WASHINGTON, D.C. — “Petty and irresponsible.” That’s how Indiana’s Democrat Congressman Andre Carson describes President Trump’s decision to cancel a military flight that would have taken a House delegation to Afghanistan to visit U.S. troops.
Carson said Trump put American lives in danger for making the trip public, saying it shows his lack of knowledge on the countries national security practices. The move came after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi proposed canceling the president’s State of the Union due to a “lack of security” because of the partial government shutdown.
Trump has since decided that the State of the Union will still happen as planned in prime time January 29th.
With the military plane out as an option Pelosi was then floating the possibility of flying commercially to Afghanistan, but Pelosi is accusing the president of “outing” that trip as well.
“We never give advance notice of going into a battle area, we just never do,” Pelosi said at the Capitol. “Perhaps the president’s inexperience didn’t have him understand the protocol that surrounds that, because that’s very dangerous.”
Trump said to Pelosi in a letter that instead of going to the Middle East she should remain in Washington to continue negotiating an end to the shutdown.
Carson said the President is not being reasonable in the debate on border security as the shutdown enters its 28th day.
“I think the best option is to open the government fully,” Carson said. “The President has the full range of options available, but yet he has refused to take any of them.”
Carson said they have tried several times in the last few weeks to pass bills that would pay federal workers and keep the government open while they negotiate a way to fund border security.
Trump has remained insistent that until funding for a border wall is approved by Congress the part of the government will remain shutdown.
(PHOTO: Chris Maddaloni/Getty Images)
