As reports were flooding in about the attack on the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad by supporters of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia, after promising swift action and blaming Iran for “orchestrating” the attack, President Trump posted a tweet referencing his plan to head down to “The Southern White House,” his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. Several voices in the media quickly accused Trump of being hypocritical.
After accusing Iran of “orchestrating an attack on the U.S. Embassy in Iraq” and promising to hold them “fully responsible,” Trump posted an update on his recent presidential meetings and his plan to head south.
“Very good meeting on the Middle East, the Military, and Trade,” Trump tweeted. “Heading back to The Southern White House (Mar-a-Lago!). Updates throughout the day.”
As highlighted by Twitchy, multiple Trump-critical media figures immediately “pounced,” as they like to say about Republicans and conservatives, suggesting Trump’s trip was hypocritical given his past criticism of President Obama over his habit of playing golf amid various crises.
The Washington Post’s Aaron Blake provided a side-by-side comparison of Trump’s past criticism of Obama and his new Mar-a-Lago tweet, writing: “Trump criticized Obama for golfing during the 2013 tornado outbreak, during Ebola outbreak and soon after 2016 Louisiana floods. Today, the U.S. embassy in Iraq has been stormed. Trump just arrived at his golf club.
HuffPost’s S.V. Date echoed the complaint, tweeting: “Donald Trump used to criticize former President Barack Obama quite a bit for playing golf despite major and minor crises in the country and around the world. Today, with the US embassy in Iraq attacked by protesters, Trump has gone to his golf course.”
CNN’s Jennifer Hansler, amid several others, also weighed in: “As US Embassy Baghdad is assailed by protesters, President Donald Trump has arrived at his West Palm Beach golf club.”
https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1212046226360803328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1212046226360803328&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fsarahd-313035%2F2019%2F12%2F31%2Fdonald-trump-slams-the-corrupt-lamestream-media-for-saying-that-he-played-golf-during-us-embassy-attack-in-baghdad%2F
Donald Trump used to criticize former President Barack Obama quite a bit for playing golf despite major and minor crises in the country and around the world.
Today, with the US embassy in Iraq attacked by protesters, Trump has gone to his golf course.
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) December 31, 2019
As US Embassy Baghdad is assailed by protesters, President Donald Trump has arrived at his West Palm Beach golf club. He tweeted this en route: https://t.co/EWq3VbNSsW
— Jennifer Hansler (@jmhansler) December 31, 2019
Trump came to his own defense later in the day by making it clear that his trip had nothing to do with “playing golf” and that his visit to “The Southern White House” didn’t mean he was not keeping close eye on the situation in Iraq.
“The Fake News said I played golf today, and I did NOT!” Trump tweeted. “I had meeting in various locations, while closely monitoring the U.S. Embassy situation in Iraq, which I am still doing. The Corrupt Lamestream Media knew this but, not surprisingly, failed to report or correct!”
The Fake News said I played golf today, and I did NOT! I had meeting in various locations, while closely monitoring the U.S. Embassy situation in Iraq, which I am still doing. The Corrupt Lamestream Media knew this but, not surprisingly, failed to report or correct!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 31, 2019
Blake ended up confirming Trump’s comment about not playing any golf, tweeting: “Update: The presidential motorcade has left Trump’s golf club shortly after arriving. Looks like he won’t be playing a round today.”
https://twitter.com/AaronBlake/status/1212051851639738368?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1212053696571478017&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fsarahd-313035%2F2019%2F12%2F31%2Fdonald-trump-slams-the-corrupt-lamestream-media-for-saying-that-he-played-golf-during-us-embassy-attack-in-baghdad%2F
Throughout the day, Trump issued a series of embassy-focused posts, including some pointing to Iran as the ultimate culprit behind the attack and promising that the terror-sponsoring state will “pay a very BIG PRICE” for their support of the militia behind the attack. “This is not a Warning, it is a Threat,” Trump tweeted.
He also sent a message to Iraqi citizens. “To those many millions of people in Iraq who want freedom and who don’t want to be dominated and controlled by Iran, this is your time!” he wrote.
Trump’s trip to Mar-a-Lago included a New Year’s Eve celebration ahead of which he held an impromptu press conference in which he promised the situation in Iraq “will never, ever be a Benghazi,” a reference to terrorists attacking the U.S. diplomatic outpost in Libya on Sept. 11, 2012, killing Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans.
“The Marines came in. We had some great warriors come in and do a fantastic job,” Trump said. “And they were there instantaneously, as soon as we heard. I used the word ‘immediately.’ They came immediately. And it’s in great shape, as you know. This will not be a Benghazi. Benghazi should never have happened. This will never, ever be a Benghazi.”
As The Daily Wire reported, follow-up reports on Benghazi “found that the embassy was vulnerable to attack, and a Senate committee pointed the finger at former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s State Department. In perhaps the most significant finding, the Senate report said the intelligence community, including the CIA, NSA and Pentagon, among others, delivered many warnings on the growing threats in Benghazi, but the State Department failed to take them seriously and increase security.”
Related: Iranian Leader To Trump: ‘You Can’t Do A Damn Thing’; Trump Deploys Troops
