Trump becomes first president since 2002 not to visit troops at Christmastime

Authored by nbcnews.com and submitted by sigseved

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On Christmas Day, President Donald Trump took part in a long-running practice of presidents who called troops stationed around the country and the world.

But he broke from a recent tradition of actually visiting troops and wounded warriors. He did so in 2017, when he visited wounded troops at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 21 (and invited Coast Guard service members to play golf at his course in West Palm Beach, Florida).

By staying home on Tuesday, Trump became the first president since 2002 who didn't visit military personnel around Christmastime.

President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama speak to U.S. Marines and personnel on Christmas day at Marine Corps Base Hawaii in 2016. Hugh Gentry / Reuters file

Based on a check of NBC logs, President Barack Obama visited troops at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, in Kaneohe Bay, every Christmas he was in office, from 2009 to 2016.

Before him, according to a check of news releases, President George W. Bush visited wounded warriors at Walter Reed from 2003 to 2008. He did not visit troops at Christmas in 2002, in the run-up to the Iraq War, or in 2001.

In recent months, Trump has taken heat from critics for not visiting troops in an active combat zone, after canceling a trip to an American military burial ground outside of Paris last month due to weather and skipping the traditional Veterans Day visit to Arlington National Cemetery just two days later.

At the time, the president told FOX News’ Chris Wallace that he should have gone to Arlington, and he hasn’t visited a combat zone because he’s “had an unbelievably busy schedule,” adding, “I will be doing it.”

Trump made the trip to Arlington several weeks later to lay a wreath as part of Wreaths Across America, but still has yet to visit an active combat zone.

At this point in their presidencies, Obama visited troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, and Bush visited Iraq just eight months after the start of the war in 2003.

iN50MANiAC on December 25th, 2018 at 22:02 UTC »

I can't get my head round it, he's the man who loves the military! It's not like he's openly mocked war heroes. I mean, he'd have been at the front of the queue had it not been for his bone spurs and the fact he was fighting his own personal Vietnam. A true patriot, the Republicans can truly look up to this man.

M-I-B on December 25th, 2018 at 21:37 UTC »

Based on a check of NBC logs, former President Barack Obama visited troops at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, in Kaneohe Bay, every Christmas he was in office, from 2009 to 2016.

Never let the GOP claim they are the party of patriots.

basaltgranite on December 25th, 2018 at 21:25 UTC »

He skipped the Armistice day memorials too. And insulted Gold Star parents. And fired Mattis (respected by the military like no one else alive). The good news is he can't pull off a military coup. They'll just laugh at him.

EDIT: since so many point out that Mattis resigned--yes, initially true. He gave a February exit date. Then, when Fox (or whoever) explained Mattis' resignation letter to Trump in small words and short sentences, Trump fired Mattis. That's what forcing Mattis out before February means.