President Donald Trump thanked US troops for their service on Thursday, assuring them \u201cwe\u2019re really winning\u201d against America\u2019s foes as he celebrated Thanksgiving at his private club in Florida and provided lunch for Coast Guard men and women on duty for the holiday.<\/p>\n
Using the occasion to pat himself on the back, Trump told deployed military members via a video conference that they\u2019ve achieved more progress in Afghanistan and against the Islamic State group under his watch than had been made in years of the previous administration.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody\u2019s talking about the progress you\u2019ve made in the last few months since I opened it up,\u201d he told the 1st Brigade Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division, whose members are conducting operations in Kandahar, Afghanistan. \u201cWe\u2019re being talked about again as an armed forces \u2014 we\u2019re really winning.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking from a gilded room at his Mar-a-Lago club, Trump said: \u201cWe\u2019re not fighting anymore to just walk around, we\u2019re fighting to win, and you people are really, you\u2019ve turned it around over the last three to four months like nobody\u2019s seen, and they are talking about it, so thank you very much.\u201d<\/p>\n
Turning to the 74th Expeditionary Fighters Squadron based at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey, Trump suggested the Obama administration hadn\u2019t allowed soldiers on the ground to do their jobs. \u201cThey say we\u2019ve made more progress against ISIS than they did in years of the previous administration,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s because I\u2019m letting you do your job.\u201d<\/p>\n
Throughout the day \u2014 at events and on Twitter \u2014 Trump boasted about the economy\u2019s performance since he took office, pointing to recent stock market gains and the unemployment rate, along with his efforts to scale back regulations and boost military spending. \u201cSo you\u2019re fighting for something real, you\u2019re fighting for something good,\u201d he told the service members<\/p>\n
Trump and his wife, Melania, also made a trip to a nearby Coast Guard station in Riviera Beach, Florida, where they delivered a lunch of turkey sandwiches, giant muffins, heaping baskets of fruit, chips and cookies to men and women on duty for the holidays.<\/p>\n
During his remarks, Trump, singled out the service for its hurricane relief efforts during Harvey and the other storms that battered the country earlier this year. \u201cThere\u2019s no brand that went up more than the Coast Guard,\u201d Trump told them \u201cWhat a job you\u2019ve done.\u201d<\/p>\n
Trump praised the superiority of US military equipment, too, yet said he tries to make sure that equipment the U.S. sells abroad \u2014 even to allies \u2014 is not quite as good as that kept at home. \u201cI always say, make ours a little bit better,\u201d Trump said. \u201cKeep about 10 percent in the bag.\u201d He added: \u201cYou never know about an ally. An ally can turn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the equipment admired by Trump is the F-35 stealth fighter jet, which he recalled asking \u201cAir Force guys\u201d about once. \u201cIn a fight, you know a fight like I watch on the movies \u2026 how good is it?\u201d he recalled asking. \u201cThey said, \u2018Well, it wins every time because the enemy cannot see it, even if it\u2019s right next to it,’\u201d Trump recounted, prompting laughs.<\/p>\n
The F-35, plagued by development problems and cost overruns, is in fact not invisible to people nearby. Its stealth technology is designed to evade detection by radar and other sensors.<\/p>\n
At the earlier video conference, Trump cleared the room of press after about 10 minutes so he could have \u201cvery confidential, personal conversations\u201d with those on the line. Borrowing a line from his \u201cApprentice\u201d days, he told the reporters \u201cYou\u2019re fired,\u201d then wished them a happy Thanksgiving, too.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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