Donald Trump’s ominous tweet late Saurday night was only surpassed by his absolutely ridonculous press briefing on Sunday to announce the death of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Trump, of course, compared the military’s mission to his predecessor’s, after which it appears that his Situation Room photo was staged. Trump then broke tradition and did not notify the Congressional “Gang of Eight” about the mission that resulted in Baghdadi’s death. Trump’s moves seem to typically break with tradition because he doesn’t listen to his advisers, and he also goes off-script.
Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace asked vice-president Mike Pence why Democratic congressional leaders were not notified about the raid. During the presser, Trump claimed that there might be leaks if he informed Congress. But, if he wants to compare himself to Obama, he should note that his predecessor did notify Congress before the bin Laden raid.
“The implication seeming to be that he was worried that Pelosi or members of Congress would leak this,” Wallace said. “Does the president not trust the Speaker of the House with sensitive national security information?”
“I don’t think that was the implication at all,” Pence responded. “I think from the time that we got actionable intelligence, the president’s total focus here was on a successful mission and the safety of American troops.”
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Yeah, but that’s not how it works. That’s not how any of this works. So, Mike Wallace pressed on, asking, “Why didn’t he tell Nancy Pelosi?”
“We wanted them to be able to get in and get out, it’s a dangerous mission on the ground,” Pence said. “They went with the resolve in the determination as president to bring al-Baghdadi to justice but they also went with our prayers and I just couldn’t be more proud. When they were wheels up out of country, no American casualties and al-Baghdadi is dead.”
“We all applaud that,” Wallace said. “I do want to ask you, it is my job as a newsman, respectfully, why didn’t the president notify Speaker of the House?”
Pence just couldn’t seem to answer the very simple question posed to him.
“I just want to emphasize the president’s focus here throughout particularly the last several days was on the mission to bring a man who was the most wanted man in the world, a man who had brought unspeakable violence through the ISIS caliphate,” Pence said without answering the question again, adding, “who was exporting violence throughout the world to justice and that combined with ensuring the safety of our forces coming in from executing the mission and moving out was the president’s directive throughout this effort and I know it animated every decision that he made along the way.”
“Let me also say what a privilege it was for me to be a small part of this in the Situation Room because we mourn with those who mourn and grieve with those who grieve, our hearts are with Kayla Mueller family, but as a Hoosier, I will tell you I remember when Peter Kassig was killed,” Pence continued. “It broke the heart of the people of Indiana. I spent time with his parents and for me to be sitting alongside a president who brought the man responsible for that justice will be something that I cherish the rest of my life.”
Aaaand that is the longest non-answer ever.
Watch:
Well, that was awkward.
Featured image via screen capture
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