First lady Melania flies to Florida on government jet after Trump postpones Speaker Nancy Pelosi's

[SunSeeker]

Source: CNBC

First Lady Melania Trump flew to Florida on a government jet Thursday for a weekend vacation, hours after President Donald Trump dramatically postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip with other members of Congress to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan, NBC confirmed, citing a law enforcement source.

President Trump cited the ongoing government shutdown as his reason for postponing Pelosi's travel plans, shortly before she and her team were scheduled to depart on a military plane.

While Pelosi was practically grounded by Trump's actions, the president's wife headed to Joint Base Andrews for her own trip on a military aircraft, NBC said.
...
Trump's letter, which was made public in a tweet by White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, did not mention Pelosi's call for him to postpone the State of the Union address, which the president has not otherwise commented on. But his letter was seen as a retaliation for her suggestion.

Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/17/trump-postpones-pelosis-overseas-trip-because-of-shutdown.html

---

Lawrence O'Donnell said tonight the jet Melania flew is identical to the jet Pelosi would have flown.

[msongs]

1. well she can always go back to her old job if the president loses federal funding nt

[Scarsdale]

23. She aged out of that

just before she latched onto tRump. Her friend said she was broke, and thinking of returning to Slutvania.

[cstanleytech]

2. Sounds like a Trump abusing power but thats nothing new.

[SunSeeker]

3. He also Valerie Plamed Pelosi by disclosing her trip to a war zone--a national security secret.

Now she can't go even if she could take commercial flights for the trip, her plans have been blown.

[cstanleytech]

5. Thats why I think Pelosi should invite Trump to do the state of the union address before the House.

Of course with a few stipulations and they would be that only Pelosi and a few other Democrats would be there and right in the front row with the Democrats should be seated all the women that accused Trump of assault as well as those that accused Kavanaugh.
After all if its good enough for President Perv to do then its good enough to have it done to him.

[SunSeeker]

6. Not gonna happen. She's not giving him that platform.

And Kavanaugh's accusers don't want to be anywhere near him.

[cstanleytech]

15. I suspect though whats going to happen is he will try to do a televised address from inside

the White House because from the news reports his goal is to try and get the public to blame the Democrats for the shutdown.

[SunSeeker]

16. Yep, or Mitch will let him stage it from the Senate.

Because Mitch is a now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump organization.

[riversedge]

34. Pelosi said after the #shutdown would be OK as I understand her memo

[Lady_Chat]

17. I think Pelosi should invite him to give it

in his bathroom, sitting on his gold toilet, since he is so full of it.

[moriah]

30. With air traffic control at a lower percentage of readiness, while the TSA has the Blue Flu....

.... AND other security measures not being at proper readiness....

I don't think it's the time to put the majority of our leaders in the same building at a planned time.

Not trying to sound too tinfoil-hatted and all, just I've read too many books with an attempted decapitation strike as a plot device. And this is not exactly the administration I'd trust to pick the best "designated survivors".

[Rhiannon12866]

4. Doesn't she also need air traffic controllers for that??

[SunSeeker]

7. It flew out of Andrews AFB, like Pelosi would have, so no civilian ATC.

I believe all military, including military Air Traffic Controllers, are getting paid during the Trump shutdown, except for the Coast Guard.

But the Secret Service is not getting paid, and Melania took a bunch for security with her to go to Mar-a-lago.

The military would have provided security for Pelosi on her trip to Afghanistan, so Pelosi would not have used government workers working without pay.

[More_Cowbell]

11. But the air traffic controllers in Florida are civilians, I think nt

[Corgigal]

12. Almost all FAA civilian controllers.

Airspace ten miles around the airport is tower, the rest of the trip is radar. None of these professionals are being paid.

[Rhiannon12866]

13. There's also the issue with the airport they use in Florida

Taxpayers are subsidizing them for the revenue they lose when they're closed to normal traffic. That was a big story when it first broke, only to be overshadowed on a daily basis by so many that are much worse. Thanks for the explanation, the obvious entitlement and disregard for anyone else totally boggles the mind...

[SunSeeker]

14. Yep. nt

[Cha]

8. Flying to Mar-A-Lago is worth the taxpayers' money.. Flying to reassure NATO and visit troops in..

Link to tweet

I can't wait until that evil fucking, traitorous trash is gone.

[SunSeeker]

9. Disgusting, isn't it?

[Cha]

10. I hope the troops and military

brass get the real facts on this latest evil trump shite.

[SergeStorms]

20. I'm sure it's official business.

Her "Be Best" campaign has been an unparalleled success, and she probably needs a brief respite from her whirlwind tour dates.

[Scarsdale]

24. How much is this

weekend trip costing taxpayers? How many unpaid government workers would that money have fed? The workers who are in danger of losing their homes, cars, etc. must be upset about this.

[SunSeeker]

46. The flight alone cost $35k. Then there is the Secret Service costs.

But Melania doesn't mind spending other people's money.

[YOHABLO]

18. Let's face it, Trump has met his major nemesis with Nancy P.& hates that a woman will be his demise.

Oh I can't wait.

[Lady_Chat]

19. Was Melanie wearing her "I don't care, do you?" jacket? I'm so angry.

She might as well, since neither she nor Trump care. I cannot believe it was ok for Trump to go to Iraq during the Shutdown, and not Pelosi going with a bipartisan team to Afghanistan, to see our soldiers. Not to mention Pelosi's trip being announced ahead of time and asked to go on a commercial flight, knowing how dangerous that could be, while Melanie gets to use a government plane. Has anyone even asked Trump why it was ok for him during a Shutdown, and not Pelosi? I'm so angry!

[SunSeeker]

45. Maybe Melania wore her Trump Jet outfit...

[trueblue2007]

21. she is not the first lady .... she is the first escort

[Sherman A1]

29. I love That

I intend to steal your description.

[akraven]

38. First Whore. nt

[trueblue2007]

41. well, i didn't wanna use a bad word. everyone knows what "An Escort" is ....

Urban Dictionary: escort
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=escortsexsex
Prostitute. For legal reasons, escort is used to describe the actions and services s/he does for a negotiated price. Usually higher in price than a hooker/street-walker/lady of ill morals.

A call girl? Dial M for Melania?

[trueblue2007]

42. and then there were these

[akraven]

50. Yeah............ definite plant (who else would want him?)

And HE has the fucking NERVE to go off on Clinton and Pelosi? What about his slut?

[akraven]

43. LOL! I'm Alaskan.

We don't mince words. I could have used worse...….

[trueblue2007]

48. i didn't want to get in trouble .....

[akraven]

49. LOL! Nor do I, except when I deliberately cause it.

[Achilleaze]

22. republican "billionaires" sucking at the public tit

Shameless republican grifters

[ck4829]

25. K&R

[underpants]

26. Wow. Went to bed thinking "How could they screw THIS up?"

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Clustertrump

[Uben]

27. Trump loves nothing more than spending other peoples money

The lying sycophant has made a living out of spending other people's money. It's what he does. He is such a failure at business. He doesn't pay employees and contractors, and revels in the fact he got one over on them! He is like a thief who steals from the elderly. He has no conscience. Nothing is his fault in his mind. So, the fact he currently has employees working without pay puts him in his "happy place". I don't think I know of a bigger piece of scum than Donald Trump.

[riversedge]

28. The Last Word: Melania Trump vacations using gov't plane as Trump blocks Pelosi's flight

The Last Word
Melania Trump vacations using gov’t plane as Trump blocks Pelosi’s flight


https://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/melania-trump-vacations-using-gov-t-plane-as-trump-blocks-pelosi-s-flight-1428048963855?cid=sm_npd_ms_tw_ma

NBC News reports Melania Trump flew to Florida on a U.S. military plane on the same day Pres. Trump blocked Speaker Pelosi from using a U.S. military plane to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan as the shutdown fight continues. John Heilemann and Sam Stein join Lawrence O'Donnell on the Trump shutdown latest.Jan. 17, 2019

[Scarsdale]

31. I wonder where Ivanka, Beavis and Butthead are?

She is likely working on getting more patents for her "fashion line" The "boys are probably shooting innocent wild animals. All protected by the Secret Service agents.

[Yonnie3]

32. and ... back to DC

If this is correct, did she go and get summoned back or maybe she left something down there during Christmas? An Adderall resupply mission? The Secret Service can't pay for their rooms and Rump isn't going to extend credit?

Link to tweet

?s=19

[karynnj]

36. Or the plane took her there and then returned -

It is not clear that she and her ss retinue came back with the plane.

[Yonnie3]

37. Normally they only use that ID when she is on board.

That's why I qualified my comment above. It could be a crew mistake.

[karynnj]

39. Thanks - did not know that

It is strange that she flew down and almost immediately back. Almost as if Trump used her to make a point as he was withholding a plane from Pelosi. (Sort of you can do nothing - I can do anything I want)

[Yonnie3]

47. The press thinks she is in Florida

They are reporting that the WH says she and Baron planned a long weekend with MLK Jr. day coming. Looks like the ID wasn't changed as usual.

However, I don't see any mentions of actually seeing her or photos of her arrival.

[noneof_theabove]

33. They need to be stripped of perks...

and pay for security and transportation from their own pockets.

[karynnj]

35. Strange time for her to fly to Florida - Doesn't Barron have school? nt

Obviously -- the bigger issue is she is allowed to fly though she does NOTHING for the government - while Pelosi is not allowed to.

[SunSeeker]

44. She's only going for the weekend. That's worth a $35k flight on the taxpayers, right?

[truthisfreedom]

40. Enjoy it while it lasts!

Mueller is closing in.

[thegoose]

51. "Laws are for the little people"

Fucking scum family.

[Delphinus]

52. I rarely

have NPR news on, but today I heard it - they mentioned Speaker Pelosi having to cancel plans due to the unsafe situation of him revealing plans, therefore could not fly commercially, but did NOT mention his wife going down on the same kind of government-funded plane.