Tuesday, May 1, 2018

President Trump Tells U.S. Senator Rand Paul He Wants To 'Get The Hell Out Of Afghanistan'

Sen. Rand Paul stands as President Trump arrives to sign an executive order at the White House in October. (Jabin Botsford / The Washington Post)

Chicago Tribune/Washington Post: In private chat with senator, Trump hints at policy shift in Afghanistan — and a return to isolationism

In the days leading up to a key vote over the fate of his nominee for secretary of state, President Donald Trump found a way to win over one of the biggest skeptics in the Senate.

Sen. Rand Paul, Ky., a rare isolationist Republican, was signaling that he would oppose Trump's pick, then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a hawkish former congressman who had backed the Iraq War.

But the more Trump and Paul spoke, including three calls on Monday, the more assured Paul became that the president was moving back toward the non-interventionist world view that Trump had championed on the campaign trail. The conversations left Paul with a particularly enticing notion: that Trump was prepared to end the war in Afghanistan.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: President Trumps instincts are right on this one .... but saying and doing are two different things. Also .... U.S. Defense Secretary Mattis  is probably right .... Mattis: No Indication Trump Wants To Withdraw From Afghanistan (Task /& Purpose). This also includes Syria .... Mattis Says US Troops Will Remain in Syria, Afghanistan for Long Haul (Military.com).

No comments: