President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to U.S. troops in Iraq on Wednesday – his first trip to a combat zone as Commander in Chief.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced Trump’s visit, with First Lady Melania Trump, Wednesday afternoon with a photo of the President and First Lady posing with troops.
“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,” Sanders tweeted.
Trump had been criticized for not yet visiting troops in a combat zone as president. President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush had already visited combat zones by this point in their presidencies. In November, Trump told Fox News that he has been planning to go, but said he has had an “unbelievably busy schedule” since taking office.
The visit comes at a particularly divisive moment for the President, who has been criticized for his sudden decision to withdraw troops from Syria, the resignation of widely respected Defense Secretary Jim Matti and the partial shutdown of the federal government over $5 billion for a border wall.
If Trump had not visited the troops, he would have been the first president in 15 years who didn’t meet with troops at Christmastime, NBC News reported.
On Christmas day, the president also made phone calls to troops on active duty from the White House – but took time to grouse about Democrats, former FBI Director James Comey and the Federal Reserve’s decision to raise interest rates.
