Donald Trump Tells Fox News He Was Too 'Busy On Calls' to Visit Arlington Cemetery on Veterans Day

President Donald Trump said he "should have" attended a service on Veterans Day at Arlington Ceremony earlier this week, a rare public regret by the president, but also offered an excuse about making "calls for the country," according to part of an interview released by Fox News on Friday.

Trump sat down for an interview with anchor for Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, who asked the president why he did not go to the ceremony on Monday. Trump has received significant criticism for failing to have a public event on Veterans Day, despite his heavy campaigning and robust public support for veterans and the military, and for his opting not to attend a ceremony in France where American troops killed in World War I lied.

"I should have done that, I was extremely busy on calls for the country, we did a lot of calling as you know," Trump told Wallace about Veterans Day.

Wallace answered back: "But this is Veterans Day."

Trump noted he had just returned from the trip overseas, and believed his appearance and remarks at the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial outside Paris on Sunday were "fine" while he was "extremely busy" with other matters.

"I could have done that, as you know I just left the day before the American Cemetery and I probably think, and that was one where it was raining as hard as you can imagine…you know, in retrospect I should have and I did last year and I will virtually every year," Trump said.

Trump continued: "But we had come in very late at night and I had just left, literally, the American Cemetery in Paris and I really probably assumed that was fine and I was extremely busy because of affairs of state."

Reports have indicated Trump did not want to attend a separate ceremony celebrating veterans in France due to rain, and the president later stated his helicopter could not make the trip due to inclement weather and the Secret Service told him that a drive was not possible.

"By the way, when the helicopter couldn't fly to the first cemetery in France because of almost zero visibility, I suggested driving. Secret Service said NO, too far from airport & big Paris shutdown. Speech next day at American Cemetery in pouring rain! Little reported-Fake News!" the president tweeted Tuesday.

Wallace's full interview with Trump is scheduled to air Sunday morning on Fox with repeat airings in the afternoon and evening.