Putting his life at risk by traveling to a war zone, President Trump traveled secretly to Afghanistan to spend Thanksgiving with our troops on the ground, he even served them dinner. It was something special but ABC and NBC refused to check their petty politics at the door. In addition to reporting on his holiday visit, those networks decided to serve up the attacks of former Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, who chose to resign recently after disagreeing with the President.
“The President's show of support comes as the recently fired Navy secretary had scathing words for the commander-in-chief,” fill-in anchor and chief national affairs correspondent Tom Llamas boasted at the top of ABC’s World News Tonight.
After noting the President was working on drawing down the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, senior White House correspondent Cecilia Vega moved on to talking about how, “this mission comes amid controversy at the Pentagon, after the President intervened on behalf of a Navy SEAL at the center of a war crimes case.”
Vega went on to gush about Spencer’s attack against the President in The Washington Post:
The Navy secretary forced out after President Trump refused to allow top leadership to strip Edward Gallagher of his elite Navy SEAL status. In The Washington Post, ousted Navy secretary Richard Spencer calling it a, quote, "Shocking and unprecedented intervention." Saying, "The President has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically, or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices."
“But today, President Trump eager to show off his military support. The President all smiles, as he served Thanksgiving dinner,” she noted as if it was all just some elaborate stunt to counter Spencer.
Vega also decided to rehash an old Trump controversy regarding the negotiations with the Taliban. “The President abruptly canceled those talks less than three months ago, after a spike in violence. The move sparking fierce bipartisan outrage,” she chided.
Meanwhile on NBC Nightly News, White House correspondent Kelly O’Donnell also touted how, “Today’s surprise comes as the President faces blistering criticism from his fired Navy secretary, Richard Spencer, who condemned as “shocking and unprecedented” the President's order that Eddie Gallagher retire with his Navy seal status, despite a conviction.”
O’Donnell concluded with a quip about how Trump may not have talked about impeachment on his trip, but it was waiting for him back home:
The President's speech to the troops stands out for what he did not say. No talk of impeachment, Democrats or partisan politics. All of that waits for him here. He's flying back to the U.S. overnight and is expected back in Florida tomorrow morning.
It was Thanksgiving and the liberal media were acting as petty and vicious as ever.
Meanwhile, the CBS Evening News did not air in the east due to the Buffalo Bills-Dallas Cowboys NFL game.
The transcripts are below, click "expand" to read:
ABC’s World News Tonight
November 28, 2019
6:31:57 p.m. EasternTOM LLAMAS: Good evening. Thank you for joining us on this Thanksgiving night. I'm Tom llamas, in for David. And we begin with President Trump's surprise mission to Afghanistan. His first trip there as commander-in-chief, thanking U.S. troops for their service. Helping to serve a Thanksgiving dinner, also. And meeting with the president of Afghanistan, saying that the Taliban is back at the negotiating table. The President's show of support comes as the recently fired Navy secretary had scathing words for the commander-in-chief. ABC's senior white house correspondent Cecilia Vega leads us off.
[Cuts to video]
CECILIA VEGA: On a secret mission that only a handful of top aides knew about, President Trump today landing in Afghanistan, delivering a Thanksgiving surprise to American troops. Surrounded by those service members, the President announced peace talks with the Taliban are now back on.
(…)
VEGA: The President abruptly cancelled those talks less than three months ago, after a spike in violence. The move sparking fierce bipartisan outrage.
(…)
VEGA: This is the President's second trip to visit troops in a combat zone, traveling to Iraq last Christmas. But this mission comes amid controversy at the Pentagon, after the President intervened on behalf of a Navy SEAL at the center of a war crimes case.
The Navy secretary forced out after President Trump refused to allow top leadership to strip Edward Gallagher of his elite Navy SEAL status. In The Washington Post, ousted Navy secretary Richard Spencer calling it a, quote, "Shocking and unprecedented intervention." Saying, "The President has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically, or to be governed by a uniform set of rules and practices."
But today, President Trump eager to show off his military support. The President all smiles, as he served Thanksgiving dinner. Joking about missing out on his own helping.
(…)
NBC Nightly News
November 29, 2019
7:05:53 p.m. Eastern(…)
KELLY O’DONNELL: Today’s surprise comes as the President faces blistering criticism from his fired Navy secretary, Richard Spencer, who condemned as “shocking and unprecedented” the President's order that Eddie Gallagher retire with his Navy seal status, despite a conviction.
Spencer wrote, “the President has very little understanding of what it means to be in the military, to fight ethically, or be governed by a uniform set of rules.”
[Cuts back to live]
The President's speech to the troops stands out for what he did not say. No talk of impeachment, Democrats or partisan politics. All of that waits for him here. He's flying back to the U.S. overnight and is expected back in Florida tomorrow morning.
(…)
