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President Trump on Thursday abruptly denied military aircraft to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for a foreign trip just minutes before the congressional delegation was set to depart, in a stunning decision that followed her call to delay the State of the Union address amid the government shutdown.

In a curt letter, Trump said her trip has been “postponed.”

“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,” Trump wrote.

CLICK HERE TO READ TRUMP'S LETTER TO PELOSI

“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.”

According to sources, the president pulled the plug on her aircraft as she was about to leave for her overseas trip. Her congressional delegation's military aircraft was slated to leave at 3 p.m. ET.

A senior White House official also told Fox News that all congressional delegation travel by military aircraft is now postponed.

An official said that “as soon as the president found out about the trip today, he took immediate action.” A source told Fox News that when moving to cancel Thursday's flight, the White House reasoned that the trip would keep Pelosi out of the country beyond next Tuesday night—when the next government pay period would occur.

"If she had gone on this trip she would have guaranteed that 800,000 federal workers would not receive their second paycheck because she would not have been here to negotiate any kind of deal," a senior White House official said Thursday.

But Pelosi's office fired back, with spokesman Drew Hammill saying the purpose was to meet with allies and "express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication" -- while noting there was no planned stop in Egypt.

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Frankly, I'm thrilled to see the President make this move and he made it for all of Congress not just Democrats.  If he wanted to be petty and be cruel about it he could have allowed Pelosi and her crowd to fly over there then pulled the benefits denying a return trip on the government dime, making them fly commercial to get back.  I fully believe that the folks in Congress should all have their paychecks held and kept in Washington until something is worked out.  

The problem with that is that so many of the representatives are already so wealthy that, unlike most regular government workers, they could afford a very long and lengthy shutdown because their financial reserves are great as it is.  I think the main reason Pelosi wants to stop the President from giving the address is that she is afraid of what he might say or how he would say it knowing that it would definitely be carried on all networks and heard by most everyone.  

The simple reason that the government workers are not getting their paychecks is that the Democrats don't want to give one centimeter to Trump what so ever.  People who have been in favor of tighter border security and protecting the border in the past are now holding the government hostage so that NO money will be given to build any new walls.  Right now Trump is being blamed for the shutdown, with the media cooperating with Democrats,  and as long as that continues the Democrats will hold firm and not negotiate or budge.  

gbrk posted:
L. Cranston posted:

D.C. rumors are Melania left on a government plane, bound for Mar a largo, just a couple of hours later. If that's true, this is going to be a long shutdown.

Sources, please.

First lady Melania flies to Florida on government jet after Trump postpones Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Afghanistan due to shutdown

  • First lady Melania Trump flew to Florida on an Air Force jet hours after President Donald Trump postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned trip with other members of Congress to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan, NBC has confirmed.
  • President Trump told Pelosi his decision was due to her plans to use a military plane in the midst of the ongoing government shutdown.
  • Pelosi on Wednesday had urged the president to reschedule his upcoming State of the Union address to Congress or deliver it in writing. She had cited potential security concerns related to the shutdown.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/1...use-of-shutdown.html

L. Cranston posted:
gbrk posted:
L. Cranston posted:

D.C. rumors are Melania left on a government plane, bound for Mar a largo, just a couple of hours later. If that's true, this is going to be a long shutdown.

Sources, please.

First lady Melania flies to Florida on government jet after Trump postpones Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Afghanistan due to shutdown

  • First lady Melania Trump flew to Florida on an Air Force jet hours after President Donald Trump postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's planned trip with other members of Congress to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan, NBC has confirmed.
  • President Trump told Pelosi his decision was due to her plans to use a military plane in the midst of the ongoing government shutdown.
  • Pelosi on Wednesday had urged the president to reschedule his upcoming State of the Union address to Congress or deliver it in writing. She had cited potential security concerns related to the shutdown.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/1...use-of-shutdown.html

Thanks for the source,  I don't go in for rumors as legitimate news but this sounds legit and I don't agree that Trump's wife deserved to fly on the government dole when other's can't.  If he's saying Nancy can't fly then his wife shouldn't either.

"Thanks for the source,  I don't go in for rumors as legitimate news but this sounds legit and I don't agree that Trump's wife deserved to fly on the government dole when other's can't.  If he's saying Nancy can't fly then his wife shouldn't either".

 

GBRK, He's not trying to solve a national problem with his wife. It doesn't matter where she or anyone else not involved goes now, and I'm not sure how you figure she "didn't deserve to fly on the government dole". Pelosi has a job to do and had no right to go flying off while her job demanded she stay here. I'm sure elected officials, not directly involved with the talks, are still flying on the government dole while talks continue. Have you forgotten Pelosi just flew to Hawaii, and the group that went to PR last week? So to say the FLOTUS doesn't "deserve to fly" is a bit silly. What others can't fly??

Last edited by Jutu
Jutu posted:

"Thanks for the source,  I don't go in for rumors as legitimate news but this sounds legit and I don't agree that Trump's wife deserved to fly on the government dole when other's can't.  If he's saying Nancy can't fly then his wife shouldn't either".

 

GBRK, He's not trying to solve a national problem with his wife. It doesn't matter where she or anyone else not involved goes now, and I'm not sure how you figure she "didn't deserve to fly on the government dole". Pelosi has a job to do and had no right to go flying off while her job demanded she stay here. I'm sure elected officials, not directly involved with the talks, are still flying on the government dole while talks continue. Have you forgotten Pelosi just flew to Hawaii, and the group that went to PR last week? So to say the FLOTUS doesn't "deserve to fly" is a bit silly. What others can't fly??

Then why was Lindsay Graham in Turkey? And how'd he get there?

U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday to discuss Syria as the United States prepares to withdraw its troops from the war-torn country.

https://www.foxnews.com/politi...-withdrawal-in-syria

Last edited by L. Cranston

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