President Donald Trump spent Thursday afternoon visiting wounded members of the armed forces prior to leaving for his Christmas vacation.
Trump left the White House and spoke briefly to reporters before boarding Marine One to travel to the military hospital.
“I’m heading over right now to Walter Reed Military Medical Center to say hello to some of the bravest people anywhere in the world,” Trump said. “They’re great people. … We’ll be over there for a while, but we’re just going to wish them a Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year, and we love those people.”
White House Chief of Staff Gen. John Kelly was with him.
The president visited with several wounded soldiers and members of their families at the hospital.
The list included:
Sergeant John Peck and his wife Jessica
Staff Sergeant Liam Dwyer and his wife Meghan
Chief Warrant Officer Bradley Palm and his wife Keri
Petty Officer Raven Thomas
Staff Sergeant Franz Walkup
Staff Sergeant Daniel Frawley and his wife Susan along with his children Joshua and Amber
He also presented the Purple Heart to First Lieutenant Victor Prato, 25, of the 127th Airborne Engineer Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Today, @POTUS @realDonaldTrump presented the Purple Heart to an American Hero, at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. pic.twitter.com/xvSg35Xs70
— Dan Scavino Jr. (@Scavino45) December 21, 2017
Prato suffered multiple injuries after his vehicle hit an IED in November 2017 while fighting in Afghanistan.
Congress is still in session, as they are working on a government funding resolution to prevent the government from shutting down before Christmas. Trump is scheduled to spend Christmas with his family at his Mar-a-Lago club.
Trump last traveled to Walter Reed in August, where he personally awarded a Purple Heart to a soldier wounded in Afghanistan.
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