Huckabee Sanders attempts to tell us why The WH never released prepared Niger statement [View all]

[riversedge]

White House seeks to explain never released Niger statement

http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/18/politics/president-donald-trump-niger-statement/index.html?CNNPolitics=Tw



By Jeremy Diamond, CNN

Updated 7:03 PM ET, Wed October 18, 2017
Story highlights

Trump's first remarks didn't come until nearly two weeks later
He was asked about them during an impromptu news conference on Monday

Washington (CNN)It's not clear why it took President Donald Trump 12 days to publicly comment on the deaths of US troops killed in an ambush in Niger, but it wasn't for lack of effort from some White House officials.

White House officials prepared and circulated internally a statement to be issued on the President's behalf the day after the attack. But the statement, obtained Wednesday by Politico and confirmed by CNN, was never officially released.

Instead, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders took to the briefing room that same day and said: "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the fallen service members who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the freedoms we hold so dear."
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Pressed Wednesday on why it took Trump so long to offer a public statement on the soldiers' deaths, Sanders pointed reporters to her remarks October 5, saying she made those remarks "at the direction of the President."


"I speak on his behalf and I did that on behalf of the President and the administration," Sanders said, though her initial statement made no specific mention of the President.

A White House official said Wednesday the White House opted not to issue the written statement from the President, deciding instead it would be more powerful for Sanders to deliver remarks from the White House podium on the matter. The official said it was more important to elevate the message by issuing it from the White House podium.
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