Secretary of State Mike Pompeo lashed out at a Kansas reporter who pressed him on President Trump’s decision to withdraw troops from Syria.
Pompeo, who was in Kansas on Thursday, spoke with a Wichita Eagle reporter, who asked, “What good really is the word of the U.S. in light of the president’s treatment of the Kurds? Has that undercut U.S. credibility?”
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“The whole predicate of your question is insane,” Pompeo responded. “The word of the United States — I’ll give you a good example — the word of the United States is much more respected today than it was just two-and-a-half years ago.”
Trump has been heavily criticized by Democrats and Republicans for his decision to pull troops from Syria, putting America’s Kurdish allies in northern Syria at risk. Critics said Trump’s decision would open the door to a resurgence of the Islamic State.
Russian forces have since begun moving into the territory once controlled by the U.S. and its Kurdish allies, and Turkey launched an offense against Kurdish fighters.
Trump said Wednesday that a “permanent” ceasefire had been agreed upon in northern Syria but maintained that U.S. troops would be leaving Syria.
“When these pundit fools who have called the Middle East wrong for 20 years ask what we are getting out of the deal, I simply say, THE OIL, AND WE ARE BRINGING OUR SOLDIERS BACK HOME, ISIS SECURED!” he tweeted Thursday.
….COMING HOME! We were supposed to be there for 30 days – That was 10 years ago. When these pundit fools who have called the Middle East wrong for 20 years ask what we are getting out of the deal, I simply say, THE OIL, AND WE ARE BRINGING OUR SOLDIERS BACK HOME, ISIS SECURED!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2019
