Trump rarely misses a chance to bloviate:
President Trump departed the White House on Thursday for a trip to Iowa and Illinois without facing the news media, citing bad weather despite clear skies in the nation’s capital. The president typically reaches Air Force One by taking a helicopter from the White House to Joint Base Andrews, a setting that allows the media to shout questions while he walks across the South Lawn. Trump often stops to take those questions.
But White House aides informed the press corps Trump would motorcade to Andrews due to “bad weather,” a setting that makes the president unavailable to take questions. When pressed by reporters, the White House cited “fog” as the reason for the bad-weather call. A “weather watch” advisory on Joint Base Andrews’ website said the base is “open for normal operations.”
There is a bad weather call on Trump’s departure – so no questions today. pic.twitter.com/hEraTo4jbK
— Geoff Earle (@GeoffEarle) July 26, 2018
View from my office window as the White House makes a bad weather call – meaning the president will take a car to Andrews, rather than depart via his helicopter from the South Lawn where reporters can gather to shout questions at him. pic.twitter.com/csRYnCmbGI
— Hallie Jackson (@HallieJackson) July 26, 2018
Heading to Dubuque, Iowa and then Granite City, Illinois. Looking forward to being with many great friends!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 26, 2018