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Trump Grounds Flight of Congressmembers to Visit NATO, Afghanistan

HeadlineJan 18, 2019

President Trump canceled a military flight Thursday that was set to deliver House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a congressional delegation to visit NATO leaders in Brussels and U.S. troops in Afghanistan. In a letter to the speaker, Trump wrote, “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.” Pelosi was leading a delegation that included the chairs of the House Intelligence and Veterans’ Affairs committees; Trump’s 11th-hour order caused the bus carrying the delegation to turn around on its way to the airport. Trump’s order drew protests from congressional Democrats, and even some Republicans criticized the move. South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham said in a statement, “One sophomoric response does not deserve another.” Trump’s retaliation came a day after Pelosi told the president to deliver the State of the Union address in writing, from the Oval Office, or at a later date. Pelosi cited security concerns caused by the government shutdown.

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