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Trump visits Dover Air Force Base to meet families of Americans killed in Syria

By Sommer Brokaw
United States President Donald J. Trump makes remarks to the media as he prepares to depart the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, January 19, 2019 for a trip to Dover AFB to meet with the families of four Americans who were killed in an explosion last Wednesday in Syria. Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI
1 of 2 | United States President Donald J. Trump makes remarks to the media as he prepares to depart the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, January 19, 2019 for a trip to Dover AFB to meet with the families of four Americans who were killed in an explosion last Wednesday in Syria. Photo by Ron Sachs/UPI | License Photo

Jan. 19 (UPI) -- President Donald Trump traveled to Delaware's Dover Air Force Base Saturday to meet with the families of four Americans killed in a suicide bombing in Syria on Wednesday.

Trump announced the trip early Saturday on Twitter.

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"Will be leaving for Dover to be with the families of 4 very special people who lost their lives in service to our Country!" Trump tweeted.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan joined him on the trip, according to White House press office.

"I think it's the toughest thing I have to do," Trump said Saturday, according to a pool report. "When I'm going to meet relatives of some of our great, great heroes that have fallen, I think it might be the toughest thing I have to do as president."

On Friday, the Pentagon released the names of three of the four Americans killed in the suicide blast in the northern Syrian town of Manbij earlier this week.

They were identified as Army Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jonathan R. Farmer, 37, of Boynton Beach, Fla.; Navy Chief Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) Shannon M. Kent, 35, of upstate New York; and Defense Department civilian Scott A. Wirtz, of St. Louis, Mo.

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The fourth victim was identified Saturday as Arabic translator Ghadir Taher, 27, of East Point, Ga.

The Islamic State, also known as ISIS, claimed responsibility for the attack on its news website Amaq.

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