Share
Rep. Jim Costa of Fresno said Monday morning that President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria “is disgraceful and deeply harmful to our national security.”
“There is simply no justification for this abrupt and startling abandonment of our responsibilities and principles. The American people will be less safe because of it.”
Republicans Question Trump’s Decision
Leading Republicans also criticized Trump for making a decision that likely would endanger America’s Kurdish allies in the region.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield said Monday in an appearance on “Fox & Friends” that he had been briefed by the president about the decision. But he also voiced his concerns.
“I want to make sure we keep our word for those who fight with us and help us,” he said of the Kurds. “If you make a commitment and somebody is fighting with you, America should keep their word.”
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called Trump’s decision “a disaster” in light of Erdogan’s threats to launch a military operation across the Syrian border against the Kurds.
Graham said that he would call for Turkey’s suspension from NATO and introduce sanctions against Ankara if the Turks attack Kurdish forces.
“This decision to abandon our Kurdish allies and turn Syria over to Russia, Iran, & Turkey will put every radical Islamist on steroids. Shot in the arm to the bad guys. Devastating for the good guys,” Graham wrote in a tweet.
Trump: ‘Ridiculous Endless Wars’
There are about 1,000 U.S. troops in northern Syria, and a senior U.S. official said they will pull back from the area — and could depart the country entirely should widespread fighting break out between Turkish and Kurdish forces. For the moment, the U.S. troops are not leaving Syria, officials said.
Trump defended his decision, acknowledging in tweets that “the Kurds fought with us” but adding that they “were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so.”
“I held off this fight for almost 3 years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home,” he wrote.
If the Turks go too far, he tweeted later, “I in my great and unmatched wisdom” will destroy their economy.
(Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Senate Rebukes Trump’s Tariffs as Some Republicans Vote to Halt Taxes on Canadian Imports
13 hours ago
Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products
17 hours ago
Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars
18 hours ago
Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption
18 hours ago
Big Brands Spend Just Enough on X to Avoid Musk’s ‘Naughty List’
19 hours ago
Judge Dismisses Corruption Case Against New York City Mayor Eric Adams
19 hours ago
Why Project Labor Agreements Are Good for Our Schools and Students: Opinion
20 hours ago
Hungary to Exit ICC as Netanyahu Visits Amid Arrest Warrant Dispute
5 minutes ago
Categories

Hungary to Exit ICC as Netanyahu Visits Amid Arrest Warrant Dispute

Rubio Visits NATO Amid European Alarm Over Trump’s Agenda

Dow Drops 1,200 as US Stock Market Leads a Worldwide Sell-off Following Trump’s Tariff Shock

Senate Rebukes Trump’s Tariffs as Some Republicans Vote to Halt Taxes on Canadian Imports

Supreme Court Sides With the FDA in Its Dispute Over Sweet-Flavored Vaping Products

Trump Announces Sweeping New Tariffs to Promote US Manufacturing, Risking Inflation and Trade Wars

Fresno Firefighters Save Dog From Canal and Now She’s Ready for Adoption
