Vice President Mike Pence began his Trump clean up operation today, at first stating that he was disappointed in Gen. Flynn not telling the truth and then scolding NATO to step it up and pay their fair share.
Pence was in Belgium trying to smooth hard feeling at NATO headquarters in Brussels Monday, he said, "I was disappointed to learn that the facts that had been conveyed to me about General Flynn were inaccurate, but we honor General Flynn's long service to the U.S. and I fully support the president's decision to dismiss to ask for his resignation."
Pence also sent word from Trump and said, “The president did ask me to come here to Brussels, to the home of the European Union, and deliver an additional message"
“So today it’s my privilege, on behalf of President Trump, to express the strong commitment of the United States to continued cooperation and partnership with the European Union,” he said.
And then he passed on Trump's and said, "The United States provides more than 70% of the costs of NATO and we are committed to do our part, the time has come for our NATO allies to step forward."
Trump takes VISA, MASTERCARD and AMEX.
All cash payments are welcomed!
Donald Tusk wasn't happy with those words, but later in an interview said:
On Monday, after meeting with Mr. Pence, Mr. Tusk said he felt reassured. In a detailed statement, he said he had asked Mr. Pence whether the Trump administration was committed to maintaining an international order based on rules and laws; whether Mr. Trump was committed to NATO and to “the closest possible trans-Atlantic cooperation”; and whether Europe could count “as always in the past, on the United States’ wholehearted and unequivocal, let me repeat, unequivocal support for the idea of a united Europe.”
“In reply to these three matters,” Mr. Tusk said, “I heard today from Vice President Pence three times ‘yes’! After such a positive declaration, both Europeans and Americans must simply practice what they preach.”
Nobody is buying the Trump administration's reasons for firing Gen. Flynn, but Pence has to toe the company line.
World leaders must be completely baffled by what they hear from the president one day and then hear the opposite from his VP.
I imagine there will be a big call for pundits to decipher what Trump actually means when he goes off the rails.
