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Trump says he's going to a war zone

By MATTHEW CHOI

President Donald Trump rebuffed rumors that he's too afraid to visit U.S. troops in a war zone, telling reporters that he does plan to visit a combat area at some point.

"Are you afraid to go into a war zone?" a reporter asked Trump as he was leaving the White House on Tuesday for Mar-a-Lago.

"No, I'm going to a war zone," the president retorted without specifying which combat area or when he may go.

Trump has faced mounting criticism for never visiting U.S. troops in a combat zone nearly two years into his presidency. During an interview with Fox News' Chris Wallace that aired Sunday, Trump suggested that could change and that "there are things that are being planned," though he didn't elaborate, citing security concerns.

Trump rallied around the armed services during his campaign and has demonstrated a penchant for theatrical displays of military strength, including a proposed military parade down the avenues of Washington and an order to send troops to the Mexican border to stop a large group of Central American asylum seekers. He also decorated the Oval Office with a series of military colors.

But The Washington Post reported Monday that Trump is less enthusiastic about visiting the active military itself, fearing for his own life. The Post quoted a former senior administration official who said the president has never expressed interest in visiting war zones during their discussions on the topic.

“He’s afraid of those situations. He’s afraid people want to kill him,” the official said, according to the Post.

The Post also reported that Trump did not want to visit war zones associated with conflicts he disapproved of, calling U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan "a total shame."

Trump also took heat for declining to visit a World War I cemetery during his visit to France earlier this month for Armistice Day commemorations, saying the rain prevented his helicopter from taking him to the memorial.