Speaker Pelosi's Afghanistan Trip: A Delegation In Numbers

In January 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was forced to abandon a trip to Afghanistan after President Donald Trump revealed her travel plans, endangering her and her delegation. Trump initially blocked Pelosi and other lawmakers from using a military aircraft for their official trip, citing the government shutdown as the reason. The delegation then planned to fly commercially, but those plans were also leaked, leading to the trip's cancellation. Pelosi was accompanied by about 20 other people from Capitol Hill, including Congressman Eliot L. Engel, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro, Congressman Steve Israel, Congressman Dutch Ruppersberger, Congressman André Carson, and Congresswoman Terri Sewell.

Trump blocked Pelosi's use of a military plane

On January 17, 2019, President Donald Trump blocked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's use of a military plane for a trip to Afghanistan. This was in retaliation for Pelosi's letter a day earlier, in which she suggested that Trump postpone his State of the Union address until after the government shutdown had ended.

Trump's letter to Pelosi, released by the White House, stated:

> "Due to the Shutdown, I am sorry to inform you that your trip to Brussels, Egypt, and Afghanistan has been postponed. We will reschedule this seven-day excursion when the Shutdown is over. In light of the 800,000 great American workers not receiving pay, I am sure you would agree that postponing this public relations event is totally appropriate."

The letter was sent less than an hour before Pelosi and other House Democrats were scheduled to leave for Joint Base Andrews, where they were to use U.S. military transportation. Pelosi had planned to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan, with a stop in Brussels for meetings to reaffirm the United States' "ironclad commitment" to NATO.

The decision to block Pelosi's use of a military plane was made by Trump, in his capacity as commander-in-chief, and was based on the shutdown, which had entered its 27th day. The White House spokeswoman, Sarah Sanders, stated that "he postponed her ability to use military air," which must be approved by the Department of Defense.

In response to Trump's letter, Pelosi and the accompanying lawmakers made plans to fly commercially. However, these plans were also cancelled after the State Department warned that publicity over the visit had "significantly increased the danger to the delegation and to the troops, security, and other officials supporting the trip."

A White House official denied that the administration leaked Pelosi's commercial travel plans, stating that "when the Speaker of the House and about 20 others from Capitol Hill decide to book their own commercial flights to Afghanistan, the world is going to find out."

Trump revealed Pelosi's travel plans

On January 17, 2019, President Trump postponed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Brussels and Afghanistan, citing the partial government shutdown as the reason. The trip was scheduled for the following day. Trump halted the trip by denying Pelosi and her delegation the use of military aircraft, suggesting that Pelosi could fly commercially instead.

The cancellation came a day after Pelosi urged Trump to postpone his State of the Union address, which was scheduled for January 29, until after the government shutdown had ended. The shutdown was caused by an impasse between Trump and Pelosi over funding for a U.S.-Mexico border wall, with Pelosi refusing to meet Trump's demand for $5.7 billion.

Pelosi accused Trump of endangering the lives of Americans, including her own, by publicly revealing the delegation's travel plans. She said that the trip had to be scrapped because the publicity had significantly increased the danger to the delegation, troops, and other officials. Pelosi's spokesman, Drew Hammill, said that the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service had provided an updated threat assessment that confirmed this.

A White House official denied the accusation, saying that the trip would inevitably become public knowledge because of the number of people involved in its planning.

The trip was postponed due to danger

On January 18, 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused President Donald Trump of endangering the lives of American troops and lawmakers by publicly revealing their plans to travel to Afghanistan. Pelosi was set to lead a congressional delegation on a fact-finding trip to Afghanistan. The group was to meet with the Commander of NATO's Resolute Support Mission and US Forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson Jr., and other senior officials.

Trump initially blocked Pelosi and the delegation from using a military aircraft, citing the government shutdown as the reason. The delegation then planned to fly commercially, but those plans were also leaked by the administration, according to Pelosi. The State Department warned that the publicity over the trip had "significantly increased the danger" to the delegation, troops, and other officials. Pelosi said that Trump's outing of their trip was a "dangerous" breach of protocol, and that it was irresponsible of him to leak their commercial travel plans, putting everyone at risk.

In response to the accusations, the White House denied leaking the commercial travel plans, stating that such a trip by the Speaker of the House and other lawmakers would inevitably become public knowledge. They also argued that Pelosi's trip was a "public relations event" that should be postponed due to the government shutdown.

Due to the heightened security risks and concerns for the safety of those involved, Pelosi and the congressional delegation ultimately decided to postpone their trip to Afghanistan.

Pelosi accused Trump of endangering lives

On January 18, 2019, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi accused President Donald Trump of endangering the lives of American troops and civilians in Afghanistan by publicizing a planned congressional trip to the war-torn country. Pelosi was set to lead a congressional delegation to Afghanistan, where they would meet with military leaders and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani. However, Trump blocked Pelosi and other lawmakers from using a military plane for their trip, citing the government shutdown as the reason. The White House denied Pelosi's claims, with spokeswoman Sarah Sanders stating that the administration was trying to keep Pelosi in town so that negotiations could take place to end the partial shutdown.

Pelosi's spokesman, Drew Hammill, said that the delegation was prepared to fly commercially but canceled after the State Department warned that publicity over the visit had "significantly increased the danger to the delegation and to the troops, security, and other officials supporting the trip." The State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service provided an updated threat assessment, detailing that the President's announcement had made the trip more dangerous. Pelosi said that Trump's decision to make the trip public was "very dangerous," and that "you never give advance notice of going into a battle area." She also accused the administration of leaking their commercial travel plans, which the White House denied.

The feud between Pelosi and Trump escalated as the government shutdown dragged on, with Pelosi suggesting that Trump postpone his State of the Union address until after the shutdown was resolved. Trump rejected this idea and instead canceled Pelosi's trip to Afghanistan, stating that it was "totally appropriate" due to the shutdown. The partial government shutdown reached its 28th day, with no signs of negotiations taking place.

Pelosi's accusation of endangering lives was not an isolated incident in her conflict with Trump. In March 2020, Pelosi criticized Trump's response to the coronavirus outbreak, stating that his denial and delays were "deadly." She also accused Trump of costing American lives through his inaction. Later, in 2024, Pelosi again accused Trump of endangering lives by stoking false claims of election fraud and inciting the deadly Capitol riots.

Pelosi met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi led a bipartisan Congressional delegation on an unannounced trip to Afghanistan in 2019. The group met with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah. The focus of the trip was security, governance, and economic development. Pelosi emphasised the importance of combating corruption and including women in reconciliation talks with the Taliban.

Pelosi and Ghani held a joint press briefing, in which Pelosi welcomed Ghani to the Capitol of the United States. She highlighted the importance of the relationship between the two countries and the interest in the future of women and girls in Afghanistan. She thanked Ghani and his wife for their leadership in empowering Afghan women.

In response, Ghani thanked Pelosi for her multiple visits to Afghanistan and her deep interest in the country, especially regarding the empowerment of women. He acknowledged the progress made in this area and shared his experience of meeting with young girls from schools who aspired to become president. Ghani expressed gratitude for the development assistance and sacrifices of U.S. men and women in uniform.

The meeting between Pelosi and Ghani took place within the context of the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and the ongoing government shutdown at the time. Pelosi had initially planned to travel on a military aircraft but was blocked by President Trump, who cited the shutdown as a reason. Pelosi then arranged to fly commercially, but those plans were also leaked, leading to concerns about increased danger. Ultimately, Pelosi's trip to Afghanistan was postponed due to safety risks.

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