UPDATE - Trump makes surprise visit to troops in Iraq

ADDS DETAILS THROUGHOUT

By Umar Farooq

WASHINGTON (AA) - U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to troops in Iraq, the White House said Wednesday.

Trump traveled with the first lady Melania Trump late Tuesday to greet U.S. troops Christmas Day, according to White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders.

"President Trump and the First Lady traveled to Iraq late on Christmas night to visit with our troops and Senior Military leadership to thank them for their service, their success, and their sacrifice and to wish them a Merry Christmas," Sanders said on Twitter.

The visit is the first time the president visited a combat zone and comes just days after Secretary of Defense James Mattis announced his resignation.

Mattis, who announced he would be resigning from his position by February, said that his views were not aligned with Trump.

Trump responded by appointing Patrick Shanahan as acting Defense Secretary beginning Jan. 1.

The president has faced criticism for not visiting troops when he canceled his trip to France to visit a U.S. burial ground in November. A few days later canceled a visit to the Arlington National Cemetery on Veteran's Day.

The visit by Trump is to an area he did not announce a withdrawal of troops. Earlier this month, Trump announced the U.S. would be withdrawing troops from Syria and Afghanistan.

Visiting troops on Christmas is a tradition for presidents. Former presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush kept that tradition by visiting troops every Christmas Day since 2003.