Trump staff supplied applause during 'overtly political' speech to silent service members

Donald Trump's appearance at Ft. Bragg military base in North Carolina on Friday was met with a muted response from attending service members that put local GOP officials and the president’s staff in the position of of having to show enthusiasm for his remarks.

According to a report from the Washington Post, the presidential visit, which included a rare appearance by First Lady Melania Trump, was “overtly political” and included an exhortation for attendees to vote for Republicans in the midterm elections.

“You have to vote for us,” Trump told the troops as he pointed to his executive order restoring Ft. Bragg’s name after he was re-elected and then warning, “If we don’t win the midterms, they’ll take it off again. They’ll take it off again. You can’t let that happen.”

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According to the Post’s Isaac Arnsdorf, Trump’s claims did not evoke much of a response from the crowd.

“Most of the uniformed service members refrained from reacting during Trump’s speech other than raising phones to take photos or videos,” the Post is reporting. “They mostly left the applause and cheers to his staff and the assembled Republican politicians, including the home state’s Sen. Ted Budd and Reps. Richard Hudson, Brad Knott and David Rouzer.”

The report notes that despite Defense Department policy prohibits partisan political activity by active-duty service members, the president did rouse a few cheers, “when Trump asked who had received the $1,776 bonus checks he approved in December.”

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