President Trump on Tušesday wished US troops stationed around the country and the world a Merry Christmas.
“I know it’s a great sacrifice for you to be away from your families, but I want you to know that every American family is eternally grateful to you, and we’re holding you close in our hearts, thoughts and prayers,” Trump said. “We love what you do and love your work. Amazing people.”
Trump ā who unlike his predecessšors has not visited US troops in combat zones ā spoke by ą·“video to members of all five branches of the military.
The president was spending a rare Christmas in Washington because of a sš¼talemate with Congress that left several government departments and agencies shuttered since the weekend, affecting the livelihoods of some 800,000 federaš±l employees.
Trump usually spends Christmas at Mar-a-Lago, his Florida estate, but scrapped pšlans for a 16-day stay in Palm Beach because of the shutdown.
“I thought it would be wrong for me to be with my family,” he told reporters in the Oval Office after the conversation with members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard from their stations in Guam, Bahrain, Qatar and Alaska.
“My family is in Florida, Palm Beach, and I just didn’t want to go down and be there when other people are hurting,” Trump said.
With AP