Canceled Pelosi trip was to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan -spokesman

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had planned to visit U.S. troops in Afghanistan and receive security and intelligence briefings, her spokesman said after President Donald Trump pulled the military plane that was to take her there.

"The purpose of the trip was to express appreciation & thanks to our men & women in uniform for their service & dedication, & to obtain critical national security & intelligence briefings from those on the front lines," Drew Hammill, Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, said on Twitter.

The congressional trip had not been announced for security reasons but Trump made it public in his letter canceling military transportation because of the partial government shutdown. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu; editing by Grant McCool)