Donald Trump says President Barack Obama should not be taking vacations when the country is going to “hell in a handbasket.” The real estate mogul also told Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren Congress also should end its break and return to Capitol Hill to attack the nation’s fiscal deterioration.
“Well, I mean, it sends a bad message: Here we have a country that really is going to hell in a handbasket — let’s not kid ourselves — what’s happening to this country is horrible,” Trump said. “And we have a president that’s constantly — whether it’s Martha’s Vineyard or someplace else — constantly on vacation. We have to work in this country to bring it back.”
"He takes more vacations than any human being I've ever seen. They used to complain about George Bush, but I understand he's already exceeded George Bush and we're not even through the year. So he likes vacation," Trump added.
Van Susteren asked whether Obama gets any credit for his three-day bus tour to America’s heartland to lay out — what the White House is calling — a plan to alleviate America’s financial crisis.
“Well, it’s also a fund-raising tour,” Trump said. “And I think it’s pretty sad where the taxpayer is paying for his trips to raise money because, really, what he’s doing is fundraiser. And what he’s been doing really quite well is raising funds, although [it’s] inconceivable that people are putting up money. It’s hard to believe that people are actually putting up money to get him re-elected.
“He’s going to campaign and say what a wonderful job he’s doing as president — I can’t imagine that anybody believes that, necessarily,” he said. “But he’s using Air Force One — he’s using a Boeing 747, the most expensive plane you can fly, just about. And why isn’t his campaign paying for this? Really, why doesn’t his campaign pay for a Boeing 747? I think it’s very unfair.”
Van Susteren then asked Trump whether Congress should return to Washington before September, putting an end to its extended break, to tackle financial issues. She noted that Obama has said that Congress returning to only continue its bickering is an exercise in futility.
“Well, I think that’s all leadership — they wouldn’t be arguing if we had the proper leader,” Trump said. “And we should have Congress come back — I also heard him say he wants the Congress to go and talk to their people so when they come back, they know what to say and how do people feel.
“They know what to say —they don’t have to spend a month-and-a-half and two months at home with their people — they know already,” he said. “They know without spending any time: The country needs leadership — we’re not getting that leadership from President Obama.”
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