Trump visited US troops in Iraq and Afghanistan while president | Fact check
Chris MuellerThe claim: Trump never visited US troops overseas during presidency
A Feb. 28 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) shows a collage of images, including one of former President Donald Trump giving a speech in front of uniformed sailors.
"'No one supports the military more than me,'" reads text above that image.
Below the image of Trump speaking are two more images, one of a soldier in combat and one of Trump playing golf, along with text that reads, "Days spent."
"Visiting troops overseas: 0. Visiting golf courses: 88," reads text over the respective images.
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Our rating: False
Trump visited U.S. troops overseas multiple times as president, including trips to combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Trump made trips to Iraq and Afghanistan as president
Trump first visited a U.S. military combat zone on Dec. 26, 2018, when he traveled to Al Asad Airbase in Iraq. He spent about three hours on the ground, meeting with soldiers in a dining hall and speaking to a large gathering of troops in a hangar, USA TODAY reported. The trip was widely publicized at the time.
Trump also made a surprise visit to Afghanistan on Nov. 28, 2019, his second visit to a combat zone as president. He arrived at Bagram Airfield and spent about three hours serving turkey, thanking soldiers, giving a speech and meeting with then-Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, the Associated Press reported.
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Trump made other trips to visit with U.S. troops overseas while he was president, including stops in Germany and South Korea.
The post also undercounts the number of times Trump played golf while he was president. Trump "probably played 261 rounds of golf as president," The Washington Post reported in 2021, though it notes that number may not be exact because Trump's team often would not report whether he played golf while visiting his properties.
USA TODAY reached out to the social media user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
Our fact-check sources:
- USA TODAY, Dec. 26, 2018, Trump defends Syria policy during surprise visit with US troops in Iraq
- The Palm Beach Post, Nov. 28, 2019, How Trump stealthily went from Mar-a-Lago to Afghanistan
- Associated Press, Nov. 28, 2019, Trump thanks troops in Afghanistan, says Taliban want a deal
- Associated Press, Dec. 26, 2018, Trump greets US troops in Germany
- CBS News, July 1, 2019, Trump crosses into North Korea, meets with Kim Jong Un
- Washington Post, Jan. 20, 2021, Trump’s presidency ends where so much of it was spent: A Trump Organization property
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