WEBVTT 00:02.100 --> 00:03.566 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The president is back home in Washington, after his surprise visit yesterday 00:03.566 --> 00:06.066 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% with American troops stationed in Iraq. 00:06.066 --> 00:10.233 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% While the service members clearly seemed happy with the commander in chief's visit, others 00:10.233 --> 00:14.433 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% are raising questions about some of the president's political rhetoric on the trip. 00:14.433 --> 00:17.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Our White House correspondent, Yamiche Alcindor, is here. 00:17.000 --> 00:18.000 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Hi, Yamiche. 00:18.000 --> 00:20.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Hi. 00:20.033 --> 00:22.500 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: So, last night, when we knew about the president's trip, we talked 00:22.500 --> 00:26.166 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% a little bit about the geopolitical implications of the trip and how Iraq is rebuilding. 00:26.166 --> 00:30.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But we wanted to talk about the politics, because, as I said, the president struck a 00:30.233 --> 00:34.766 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% pretty partisan political tone when he was speaking to the troops. 00:34.766 --> 00:36.900 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Can you tell us a little bit about what he said? 00:36.900 --> 00:41.200 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: This was essentially a Trump 2020 campaign rally held in front of troops 00:41.200 --> 00:43.300 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% in Iraq. 00:43.300 --> 00:46.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The president was attacking Democrats and accusing them of not wanting border security 00:46.366 --> 00:48.466 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% and wanting open borders. 00:48.466 --> 00:52.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The president called out by name Nancy Pelosi, who is, of course, Representative Nancy Pelosi. 00:52.200 --> 00:55.800 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% She is likely going to be the speaker of the House when Democrats take control of the House 00:55.800 --> 00:57.533 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% in 2019. 00:57.533 --> 01:00.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% And the president also accused immigrants of being criminals. 01:00.233 --> 01:03.533 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% He said that they're going to be bring drugs and human trafficking into the United States. 01:03.533 --> 01:08.133 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% I want to play some video that really encapsulates what the president's political message was 01:08.133 --> 01:10.200 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% to the troops. 01:10.200 --> 01:12.300 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% DONALD TRUMP, President of the United States: You know, when you think about it, you're 01:12.300 --> 01:15.333 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% fighting for borders in other countries, and they don't want to fight, the Democrats, for 01:18.533 --> 01:19.800 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% the border of our country. 01:19.800 --> 01:21.366 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% It doesn't make a lot of sense. 01:21.366 --> 01:24.000 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% I don't know if you folks are aware of what's happening. 01:24.000 --> 01:26.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% We want to have strong borders in the United States. 01:26.333 --> 01:31.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The Democrats don't want to let us have strong borders, only for one reason. 01:31.133 --> 01:32.133 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% You know why? 01:32.133 --> 01:34.166 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Because I want it. 01:34.166 --> 01:38.666 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Is it unusual for a president to take such a political tone when they're 01:42.133 --> 01:44.900 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% standing in front of American service men and women? 01:44.900 --> 01:46.833 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: It's very unusual. 01:46.833 --> 01:51.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The president, President Trump, did something very different from his predecessors. 01:51.033 --> 01:56.000 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% One, he went to the troops in Iraq a lot later in his presidency than other presidents have 01:56.633 --> 01:57.900 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% in the past. 01:57.900 --> 01:59.433 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And this is usually neutral territory. 01:59.433 --> 02:01.566 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% This is not where you bring up political party differences. 02:01.566 --> 02:04.800 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% Usually, presidents have talked about thanking the troops and talking about the American 02:04.800 --> 02:06.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% mission as a whole. 02:06.833 --> 02:10.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% President Obama had gone to both Iraq and Afghanistan within the first two years of 02:10.366 --> 02:12.100 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% his presidency. 02:12.100 --> 02:16.133 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% President George W. Bush also went to Iraq pretty early in his presidency. 02:16.133 --> 02:20.066 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% So the president here was -- again, his schedule was different from other presidents, but also 02:20.066 --> 02:22.100 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% his tone and his message was different. 02:22.100 --> 02:24.833 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The troops clearly seemed to love having the president there. 02:24.833 --> 02:28.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% But it's hard to overlook the fact this is coming in the midst of the shutdown of the 02:28.733 --> 02:33.733 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% government and amidst this very controversial resignation of his defense secretary, Jim 02:34.200 --> 02:36.233 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% Mattis. 02:36.233 --> 02:39.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So what is your sense of what the president sees as the upside of this trip for him? 02:39.366 --> 02:43.033 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The political upside is, the optics are good for the president and 02:43.033 --> 02:45.033 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% for the first lady. 02:45.033 --> 02:47.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% This is a president that's dealing with an ongoing government shutdown. 02:47.566 --> 02:51.666 align:left position:10%,start line:71% size:80% This is a president that is dealing with the defense secretary leaving, but also a revolving 02:51.666 --> 02:55.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% door at the White House, with all sorts of people, including the chief of staff, leaving. 02:55.166 --> 02:58.733 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% This is also a president who is dealing with the Mueller investigation. 02:58.733 --> 03:03.166 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% In 2019, likely, Robert Mueller will be issuing some sort of report that's going to change 03:03.166 --> 03:07.133 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% his presidency, and really impact the way that he can govern in this country. 03:07.133 --> 03:11.233 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% So, with all that going on, the president wants to be seen as someone who's being a 03:11.233 --> 03:14.100 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% commander in chief, who's taking charge, who is supporting troops. 03:14.100 --> 03:19.100 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% And the images of him signing "Making America Great" Hats in Iraq are good things for him. 03:21.000 --> 03:23.200 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: The president also in his comments to the troops said something that 03:23.200 --> 03:25.933 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% they had to have known wasn't true. 03:25.933 --> 03:28.933 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% And this was him talking about the pay raises they have been given. 03:28.933 --> 03:31.000 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% Let's take a listen to what he had to say. 03:31.000 --> 03:34.366 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% DONALD TRUMP: You just got one of the biggest pay raises you have ever received, unless 03:34.366 --> 03:35.800 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% you don't want it. 03:35.800 --> 03:37.700 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Does anybody here... 03:37.700 --> 03:39.766 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% (CHEERING AND APPLAUSE) 03:39.766 --> 03:44.500 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% DONALD TRUMP: Is anybody here willing to give up the big pay raise you just got? 03:45.233 --> 03:46.533 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Raise your hand, please. 03:46.533 --> 03:48.933 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% I don't see too many hands. 03:48.933 --> 03:50.166 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% OK. 03:50.166 --> 03:51.833 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Don't give it up. 03:51.833 --> 03:53.233 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% It's great. 03:53.233 --> 03:54.233 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% You know what? 03:54.233 --> 03:55.966 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% Nobody deserves it more. 03:55.966 --> 03:59.566 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% You haven't gotten one in more than 10 years, more than 10 years. 03:59.566 --> 04:00.700 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And we got you a big one. 04:00.700 --> 04:02.333 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% I got you a big one. 04:02.333 --> 04:03.600 align:left position:20%,start line:89% size:70% I got you a big one. 04:03.600 --> 04:05.300 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: How true is that? 04:05.300 --> 04:07.133 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: The president simply is not telling the truth there. 04:07.133 --> 04:09.133 align:left position:30%,start line:89% size:60% Two things. 04:09.133 --> 04:11.566 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The president saying that it's been over a decade since service members and troops have 04:11.566 --> 04:13.700 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% gotten a pay raise, that's not true. 04:13.700 --> 04:17.933 align:left position:20%,start line:71% size:70% The service members and troops have been getting pay races every year since at least the last 04:17.933 --> 04:19.200 align:left position:40%,start line:89% size:50% decade. 04:19.200 --> 04:21.266 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% It's usually been around 1 percent. 04:21.266 --> 04:23.633 align:left position:10%,start line:77% size:80% The president is also saying that they're going to get a 10 percent raise. 04:23.633 --> 04:26.100 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% Reporting shows that there's going to be a 2.6 percent raise. 04:26.100 --> 04:29.233 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% It's a lot different, about 7 percent difference there. 04:29.233 --> 04:31.333 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% So the president is misleading the troops here. 04:31.333 --> 04:32.966 align:left position:20%,start line:83% size:70% And this is a pattern for this president. 04:32.966 --> 04:36.000 align:left position:20%,start line:77% size:70% When he gets in front of big crowds, he likes to tell falsehoods. 04:36.000 --> 04:37.666 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% He likes to exaggerate things. 04:37.666 --> 04:39.300 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% And, here, he's doing just that. 04:39.300 --> 04:41.200 align:left position:10%,start line:83% size:80% WILLIAM BRANGHAM: Yamiche Alcindor, thank you so much. 04:41.200 --> 04:41.900 align:left position:10%,start line:89% size:80% YAMICHE ALCINDOR: Thanks.