also taking commercial travel.

Sincerely,

Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House of U.S. Representatives.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

21. Trump blows cover on previously secure trip to conflict zone, endangering personnel

NeverSaid"Hat" Retweeted

A codel (the name for a trip like this) to a conflict zone is typically not made public until the members arrive. They keep them under wraps for security reasons. Even if Pelosi still wanted to go, this may have been effectively blown by releasing the details now.

Link to tweet

By blowing the cover on a trip to a conflict zone, which would now endanger the travelers if they want, and possibly endanger personnel at the location currently? Yeah, no. He claims to love national security but doesn't actually practice it.

Link to tweet

[smb]

40. Yep

IMO, the best response would be along the lines of "I had planned to visit our allies and our troops in the field. Unfortunately, a security breach has exposed my planned itinerary, putting the flight crew and station personnel at risk. I am therefore postponing my visit until such time as it can be done without endangering our soldiers, airmen, and support staff."

[Mira]

24. That's tat for tit

man-baby in high chair having another tantrum

[WhiteTara]

34. While endangering others who are

in a war zone. He's horrible.

[Perseus]

25. He definitely did not write that letter, the English is too good

He would even have a hard time reading the letter..."what does this word mean???"

What a child the buffoon is...I am sure he had people at the WH looking for some way for him to get even and wasted two full days at it...

Muller please, please, please...get the nightmare over, nothing would please me more than to have the buffoon dress in orange.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

55. It's not that good; there are capital letters that don't belong.

My theory is that he dictated it to someone who wrote it correctly and then he unedited it to make it wrong and stupid.

[Vinca]

26. What a fucking baby.

[RAB910]

29. Someone was triggered

LOL!

[DallasNE]

30. Apples And Oranges

The security personnel for the SOTU are part of the shutdown so there is some merit to postponing the SOTU. Military personnel and equipment are not affected by the partial shutdown so this has no merit - at least for the reason given. This is just another temper tantrum being thrown by cry baby Trump.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. NOTE WELL: tRump cancelled it ONE HOUR before boarding by BLOWING SECURITY SECRET.

The letter reveals the presence of the trip which was TOP SECRET as trips that include stops to Afghanistan are. A lot of security needed in Egypt too.

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-nancy-pelosi-state-union-shutdown_us_5c3f6d3ae4b0a8dbe16d023c

...

Instead of responding directly to her request that the event be delayed because of security funding concerns, Trump wrote in an apparent retaliation that he had canceled her upcoming delegation trip to Brussels, Egypt and Afghanistan.

“Obviously if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative,” the president wrote. The suggestion comes despite the fact that the Air Force budget has not been affected by the 27-day shutdown.

CBS and Fox News both reported that Trump’s letter canceling her trip was issued about an hour before Pelosi was set to depart.

As noted by Politico’s Capitol Hill bureau chief, John Bresnahan, Trump’s public letter exposed a trip that had been a “closely held secret due to security concerns” for Pelosi.

...

[llmart]

32. This just makes him look even more childish and petty than usual.

It'll backfire. This also shows he's losing it more and more each day.

I bet Melanoma is enjoying not having him around though.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

35. Target getting buggy: meanness, vindictiveness, obsession on full display. . . . nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

36. White House official tells @NBCNews Secretary Mnuchin will lead a delegation to Davos, as planned

David Fahrenthold Retweeted

UPDATE: A White House official tells @NBCNews Secretary Mnuchin will lead a delegation to Davos, as planned.

Link to tweet

[Bernardo de La Paz]

37. Cancellation is impeachable ABUSE OF POWER. Might even be ILLEGAL. . . . nt

[mahatmakanejeeves]

38. Pelosi's trip to Afghanistan had been a closely held secret due to security concerns, of course.

Pelosi's trip to Afghanistan had been a closely held secret due to security concerns, of course. Very few people knew she was heading there. @SteveScalise mentioned Pelosi was headed to Brussels in his presser this morning, which angered Dems.

Link to tweet

[mahatmakanejeeves]

42. Lawmakers have returned to the Capitol from the codel cancelled by President Trump.

Philip Rucker Retweeted

Lawmakers have returned to the Capitol from the codel cancelled by President Trump.

Link to tweet

[TexasBushwhacker]

43. How about ALL non-emergency travel be postponed during the shutdown

Including trips to Mar A Lago, trips by Trump's kids requiring Secret Services detail, etc.

[Talitha]

45. Remember when Geraldo Rivera drew that location map in the sand?

Both of them - dumb as a box of rocks.

[beachbum bob]

46. Pelosi controls the budget for the Whitehouse, how about a 75% reduction?

[Arazi]

50. Not wise to have a pissing match w the person holding the purse strings

[beachbum bob]

53. trump bound to learn the hard way as always

[Grins]

48. "if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial,

"...if you would like to make your journey by flying commercial, that would certainly be your prerogative."

Not when you are second in succession for Presidency (or is she more realistically 1st...?) you vast orange heap of ignorance and treason.

[Sugar Smack]

49. He thinks he's very witty, doesn't he?

He's obviously in way over his head.

[IcyPeas]

56. Adam Schiff just now on CNN said

this is the behavior of a 5th grader. He said this a couple of times.

[ginnyinWI]

57. Stand firm, Speaker Pelosi, stand firm. n/t