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WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The 
president is back home 
in Washington, after his 
surprise visit yesterday

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with American troops 
stationed in Iraq.

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While the service members 
clearly seemed happy 
with the commander in 
chief's visit, others

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are raising questions about 
some of the president's 
political rhetoric on the trip.

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Our White House correspondent, 
Yamiche Alcindor, is here.

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Hi, Yamiche.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Hi.

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WILLIAM BRANGHAM: So, last 
night, when we knew about the 
president's trip, we talked

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a little bit about the 
geopolitical implications 
of the trip and how 
Iraq is rebuilding.

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But we wanted to talk about 
the politics, because, as I 
said, the president struck a

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pretty partisan political 
tone when he was 
speaking to the troops.

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Can you tell us a little 
bit about what he said?

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: This 
was essentially a Trump 
2020 campaign rally 
held in front of troops

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in Iraq.

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The president was attacking 
Democrats and accusing them 
of not wanting border security

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and wanting open borders.

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The president called out by name 
Nancy Pelosi, who is, of course, 
Representative Nancy Pelosi.

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She is likely going to 
be the speaker of the 
House when Democrats 
take control of the House

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in 2019.

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And the president also accused 
immigrants of being criminals.

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He said that they're 
going to be bring drugs 
and human trafficking 
into the United States.

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I want to play some video 
that really encapsulates 
what the president's 
political message was

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to the troops.

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DONALD TRUMP, President of the 
United States: You know, when 
you think about it, you're

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fighting for borders in other 
countries, and they don't want 
to fight, the Democrats, for

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the border of our country.

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It doesn't make a lot of sense.

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I don't know if you folks are 
aware of what's happening.

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We want to have strong 
borders in the United States.

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The Democrats don't want 
to let us have strong 
borders, only for one reason.

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You know why?

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Because I want it.

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WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Is it unusual 
for a president to take such 
a political tone when they're

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standing in front of American 
service men and women?

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: 
It's very unusual.

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The president, President 
Trump, did something very 
different from his predecessors.

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One, he went to the 
troops in Iraq a lot later 
in his presidency than 
other presidents have

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in the past.

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And this is usually 
neutral territory.

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This is not where you bring up 
political party differences.

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Usually, presidents have talked 
about thanking the troops and 
talking about the American

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mission as a whole.

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President Obama had gone to 
both Iraq and Afghanistan 
within the first two years of

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his presidency.

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President George W. Bush 
also went to Iraq pretty 
early in his presidency.

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So the president here was 
-- again, his schedule 
was different from other 
presidents, but also

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his tone and his 
message was different.

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WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The troops 
clearly seemed to love 
having the president there.

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But it's hard to overlook the 
fact this is coming in the 
midst of the shutdown of the

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government and amidst this 
very controversial resignation 
of his defense secretary, Jim

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Mattis.

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So what is your sense of what 
the president sees as the 
upside of this trip for him?

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The political 
upside is, the optics are 
good for the president and

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for the first lady.

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This is a president that's 
dealing with an ongoing 
government shutdown.

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This is a president 
that is dealing with the 
defense secretary leaving, 
but also a revolving

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door at the White House, with 
all sorts of people, including 
the chief of staff, leaving.

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This is also a president 
who is dealing with the 
Mueller investigation.

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In 2019, likely, Robert Mueller 
will be issuing some sort of 
report that's going to change

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his presidency, and really 
impact the way that he can 
govern in this country.

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So, with all that going on, 
the president wants to be 
seen as someone who's being a

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commander in chief, 
who's taking charge, who 
is supporting troops.

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And the images of him signing 
"Making America Great" Hats in 
Iraq are good things for him.

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WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The president 
also in his comments to the 
troops said something that

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they had to have 
known wasn't true.

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And this was him talking 
about the pay raises 
they have been given.

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Let's take a listen 
to what he had to say.

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DONALD TRUMP: You just got 
one of the biggest pay raises 
you have ever received, unless

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you don't want it.

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Does anybody here...

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(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

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DONALD TRUMP: Is anybody 
here willing to give up the 
big pay raise you just got?

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Raise your hand, please.

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I don't see too many hands.

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OK.

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Don't give it up.

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It's great.

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You know what?

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Nobody deserves it more.

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You haven't gotten one 
in more than 10 years, 
more than 10 years.

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And we got you a big one.

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I got you a big one.

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I got you a big one.

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WILLIAM BRANGHAM: 
How true is that?

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The 
president simply is not 
telling the truth there.

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Two things.

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The president saying that 
it's been over a decade since 
service members and troops have

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gotten a pay raise, 
that's not true.

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The service members and 
troops have been getting 
pay races every year 
since at least the last

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decade.

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It's usually been 
around 1 percent.

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The president is also 
saying that they're going 
to get a 10 percent raise.

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Reporting shows that there's 
going to be a 2.6 percent raise.

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It's a lot different, about 
7 percent difference there.

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So the president is 
misleading the troops here.

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And this is a pattern 
for this president.

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When he gets in front 
of big crowds, he likes 
to tell falsehoods.

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He likes to exaggerate things.

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And, here, he's doing just that.

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WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Yamiche 
Alcindor, thank you so much.

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YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thanks.