President Donald Trump visited war-torn Iraq for the first time during the fifth day of his spearheaded government shutdown. The 72-year-old admitted to reporters that he was “scared” for his safety and the safety of his wife, First Lady Melania Trump.
The two traveled on a secret overnight flight from Washington, D.C. and landed in pitch dark territory. It’s been 15 years since the American invasion.
“If they want us to do the fighting, they also have to pay a price,” Trump said at the Al Asad Air Base, where he landed after dark with Mrs. Trump. “Sometimes that’s also a monetary price, so we’re not the suckers of the world. We’re no longer the suckers, folks. And people aren’t looking at us as suckers.”
According to CNN, Trump recently ordered a drawdown of the 14,000 US troops in Afghanistan and, citing the destruction of ISIS, a complete withdrawal of 2,000 troops from Syria — which came against the advice of his military generals and top national security officials.