President Trump’s unannounced Thanksgiving visit to Afghanistan and the US contingent there indeed came as a surprise for many, with First Daughter Ivanka being among the many who lauded POTUS’ cozy joint celebration with the military.
“Thankful for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces! We are the land of the free because of the brave. God bless America!” the White House aide posted on Twitter.
Thankful for the brave men and women of our Armed Forces!
— Ivanka Trump (@IvankaTrump) November 29, 2019
We are the land of the free because of the brave.
God bless America! 🇺🇸 https://t.co/zOV7Vb1v3m
However, reactions that promptly swamped the comments section were quite mixed.
Firstly, there were many who lambasted the visit as a PR stunt by “showman Trump”:
“Nothing more than a photo op, Vanky”, one unimpressed netizen posted, with a second replying in disparaging tone:
“Bone spurs. Nobody in your family is brave”.
Hypocrites.
— nanner (@huntfornancy) November 29, 2019
Bone spurs.
— SSton (@SharinStone) November 29, 2019
Nobody in your family is brave.
“They should all be giving him the 1 Finger salute!” another weighed in, while another added incredulously:
“Did they make the soldiers attend?”
For some reason others noted the Trump family “should have no security clearances”:
Let’s cross our fingers. Imo, this family is a mob that should have NO security clearances.
— SueKnows (@Schmomm) November 29, 2019
Many brought up Donald Trump’s remarks made while in Afghanistan that he is bringing the troops back home:
"Good now bring them home with you. 20 yrs occupying a country illegally is long enough!" one exclaimed, while a number of netizens applauded Trump’s Thanksgiving move, with one ridiculing the ubiquitous “disgruntled negativity”:
Thank you Ivanka , so sad there are so much disgruntled negativity out there. But you all have many whom continue to see though it!! Let forge on!!!
— michelle cumming (@mcumming13) November 29, 2019
Thankful for Our President spending Thanksgiving with our strops! 👏👏👏🇺🇸🇺🇸🦃🦃
— Phyllis Gibson (@NursGibson49) November 29, 2019
Speaking at an unannounced Thanksgiving gathering on his first-ever visit to Afghanistan, where the US has been fighting for the past 18 years, President Donald Trump solemnly announced the United States is “substantially” reducing its troops there.
He also touched upon the previously stalled negotiations with the Taliban, arguing a peace deal is in the making and close at hand.
"The Taliban wants to make a deal", Trump stated. "And we are meeting with them and we say it has to be a ceasefire and they didn't want to do a ceasefire and now they want to do a ceasefire, I believe. It will probably work out that way".
According to the Pentagon, the number of troops currently stationed in Afghanistan has been cut by 2,000 out of the overall 14,000 over the past year, with the ultimate goal being the reduction of them to 8,600.
