In a brilliant move President Trump announced today that a Congressional delegation to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan headed up by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would have to be postponed as a result of the ongoing partial government shutdown. Travel by military aircraft had been planned for the trip, which as Commander in Chief President Trump will not approve because of the shutdown.

Though denied by the White House, it certainly appeared to be an obvious response to Speaker Pelosi’s recent suggestion that the upcoming State of the Union Address be postponed for “security” reasons. Though the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI, and the Department of Homeland Security all indicated that there were no security issues surrounding the State of the Union Address that could not be resolved and handled as a result of the government shutdown.

In his letter to Speaker Pelosi explaining his decision President Trump acknowledged that the Speaker certainly could proceed with her trip using commercial airlines if she chose to do so. An option that Speaker Pelosi apparently isn’t interested in pursuing.

In a statement today critical of both Pelosi and President Trump for what’s been described as “Sophomoric behavior”, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham chided both and mentioned that Pelosi and the rest of the Congressional delegation should be allowed to visit the troops. Seriously Lindsey, do you think the troops are at all anxious to see Nancy Pelosi?

I’ve been overseas when Congressional Delegations (CODEL) have shown up. They’re a royal pain in the butt. Extra security precautions have to be made, not to mention lodging and transportation arrangements. Military and embassy officials have to work many extra hours to pull off the visit without a hitch.

In 2006 I was at the Al Faw Palace on Camp Victory in Baghdad when then Senator Hillary Clinton paid a visit. I watched from an upper level of the palace atrium as Clinton and her entourage walked across the atrium following a meeting with the military leadership. Other than the generals, there were few soldiers in uniform to be seen anywhere around the future presidential candidate. They simply weren’t interested in meeting her.

I’m pretty confident that as Hillary Clinton experienced in Baghdad, Pelosi would have been met with the same response from the rank and file of the military in Afghanistan. Oh out of courtesy the senior commanders would meet with her, along with any soldiers who happened to be walking nearby and were ‘Shanghaied’ into it by higher ranking officers. Perhaps a few soldiers might be curious if she was as dumb in person as she is on television. But I’m certain that few in the military would be dropping everything to turn out to receive Queen Nancy and her entourage. They’d much rather be watching Armed Forces Television reruns of the Three Stooges instead. Come to think of it…..

I have a suggestion for Speaker Pelosi. Instead of gallivanting around visiting Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and planning to visit Belgium, Egypt, and Afghanistan, stay in Washington and sit down with President Trump and work out a deal. It’s your damn job!

Americans are hurting as a result of the partial government shutdown. A shutdown that could be ended in minutes if Pelosi would choose to show more concern about the immorality experienced by American citizens who have been assaulted, raped, and killed by illegal aliens, than the concern she expresses about a border wall being immoral.

With another caravan of a couple thousand or more future illegal aliens that formed in Central America and heading our way now, the country needs enhanced security – including a wall where appropriate – along our border now more than ever. 

But if she’s committed to traveling overseas during this government shutdown instead of sitting down and negotiating with the president in good faith, and more interested in wasting our troops time in Afghanistan with her Congressional visit, my recommendation is that she just use her broom to get there.