Pence ends international trip early amid Trump controversy

[DesertRat]

Source: The Hill

Vice President Pence will end his visit to South America early and fly home on Thursday, after President Trump sparked enormous controversy for his comments following deadly violence in Charlottesville, Va.

Pence's announcement came just as Trump was announcing the disbanding of two his economic councils amid an exodus of CEOs from the advisory boards after Trump's remarks. The violence in Charlotte left one counterprotester dead and at least 19 injured when a vehicle drove through a crowd.

Pence will cut short his time with South American leaders including President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, who he joined for a joint press conference Wednesday discussing the political unrest in Venezuela.

The vice president defended Trump as the president drew bipartisan criticism for his remarks following the violent events in Charlottesville, and may return in order to directly address critics and steady the administration after the dissolution of the American Manufacturing Council and Strategy and Policy Forum.

Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/346830-pence-ends-international-trip-early-amid-trump-controversy

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This is weird. Why would he insult our allies like this?

[NCjack]

1. We don't need Pence to be home now, unless Trump is getting Article 25 surprise. nt

[monmouth4]

2. Pence wasn't exactly warmly greeted and I heard the expression "cold shoulder"..n/t

[sandensea]

4. Right. The only one that didn't give him the cold shoulder, was Argentina's Macri.

But then, they don't call him the Argentine Trump for nothing.

[VaBchTgerLily]

3. Oh so now it's Pence to the rescue

[DFW]

5. If one needs Pence as a rescuer

The patient is already on life-support, and fading rapidly.

[Doc Coco]

6. And one nanosecond Amendment 25 is invoked, one can ignore Acting President Pence

Demand a unprecedented special election to replace the entire maladministration.

[DFW]

9. If Pence isn't tossed out with Trump

We will have just substituted an Ayatollah for a secular fascist.

I realize Ryan is next in line, but he is as strong as a strand of overcooked spaghetti. We won't be facing him in 2020. If he's smart, he'd just pass the presidency along to Orrin Hatch, who, if HE is smart, would act out the caretaker role and make it clear he had no interested in a full four year term after 2020.

But Republicans who are both smart and benevolent are, by definition, contradictions these days.

[7wo7rees]

7. No kidding. I've been calling Senator Cornyn's office.

Asking where is his statement? Staff in Dallas informed me he had made a Twitter post.

Are you still in Dallas or have you already left?

The controversy over Dallas statues is heating up.

Someday I hope to get to meet you. You and your family are pretty amazing.

[DFW]

8. I'm already in Northen Virginia

Visiting with my brother until the weekend, then I have to get back overseas. I was working most of the time at our Dallas office while I was there, plus getting routine medical checkups. I have had enough heart problems sneak up on me, and I had just spent a lot of time in the sun up in Massachusetts, so I get myself looked at on a regular basis. I didn't even hear about any local controversies about statues.

Except for my elder daughter in New York, who comes down and spends Thanksgiving with my housemates in Dallas, the rest of my family seldom gets to Dallas these days, and even with me, it's usually for a few days three times a year. My younger daughter has hit the fast lane with her job in Germany, and she has caught up to me schedule-wise. Like me, she is in a different country practically every day. My next visit is in mid- or late January.

As for "amazing," it's my wife and daughters (plus a few acquaintances) who are amazing. I promise you, I just happen to be along for the ride. A lot of "right place, right time" going on there, although I do value and keep the friendships I make along the way.

[7wo7rees]

12. Safe trip. Maybe someday.......

I've lost the title to your book. Would you post link or pm me please.

I wish Helen was here still with us, but then again best she isn't. As many others here have expressed the heartbreak that would be felt by wise elders no longer with us....😢

[DFW]

14. I posted the Amazon link for my book to your PM

If you read it, I hope I don't let you down.

However, I got good feedback from (for real) Howard Dean, Stan Lee and Adrian Cronauer (the real one, not Robin Williams), so at least if you like it, you'll be in good company!

[Blue Idaho]

10. Pence retreats from international business

In the hopes he can keep Trump from burning down the White House. Another black eye for America.

[Raven123]

11. Pence is as slippery and spineless as Ryan

The media needs to persist in questions to him to get him on record regarding which of Trump's statements he supports/condemns/or at least disagrees with. Otherwise he will slither along and eventually denounce Trump, but only after Trump is gone. He is laying in wait.

[muriel_volestrangler]

13. Hopefully he's coming back to referee fights in the White House

about who was responsible for letting Trump spew that stuff live, and if anyone should get fired.

If we're unlucky, it's Trump deciding to attack North Korea as a way to distract attention from his fuck-up.

[LuckyLib]

15. They need his slick, smarmy face behind the Trumpster in photo ops.

After he referees spats and talks the idiot off the ceiling.

[tclambert]

16. Hard to visit South Africa when your boss just sided with white supremacists.

[DesertRat]

17. Actually he's in South America.

[tclambert]

18. Darn it. I misread it. Kinda spoils the joke.

[DesertRat]

19. Well, South American leaders don't want to be associated with Nazis either

[nitpicker]

20. Link to the Washington Examiner spin on this

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/mike-pence-ending-south-america-trip-a-day-early-to-return-to-us/article/2631728