Well, here is some hypocrisy for your Thursday afternoon.
As I type this, Melania Trump is headed to Mar-a-Lago for a pre-scheduled vacation, and she’s flying on a government plane.
CNN’s Betsy Klein tweeted, “NEW: @NoahGrayCNN @KateBennett_DC @ElizLanders report @FLOTUS is currently in the air on her way to Florida for a pre-scheduled trip… on a government plane.”
NEW: @NoahGrayCNN [1] @KateBennett_DC [2] @ElizLanders [3] report @FLOTUS [4] is currently in the air on her way to Florida for a pre-scheduled trip… on a government plane.
— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) January 17, 2019 [5]
Of course this is incredibly hypocritical, because earlier on Thursday Donald Trump cancelled the government plane that was scheduled to take Speaker Nancy Pelosi and a congressional delegation overseas. A trip intended to visit NATO leaders, as well as our military in Afghanistan.
In a letter to Pelosi, Trump told her that a congressional delegation trip she intended to take to Brussels and Afghanistan, which he dismissed as a “public relations event,” is now “postponed.”
“We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the shutdown is over,” Trump wrote. “I also feel that, during this period, it would be better if you were in Washington negotiating with me and joining the Strong Border Security movement to end the shutdown.”
The announcement means that Trump will refuse to provide military transportation for lawmakers to make the journey, which would have included a stop in a war zone, according to the White House.
Trump added, however, if Pelosi wanted to go ahead by flying commercial, “that would certainly be your prerogative.”
President @realDonaldTrump [6]’s letter to @SpeakerPelosi [7] concerning her upcoming travel pic.twitter.com/TtBCvwp080 [8]
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) January 17, 2019 [9]
Twitter is furious:
Absolutely disgusting. She spent 12 days there in December and January. She should resign.
— Sam M. (@IRDCDY) January 17, 2019 [10]
Do as we say, not as we do https://t.co/Jz7NJhDzM9 [11]
— Sistermoon50???? (@sistermoon50) January 17, 2019 [12]
@realDonaldTrump [6] so this is ok? She can party at Mar a Lago and Pelosi can’t take a job related trip? https://t.co/k2dROIBV4l [13]
— Dr. Ginny (@GinnyMac55) January 17, 2019 [14]
So it looks like military planes ARE okay to fly Melania Trump to the president's private resort in Palm Beach. https://t.co/GQljnBa2IX [15]
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) January 17, 2019 [16]
Trump cancelled Speaker Pelosi’s use of USAF services for the scheduled CODEL citing funding issues, but guess who appears to be flying south via USAF from DC?
Melania. https://t.co/et2Z5qhwWW [17]
— Leah McElrath ????️???? (@leahmcelrath) January 17, 2019 [18]
So it looks like Melania is using air force one (exec 1 right now) to go to Palm Beach at a cost of $824,000 round trip.
But we aren't paying the agents on board to protect her, or coast guard in Palm Beach.
— Pesach 'Pace' Lattin (@pacelattin) January 17, 2019 [19]