(Photo Credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Trump celebrates Thanksgiving with the troops

Instead of having Thanksgiving dinner at the White House, President Trump surprised troops on active duty in Afghanistan on Thursday.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather celebrate this Thanksgiving than right here with the toughest, strongest, best and bravest warriors on the face of the Earth,” Trump told the crowd amid cheers.

Trump met with the Afghan president, Ashrav Ghani, before making the surprise visit to American soldiers and helping serve Thanksgiving dinner. During the visit, Trump said he was re-opening official negotiations with the Taliban, after talks fell through earlier this year.

“The Taliban wants to make a deal, and we’re meeting with them,” Trump told the troops. “We’re saying it has to be a cease-fire, they didn’t want to do a ceasefire, but now they do want to do a ceasefire, I believe.”

American soldiers have been in Afghanistan for eighteen years, since shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. American forces quickly toppled the Taliban, the ruling radical Islamic sect–but are still battling pockets of Taliban resistance fighters throughout Afghanistan.

After eating Thanksgiving dinner with the troops, Trump took to Twitter to say he had a “great” visit.

“Just returned to the United States after spending a GREAT Thanksgiving with our Courageous American Warriors in Afghanistan!” Trump tweeted.