Transcript for President Trump and first lady Melania visit troops in Iraq

President trump and the First Lady for that matter. Making a surprise visit. Two. Iraq just within the last few hours we started her hearing some rumors about days. Several hours ago where many people online were tweeting that Air Force One Lewis wrote bodied. Flying over Europe and then some folks. Followed its path east and finally now just within the last few moments the the press secretaries are Sanders posting some of these photos and acknowledging that the president and First Lady have met with some of the troops there want to bring in our political director Rick Klein who has been following these developments in rake I'm sure you're well aware that some of this was. Happening but tell us like how did it play out. It's fascinating to me because this is something that is among the more traditional things that a president can do in recent decades that troops. Are in harm's way overseas during the holiday times presidents do things like this they spend time with troops either. It's an army base in the United States or abroad president Tom has not done that any had been criticized quite some bit for going almost two years in office without. Making a trip like this not going to Afghanistan not going to Iraq. Particularly after the announcement that he'd be drawing down troops at a Syrian potentially Afghanistan as well so there's an enormous I think it's symbolic importance in making a visit like this. Around the holiday time. Or in this most tumultuous time of his presidency amid a government shutdown amid. It replacement of his Defense Secretary resigned over that very Syrian decision just last week a new Defense Secretary coming in just a week from now so amid all of that's home all the president. Deciding to make a trip that would be weeks or months in the making eye and show in signal that support four US troops who are in harm's way this holiday season. You have these aren't done necessarily planned to overnight today case and that the president and the First Lady were planning to spend sixteen days of bar Longo. If a government shutdown had not happened. Do you think that this was still part of that plan that he was gonna fly out of Florida and head over there to see the troops are because a government to shut down and who stepped in Washington. They put this in play. It without knowing that he tells impossible to say exactly how long this was in place but. You're right there's no way to visited the initial planning for this wouldn't have been happening before the president made the decisions it. To cancel the moral lot of trips or whether he would have ping pong back and forth Andrews Air Force Base are flown directly from Florida what other contingency plans integral Warren. In in the coming days but but this is been something that there has to be a long time in the making in the presidency interviewed. A couple of a couple of weeks ago around Thanksgiving about. About not not having visited troops he came up again over veterans day. I ND he indicated at the time to something would be at the works without knowing the specifics so being on Christmas Eve evening. I and and then in venturing overnight to make this trip again now the product of part of a planning and I do think maybe even a difference in president trumps thinking because he's resisted. They did you need for a trip like this for quite some time and I he's not a guy really likes to spend a lot of time away from his own properties including the White House and that's make a trip like this with the First Lady is a statement itself. And that indeed and it has been and who so many times that we have said at that this has been one of the roughest weeks of his. His administration and the past week has been a pretty rough week for him as we see these images and they get posted out there. It erases how a lot of the other headlines of the last week. Well the other headlines will be back but it does put a pause on them in in provide at a different type of story line NA in a good narrative about supporting American troops abroad. During the holiday season decent people sports that are not with their families they're they're not impacted by the government shut down because they're they're finding is different but it does send a different symbolic message. That indeed and Rick Reilly hang out for second want to bring in tire problem Larry our White House correspondent for. A moment there and tired seemed fairly quiet they had a hat the White House. Starkly quiet for many to write a note mentioning earlier that they didn't see the Marines guarding the door and that was one of their first indication that something was up. And also is also good is we haven't heard it Sweden twenty hour gap. Exactly did indicator of that where the president is located because you know he was up in the air. But it is a surprise. Trent and and definitely one that was long overdue not just the media criticizing the president for but also his own administration privately saying that. It was strange that he still having gone to a combat zone and so he's visiting east 5200. Troops on the ground it's a real morale booster and as I richt said it changes the conversation but he's not the first person is administration to visit Iraq. His son Eli Jerry questioner went last year. And like we said these are very dangerous zones the reason that these trips are unannounced and and surprised. Is because of the fact that we can't be giving it. I ate our enemies eight tips on where our leader is going. That indeed our terror from Larry there at the White House sound where it is getting a little bit more. He did there has a result of the president's trip alone whatever into the conversation Martha Raddatz our global affairs corresponded to and Martha you have been to the war zone there you've been. Did these troops and it. It doesn't matter the president and always seems as if we DC'S_B. smiles on their faces no matter who it is. Oh yeah I I think it you know any sort of boost of morale if your if Iraq. So don't far away from home literally to every holiday it is always welcome. You have a commander in chief comment is that you and saying hi and it certainly. A man in America that they're pretty excited if she Maloney at truck thereto which is eight which is then usual. I don't terror attack a little bit about that but it here where you were saying before that is truly the logistics for these trips because I would. What the president. Bush where he went and you it is also secretive and you can't yet tell anybody if you again you go out you. During this camp period it's it's all very very kept very quiet that you are a great job that getting the commander cheap generics. But yet again their Twitter. Service at all. A little harder to keep these being secret and if any regrets. Tracking it today you'd Saudi occasional tweets saying you know I think SI airport where you're there. Wherever that when you travel on these trips there's a great deal of secrecy and as there should do you were just what they call operational security. Absolutely and it had a different call sign and I kept following it by foot or as has made its way there. We're seeing these photos that means the president and First Lady are already on their way out. I would it seems so that we have not gotten much official word but generally that's the way it happened. Or when they arrived I mean it's frankly they're talking troops you're getting you can have a lot of work spreading. They're probably on their way out girder or. To another patient who knows but to conceive addressing huge numbers. Troops gathered there Al Asad airbase are unsure. But giving quite. Up tapped arc and as we have talked about today it comes at a rather tricky time. With secretary mabus resigning secretary that it is that the word back its troops so that. Have to reverberate as well for those troops over there thinking what the heck is going on in Washington which. But they keep their head down and do their job over there. Yes as secretary Mattis said in his Christmas Day speech to the troops hold the line that indeed they are and we are seeing some new images as well coming from Iraq there are my threat it's our global affairs correspondent thank you so much for joining us. And you actually these are new images they were getting the showing the president there. At that air base greeting the troops during the First Lady as well. But this bomber jacket on Tehran Iran is joining us as well from the bureau in Washington and Terry as we look at these images and we give up the story it does change the narrative and changed it changes the optics. Of the last. Think it does certainly it's been a rough period for president trump in his administration. In their you've got the government shut down. You have the resignations secretary matters. But this is one of those events of the whole country can rot role rally around in a way and perhaps he count them at the when he planned it months ago he would not have known. What the political situation would have van I think in general I'm I'm thinking of the men and women over there and you know we've been fighting these wars now for. Fifteen years in Iraq and more in Afghanistan and who does it. They do those people that we're looking at right now and they don't get much credit much notice so for any president to visit them isn't. Is a banner day to be remembered by the country through the president's visit. Is an important day as well it is probably helpful on the margins for president trump politically. As he struggles with its stock market in the shut down and all that stuff but I think in general. People will continue to look at those issues as they are. And support him in this mission for the entire country. To our troops overseas. Ed does give him a much needed positive boost a special with the stock market now bouncing back. At least so far today and him getting out there in front of its troops. After the shutdown after which. General Mattis. Leaving the White House it Terry that you know the president was complaining over the last week that it was a media that changed the narrative from all of that. Good things that took place in the administration. In the last week. In justice reform among among them. As you look at this we think it's going to be that one they'll change it to something that'll be negative the president of the week to work his or her right this way for awhile. Well Werner pretty poisonous political time there's plenty of blame to go around for the president likes to scrap and he likes to scrap tough and so we'll probably get back to that. Yeah EE every president blames the media. President trump does does so spectacularly. And and probably destructive glee with his fake news an enemy than people on that step. That's sad every president runs in the same proms at the end of the day the good judgment of the American people decide whether or not the president's doing a good job. The stock markets part of that the economy's part of that. Our role overseas as part of that people will judge that I can expect the president will get back into the trenches of Twitter. Start hurling his barbs as he does and he will come in for tough criticism. On how he's handled the shot down and how he's handled the Federal Reserve which seems to have spooked Wall Street today as you point out there rally and but this is one of those things which can help him a little bit. But I think more than anything helps those people on the ground for this country and their families back home. It's tough has this added that I had spent Thanksgiving once and in Iraq. Had Thanksgiving dinner and by scuba and I remember. The feeling there just being very far away and and the people were serving I was over there for a couple of weeks. Saying you know just just make sure that that people don't forget us back home and a presidential Trent trip. Any president. Helps do that. That indeed and hard to forget that there are some 5200. People who are there. Serving this country in Iraq 141000 over in Afghanistan a term or and we. Really appreciate your time. On this Wednesday. Meantime what ever again John Cullen. Who has spent some some decades in law enforcement and national security and an analysis for. The Department of Homeland Security John T hear me. Yes I cared. So a trip like this I imagine takes weeks and weeks in the planning is there any possibility that a president can say listen I'm cooped up in the White House. At some bad headlines. You know that trip that we plan for nears can be due tomorrow. Now your IDB strips do you take from a security perspective part of at a time to Britain put together. I mean you have to choose not only ensure our security while the president's on the ground chapter. Insure the security of Air Force One of its traveling troupe. Some areas of hostile airspace. That a lot of coordination that need to take place between. The White House staff putting together logistic said the event would service. With with DOD so it's it's a real team effort now they could have had a plan in the can't. Biden. Stell once the decision is made to go on the trip it just takes some time to activate all the security measures that had been developed in the plan. And that indeed ends it seems to be there have worked out. Perfectly right now we'll though as Martha Martha noted earlier you always have Twitter and there. Always people who are looking out and looking up at the sky and they notice says something that looks similar to Air Force One flying over. The little bit earlier on of course they changed the call signal. In a situation like that. Why did they do that. Because for the very reason you just described as always ears out there there's always people listening to radio broadcasts. Whether there more secure not more sensitive government networks are not to destroy the concern that someone can pick up a radio broadcast and in some of the other folks mentioned mart bed others mentioned. The importance of secrecy. You know no matter how high profile. Political. Person is. It would and they go into a war zone. ID the Department of Defense Secret Service those responsible for checking person I want to keep it a secret ass possible. Again in particular when you're going to all the wars in which the much more volatile environment. Then ensuring. You know that this security at an individual and on the ground in the United States or even in some quick like you're bored or some other safer location. Our thanks to Jon Cohen there was just joining us giving us a sense now that security worker that went into play here John thank you for joining us. Hey Rick if you're still with us so it is Wednesday. Wednesday afternoon eastern time it is fairly early in this week. It could always still turning to transportation we can all head downhill from here Canada. Infrastructure weak infrastructure we are. Look I think these in some ways the images that of this strike me about how conventional they lost they look like what the thing that presidents do over the holidays. Certainly the last two presidents since we've been engaged in the in the in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq if they had made this part of the tradition of what's the what Americans have come to expect sometimes that can be comforting sometimes that's just the right move and whenever it means for the broader policies the president is. Of course talking about that that they need to his view that that we need to withdraw troops from Syria very. Controversial view in defense circles he's going to be dealing with the transition avenue Defense Secretary he's going to be dealing. With the gyrating stock market and there is the continuing government shut down all of that. Is back for him when he arrives back in Washington but at least for the moment. The images conventional as they may seem seem fitting for the moment I may be may be a good little dose of what the country could use at this time. In in taking the partisanship out of it and and recognizing. The service and sacrifice. And in the American values that. Draw president's it to to welcome into. Bring a little bit each year into the lives of troops stationed there. That indeed and that adds all of that the possibility that we might hear something dealing with the Muller investigation before the new year. Kind of makes you Fink. You know it so what if it's a war zone I'm gonna go over to Iraq. Come for the president. Perry will see how it all plays out of course it's going to be probably like a sixteen or fifteen hour flight back for the president and First Lady that they. Made a lifetime of memories are so many of those troops error reclined joining us from Washington.

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