For many supporters of President Donald Trump, his decision earlier this month to bring home the troops in Syria was met with cheers.
But now it sounds like the immediate pullout of these 2000 troops has been paused, at least according to Sen. Lindsey Graham who just met with the president this afternoon:
Sen. Lindsey Graham says the Trump understands what’s at stake in Syria and has agreed to slow down the immediate withdrawal of troops he ordered earlier this month.
— Zachary Cohen (@ZcohenCNN) December 30, 2018
Sen. Lindsey Graham suggests Trump is backing off orders for an immediate withdrawal of all US troops from Syria. "I think we are slowing things down in a smart way" he says after lunch with Trump. Later: "We're in a pause situation where we are reevaluating."
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) December 30, 2018
“I think we’re in a pause situation,” Graham told reporters after lunch with the president. “I feel better about Syria than before I had lunch.”
He said “we’re slowing things down in a smart way.”
— Zachary Cohen (@ZcohenCNN) December 30, 2018
Sen. Graham said that the president’s trip to Iraq opened his eyes to threat in the region from ISIS:
Graham says Trump had an "eye-opening" experience in Iraq, where commanders told him ISIS was almost destroyed but not completely. And yet, in Iraq, Trump said he told generals "nope" when they asked for more time in Syria. "You can't have any more time. You've got enough time."
— Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) December 30, 2018
Recommended
More from Sen. Graham:
Graham after meeting with Trump: I feel a lot better about Syria now https://t.co/luoZGqeUyX pic.twitter.com/9gI89QUTPI
— Hassan Hassan (@hxhassan) December 30, 2018
Video here:
Sen. Lindsey Graham, who criticized President Trump's withdrawal of troops from the Middle East, says Trump today told him "some things I didn't know that make me feel a lot better about where we're headed in Syria" pic.twitter.com/HBbvzirDfO
— CBS News (@CBSNews) December 30, 2018
UPDATE: Sen. Graham attempted to clear things up on Twitter:
I learned a lot from President @realDonaldTrump about our efforts in Syria that was reassuring. (1/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 30, 2018
The President will make sure any withdrawal from Syria will be done in a fashion to ensure:
1) ISIS is permanently destroyed.
2) Iran doesn’t fill in the back end, and
3) our Kurdish allies are protected.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 30, 2018
President @realDonaldTrump is talking with our commanders and working with our allies to make sure these three objectives are met as we implement the withdrawal. (3/3)
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 30, 2018
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Related:
Wait, what? Donald Trump drops bomb on Lindsey Graham over Syria — and people have questions https://t.co/NMwHRNXwMZ
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 20, 2018
ICYMI==> REPORT: Scandinavian hikers murdered in retaliation for U.S.-Kurdish victory over ISIS in Hajin, Syria; 13 now under arrest https://t.co/RK42ibsGhw
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 22, 2018
DOUBLE thud! Hillary Clinton trips all over herself (AND Obama) in rush to slam Trump on Russia, Iran & Syria https://t.co/BYBiF237wC
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) December 21, 2018
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