Trump visits Arlington cemetery for commemoration for veterans
WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump made an unscheduled visit to Arlington National Cemetery on a rainy Saturday, following weeks of criticism for skipping ceremonial visits in the United States and abroad that other presidents have made and for his lack of meetings with U.S. troops in combat zones.
The president spent 15 minutes at the Virginia cemetery, walking with two military officers dressed in camouflage and a tour guide, looking at the thousands of grave markers that had been decorated with holiday wreaths. The visit was not on Trump’s public schedule, which often signals a last-minute decision.
“They’re doing a great job,” Trump said, before saying that he wanted to expand the cemetery so more service members could be buried in the hallowed grounds. He said little else publicly, appearing to intently listen to his tour guide.
He did not lay a wreath but walked along a long row of tombstones, appearing to examine them while holding a large black umbrella. He appeared to be wearing waterproof boots as he traipsed the muddy grounds that have been the resting place for the nation’s honored dead since the Civil War.
He visited on Wreaths Across America Day, where thousands of volunteers in the United States visit graves at military cemeteries across the nation.
The president has faced weeks of criticism for his interactions with the military. He was mocked by Democratic opponents, and some Republicans, too, for skipping a visit to honor Americans killed in battle during his visit to France last month, during the commemoration of the end of the World War I.
White House aides said it was impossible for the president to visit the cemetery because weather conditions were too bad for his helicopter to fly. Trump later berated outgoing White House Chief of Staff John Kelly — who went to the cemetery — and Zach Fuentes, Kelly’s deputy, over the skipped trip.
Trump on Saturday also commented on a Texas judge’s Friday ruling that the individual mandate of te Affordable Care Act was not constitutional, telling reporters that he wanted to work with Democrats to pass a new law — without offering specifics or saying how he would do it.