Trump makes unannounced visit to Arlington National Cemetery
President Trump made an unscheduled visit to Arlington National Cemetery on a rainy Saturday, following weeks of criticism for skipping ceremonial visits in the United States and abroad that other presidents have made and for his lack of meetings with U.S. troops in combat zones.
The president spent 15 minutes at the storied Virginia cemetery, walking with two military officers dressed in camouflage and a tour guide, looking at the thousands of grave markers that had been decorated with holiday wreaths. The visit was not on Trump’s public schedule, which often signals a last-minute decision.
“They’re doing a great job,” Trump said, before saying that he wanted to expand the cemetery so more service members could be buried in the hallowed grounds. He said little else publicly, appearing to intently listen to his tour guide.
He did not lay a wreath but walked along a long row of tombstones, appearing to examine them while holding a large black umbrella. He appeared to be wearing waterproof boots as he traipsed the muddy grounds that have been the resting place for the nation’s honored dead since the Civil War.
He visited on Wreaths Across America Day, when thousands of volunteers in the United States visit graves at military cemeteries.
www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/trump-makes-unannounced-visit-to-arlington-national-cemetery/2018/12/15/c2d53062-00a8-11e9-ad40-cdfd0e0dd65a_story.html