Today In History: Obama Makes Secret Trip To Afghanistan; Trump Tweets 'Lawsuit' After RNC Meeting

March 28, 2017, is the 87th day of the year, with 278 days remaining. The moon is in a new moon phase, with illumination at 0 percent. A new moon occurs when the sun and moon have the same ecliptic longitude, measurable down to the second that this phenomenon occurs.

Obama Makes Surprise Visit to Afghanistan

A secret landing by Air Force One precluded Barack Obama’s rallying of troops in Afghanistan during what was the president’s first visit to the Islamic republic in 2010. Acknowledging military successes and personal sacrifices, Obama offered words of encouragement to then-Afghan President Hamid Karzai, as well as other Afghan government officials. He urged harder work toward combating corruption and other problems facing the south Asian country.

“We can’t forget why we’re here. We did not choose this war,” Obama said. “This was not an act of America wanting to expand its influence, of us wanting to meddle in somebody else’s business. We were attacked viciously on 9/11, when thousands of our fellow countrymen and women were killed.”

Trump Hires Manafort to Lead Delegate Effort

One Monday in 2016, it was publicized that Donald Trump’s campaign team planned to file a complaint with the Republican National Committee over the way delegates were chosen in Louisiana. Trump had won the Louisiana primary, but speculation arose as to whether the GOP candidate would emerge with fewer delegates than his then-rival, Ted Cruz.

“They had this meeting, and they didn’t invite our delegates,” said Barry Bennett on a closed RNC meeting.

Bennett, a Republican political consultant, served as the adviser to the Trump campaign team on handling delegates.

Trump suggested on Twitter during the previous weekend that he was being cheated out of delegates.

“Lawsuit coming,” he tweeted.

Trump consequently confirmed that he had hired Paul Manafort — who is now under active investigation by multiple federal agencies for issues related to the Trump campaign — to lead the delegate effort.

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Photo credit: Obama White House via Flickr