Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham called on President Trump’s critics to applaud his decision to kill ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, after weeks of criticizing the president’s Middle Eastern policy.
Trump announced Sunday that U.S. forces had successfully raided a compound in northern Syria and killed the ISIS leader.
Trump did not alert Democratic leaders such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, though he had consulted Graham after the raid.
Graham has been one of the president’s most vocal Republican critics of the decision to withdraw troops from Syria, leaving Kurdish allies in a vulnerable position when Turkey took over the region.
After Baghdadi’s death was announced, Graham called it a “game changer in the War on Terror.”
“The president’s been determined for a very long time to bring Baghdadi to justice, and I want to compliment him and his team for bringing about a result that I think is a game-changer in the War on Terror,” said Graham.
He maintained that he still believes ISIS is a threat but claimed Baghdadi’s death is a major blow to the terrorist organization.
“The caliphate is dead and the leader of the caliphate is dead and that’s a big deal,” Graham said.
Graham addressed his previous criticisms of Trump’s foreign policy, saying, “I’m very encouraged with what I see in Syria. It may be a new strategy that focuses on building up the lives of people in the region and having a small footprint of Americans led by the local populations.”
He also urged other critics of Trump to celebrate the success of the operation.
Graham added, “This is a moment where President Trump’s worst critic should say, ‘Well done, Mr. President.’”
