POLITICS 12/28/2018 12:07 pm ET Updated 3 minutes ago

Trump’s Politicized Visit To Iraq ‘Embarrassing,’ Retired 4-Star General Says

“God, he’s talking to special operations soldiers in Iraq. It’s sort of embarrassing,” former Gen. Barry McCaffrey told MSNBC.

By Sebastian Murdock

For the first time in his life, President Donald Trump visited service members in a combat zone and made it about himself, retired four-star Gen. Barry McCaffrey said.

Speaking to MSNBC’s Yasmin Vossoughian on Thursday, McCaffrey ― the recipient of two Silver Stars, two Distinguished Service Crosses and three Purple Hearts ― credited Trump for going to Iraq the day after Christmas but said he used it mostly as a political rally.

“It’s a good thing that the president went to Iraq and visited the troops, even better that he brought Melania along,” McCaffrey said. “It was entirely inappropriate to use that as a point of a political rally.”

During his visit, Trump signed “Make America great again” hats — a move McCaffrey called “unheard of.”

“His advance party politicized that event. They passed out those hats, for sure,” he said.

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