January 17, 2019

Trump Strikes Back at Pelosi by Saying He’s Canceled Her Foreign Travel

The president suggested the House speaker fly commercial to Afghanistan instead.

ZUMA

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President Donald Trump struck back at House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recommendation to reschedule his State of the Union address until after the government has reopened, claiming in a letter on Thursday that he has postponed Pelosi’s upcoming travel to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan—foreign visits he derisively referred to as “public relations” events.

“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,” Trump wrote in the letter, which was first tweeted by press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders. “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.”

The retaliatory move by the president came less than an hour before Pelosi had reportedly planned to leave for her trip. Prior to Trump’s letter, Pelosi’s trip had reportedly been kept a secret out of security concerns.

If Pelosi hoped to keep her foreign travel commitments, the president, in typical Trump-trolling fashion, suggested she fly commercial.

Trump, who presumably denied Pelosi’s use of a military plane, did not intend to cancel upcoming travel for his Cabinet members attending the World Economic Forum in Davos next week, White House aides confirmed. His letter also did not respond directly to Pelosi’s initial suggestion that he postpone his State of the Union address, originally scheduled for January 29.

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