Trump: I'm too 'busy' to visit troops and it's 'not overly necessary'

Trump is waving off the idea that he should maintain the presidential tradition of visiting U.S. troops inside a war zone.

The gesture is seen as a sign of respect and a way for the president to remind U.S. troops that Americans are thinking of them in places like Afghanistan and Iraq, where an estimated 20,000 U.S. troops are still stationed.

“I will do that at some point, but I don’t think it’s overly necessary,” Trump said on Tuesday, when pressed during a Q&A with the Associated Press. “I’ve been very busy with everything that’s taking place here.”

Trump also repeated the lie that he recently approved the first military raise in 11 years. In truth, members of the U.S. military are guaranteed a small pay raise each year by law.

President George W. Bush often visited war zones. And less three months into his presidency, Obama visited troops in Iraq. And he made surprise visits to troops in Afghanistan twice in 2010. In total, Obama ventured into combat zones five times during his time in office.

Trump though, is too “busy.”

Trump famously doesn’t work very hard or very often, and on some days there’s nothing listed on his official schedule.

When not live-tweeting Fox News during his “executive time,” Trump has been relentlessly golfing, as if that were his full-time job.

He’s also attended 70 campaign events this year.

So they idea that he’s been too “busy” to venture into war zones to show his appreciation for the troops makes no sense.

Maybe he’s just afraid of combat zones.

Note that Trump, who has bragged about being a three-sport athlete in high school, suddenly developed bone spurs when he became eligible for the draft during the Vietnam War. In total, he received five deferments and avoided serving in the military. Nearly 60,000 Americans were killed in the Vietnam War.

Trump told the AP he’d “gladly” visit the troops — at some point. But Trump lies about everything, so don’t hold your breath.

Published with permission of The American Independent Foundation.