Trump began the day like every day at the Mar-a-Lago resort, southern Florida: a golf match, a few tweets and a notice from the White House.

The White House notice said he will stay at the resort on the evening of November 27, the evening before Thanksgiving.

However, at around 19:00, Trump secretly left Mar-a-Lago without the usual convoy, before boarding a military transport to return to Washington and begin the 13-hour journey on a special aircraft. Air Force One arrives in Afghanistan, where the longest war in US history is taking place.

A reporter who was on a flight from Florida to Washington later said the inside of the military transport "was almost nothing but four leather seats and a portable toilet." Stepping on the plane, Trump greeted the crew and even sat in the cockpit when the plane took off.

The plan to give Thanksgiving to US troops stationed in Afghanistan has been carefully planned by White House aides for weeks, and they have made every effort to keep the trip information up to the last minute. .

This is Trump's second visit to the war zone, but his first visit to Afghanistan, where thousands of US troops are joining the fight against al-Qaeda, a terrorist group that carried out the 9/11 attacks. .

In 2018, after facing criticism for not making any visits to American soldiers on missions abroad after two years in power, Trump hinted that he would soon implement this.

"I will go to war zone," Trump told reporters when asked about plans to visit soldiers abroad. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that Trump appeared at al-Asad Air Base, west of Iraq, last Christmas.

But in recent days, Trump has not disclosed anything to the public about his secret visit to Afghanistan. His statements before taking family holidays to Mar-a-Lago did not mention Afghanistan.

To ensure maximum confidentiality before those who follow the activities of the President of the United States, Trump's aides continue to post on his Twitter account, so as not to cause doubts about the White House boss suddenly course unusually "silent" on social networks.

During this visit to Afghanistan, the White House allowed 12-13 journalists to follow. They were picked up at a public parking lot near the Andrews military base on the outskirts of Washington, but were not told where they were going. Everyone on Air Force One that day, including Trump, had their phones and other transmitters confiscated during their journey.

Air Force One, which Trump used to fly to Florida the day before, was still parked at Palm Beach International Airport, but this was a diversionary measure. An identical Air Force One was hidden at the Andrews base. Trump departs at more than 22:00 at Bagram Air Force Base, the largest US base in Afghanistan.

The reporters traveling with the President were only told the destination by White House spokesman Stephanie Grisham about two hours before the plane landed. "This is a dangerous area and the President wants to show his support to the soldiers," Grisham said. "President Trump and the First Lady know that many soldiers are away from home on holidays and we think this will be a pleasant surprise for them."

When asked about the President's feelings about the trip, Grisham replied: "He is fine. The president is very excited."

The Air Force One aircraft landed at 20h33 (Afghanistan time) with all windows covered and the lights turned off inside for security reasons, just like when taking off from Washington.

The president moves through the base in a convoy of 15 vehicles, including Toyota pickup trucks and soldiers with guns standing in the back. Trump is escorted by soldiers armed with bulletproof vests, helmets and night vision goggles.

Journalists who follow the delegation are prohibited from reporting the trip until they leave Afghanistan. For three hours, they watched the President, dressed in a blue suit and red tie, ate a turkey dish at the base cafeteria, took pictures and addressed a hangar in front of 1,500 soldiers.

In his speech, Trump did not mention the troubles he encountered in Washington, not about the Democratic Party seeking to impeach him in the near future. The president also did not mention the rift in his relationship with military leaders, including former naval minister Richard Spencer, who resigned a few days ago.

President Trump enters the hangar with the theme song "God Bless America", which is usually played every time he appears in public and is greeted with a shout of "America! America!"

Trump praised the soldiers in Afghanistan and talked about his achievements, including the smashing of the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS) and al-Qaeda.

Trump told soldiers stationed in Bagram that the war in Afghanistan "will not be decided on the battlefield", but by the political solutions of the people of Afghanistan themselves.

"We will continue to work tirelessly until the day we can bring everyone home safely, and that day will come," Trump said.

After a 13-hour flight, Trump regretted telling the soldiers that his Thanksgiving meal was interrupted. "I just sat down at the table with a nice piece of turkey and mashed potatoes. I was eating some mashed potatoes when General Mark Milley called me to take pictures. I haven't had turkey yet. This is Thanksgiving." first i don't eat turkey ".

Shortly thereafter, Trump boarded a plane to return to the Mar-a-Lago resort, where he often spent time with his family during Thanksgiving. Only now will journalists traveling in groups have access to the Internet and report on the visit.