Trump Calls US Troops Around the World To Deliver Christmas Greetings
President Donald Trump made a teleconference call with members from the five branches of the armed forces serving around the world on Tuesday, thanking them for the work they do to keep Americans safe during the holidays and throughout the year.
“I want to wish you an amazing Christmas and Happy New Year. You’re tremendous warriors and we appreciate it so much,” the commander in chief said in the call from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.
The military personnel Trump spoke with included Marines serving in Afghanistan, Army soldiers in Kuwait, sailors on board the destroyer USS Forrest Sherman in the Gulf of Aden, airmen at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, and Coast Guardsmen at Air Station Sitka in Alaska.
“Because of your brave and selfless service, Americans can celebrate Christmas in safety and in peace,” the president said.
Trump said one of the military’s top achievements in 2019 was the raid that resulted in the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in October.
He went on to note al-Baghdadi’s replacement was also killed soon thereafter.
“We have our sights on the new replacement,” Trump said. “I don’t know why anybody would want that job, frankly.”
The president highlighted the role the Coast Guard has played in saving lives, referencing the thousands rescued in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey early in his administration.
“I don’t think anyone’s stock has gone up like the Coast Guard,” Trump said.
“This Christmas I hope every member of our military will feel the overwhelming love and gratitude of our nation for your faithful service,” he said.
At the conclusion of his teleconference call, a reporter asked Trump if he was concerned that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi would hold the articles of impeachment “indefinitely.”
“All I know is my poll numbers are the highest they have ever been,” he responded. “Our fundraising of the Republican Party is the highest it’s ever been.”
“[Pelosi] hates the Republican Party,” the president continued. “She hates all of the people that voted for me and the Republican Party.”
“Look, she got thrown out as speaker once before [in 2010]. She lost like 63 seats … a record-setting number of seats. I think it’s going to happen again,” Trump said. “We’re in a very good position.”
Concerning the House impeachment inquiry, he observed, “People, remember, they treated us very unfairly. They didn’t give us due process. They didn’t give us a lawyer. They didn’t give us anything. Now they come to the Senate and they want everything.”
In a Tuesday tweet, Trump referenced remarks made by Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume on “Fox & Friends.”
“Everything we’re seeing from Speaker Pelosi and Senator Schumer suggests that they’re in real doubt about the evidence they’ve brought forth so far not being good enough, and are very, very urgently seeking a way to find some more evidence,” Trump wrote.
….mount some kind of public pressure to demand witnesses, but McConnell has the votes and he can run this trial anyway he wants to. @brithume @foxandfriends
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 24, 2019
He continued, “The only way to make this work is to mount some kind of public pressure to demand witnesses, but McConnell has the votes and he can run this trial anyway he wants to.”
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