Trump thanks himself
US PRESIDENT Donald Trump used a Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the US-Mexico border.
Mr Trump’s call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club, struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays.
“It’s a disgrace,” Mr Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul US immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas.
Mr Trump later threatened to close the US border with Mexico for an undisclosed period if his administration determines Mexico has lost “control” on its side.
The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops.
“You really are our heroes,” he said, as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him.
Mr Trump told one air force brigadier-general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan: “You probably see over the news what’s happening on our southern border.
“I don’t have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who we’re letting in.”
Mr Trump also continued to rail against the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals, which he said has become “a big thorn in our side”. “It’s a terrible thing,” he said, when judges “tell you how to protect your border. It’s a disgrace.”
Later, Mr Trump asked a US Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was “a very big subject” for him personally.