Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio and Nikki Haley denounced the decision to allow Turkey to fight U.S.-allied Kurds.
Several prominent Republicans admonished the White House on Monday for its controversial decision to allow Turkey to invade northern Syria and potentially wipe out U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters — with Sen. Lindsey Graham criticizing the maneuver as “a disaster in the making” in a rare public break with President Donald Trump.
“I don’t know all the details regarding President Trump’s decision in northern Syria,” the South Carolina Republican wrote on Twitter, adding that he was in the process of scheduling a phone call with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and warning: “If press reports are accurate this is a disaster in the making.”
Graham, a vocal defender of the president and frequent adviser on matters of foreign policy, predicted the administration’s move would ensure a “comeback” of ISIS, force the Kurds to align themselves with Syrian President Bashar Assad and Iran, damage the relationship between Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government and Congress, and become “a stain on America’s honor for abandoning the Kurds.”
He also threatened to introduce a Senate resolution opposing Trump’s decision, and accused the White House of being dishonest about the nature of the ISIS threat during an interview on the president’s favorite morning cable news show.
“The biggest lie being told by the administration [is] that ISIS is defeated,” Graham told the hosts of “Fox & Friends.”
“This impulsive decision by the president has undone all the gains we’ve made, thrown the region into further chaos,” he said, adding: “I hope I’m making myself clear how shortsighted and irresponsible this decision is in my view.”
Sen. Marco Rubio, another hawkish lawmaker respected within the GOP for his foreign policy outlook, also condemned the White House’s action and cautioned that it would encourage Iran amid escalating tensions between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic.
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President Trump took to Twitter this morning to defend the White House's controversial decision to allow Turkey to invade northern Syria and potentially wipe out U.S.-allied Kurdish fighters https://t.co/YiUL6XJFQf
— POLITICO (@politico) October 7, 2019If you read one piece on Trump's madcap, what-the-hell Syrian decision, make it this excellent one by @michaeldweiss https://t.co/NNjDHfFXU0
— John Schindler (@20committee) October 7, 2019
@RadioFreeTom We are abandoning the Kurds. NOBODY WILL EVER TRUST US AGAIN. Another gift to Russia. Last straw. https://t.co/9pnH5W3k5B
— D.S. Sebastian (@DSSebastian1) October 7, 2019
1. We have abandoned the Kurds, protestors in Hong Kong and Russia, the victims of horrific human rights abuses in China and North Korea, Jamal Khashoggi and others brutally victimized by MBS and the Saudi regime, those who fell to Putin's assassins and so many more.
— Casey Nikoloric (@CaseyNikoloric) October 7, 2019
The sad/funny thing is Graham's publicly-stated rationale for sucking up to Trump has been that it allows him to be close and influence Trump's decisions. And here Graham's basically admitting he had no idea what was happening. Great influencing there, buddy.
— Tom Beshere (@tom_beshere) October 7, 2019
— S.V. Dáte (@svdate) October 7, 2019
Ohhhhhh. A RESOLUTION!
Well, THAT will fix Donnie's little red wagon.
MAN, if there's one thing Trump fears it's s resolution. I'm sure he's shaking in his Depends. https://t.co/0YVwpkhT5h
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 7, 2019
Trump's betrayal of the Kurd's is just one more chapter in a catalog of treachery to loyal allies.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 7, 2019
Trump is over-ruling a) all his NATSEC team, b) our regional allies c) honor.
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) October 7, 2019
It's possible to (1) Want an end to forever wars, (2) be concerned that the Kurds are about to be slaughtered.
— Casey Mattox (@CaseyMattox_) October 7, 2019
Withdrawing US forces from Northern Syria is a catastrophic mistake that puts our gains against ISIS at risk and threatens US security.
This decision ignores lesson of 9/11. Terrorists thousands of miles away can and will use their safe-havens to launch attacks against America.
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) October 7, 2019
Noted. Not much has changed from the Kurds' perspective, except for the fact they're being hung out to dry. https://t.co/Zpzo7YGwiW
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) October 7, 2019
America’s worst nightmare is to have reliable allies — like the Kurds who have fought so bravely against ISIS — abandoned and destroyed.https://t.co/PQjFTbGCAc
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) December 21, 2018
Donald Trump is not a Commander-in-Chief. He makes impulsive decisions with no knowledge or deliberation. He sends military personnel into harm’s way with no backing. He blusters and then leaves our allies exposed when adversaries call his bluff or he confronts a hard phone call.
— Brett McGurk (@brett_mcgurk) October 7, 2019
Kurds say they were acting in good faith working with US on security mechanism but now feel Turkey was just working on reconnaissance the whole time (joint patrols, flights over Rojava, pulling back from the border etc). This has left them incredibly weak as assault looms 2/
— Josie Ensor (@Josiensor) October 7, 2019
— Josie Ensor (@Josiensor) October 7, 2019
I think it may be time for Mattis to speak more bluntly.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) October 7, 2019
President Trump is not ending any war. He insists on keeping American troops in Syria in violation of our Constitution. He’s simply moving troops out of a specific area and green lighting Turkey’s attack on the Kurds and others who have helped combat ISIS. It’s just more war.
— Justin Amash (@justinamash) October 7, 2019
We must always have the backs of our allies, if we expect them to have our back. The Kurds were instrumental in our successful fight against ISIS in Syria. Leaving them to die is a big mistake. #TurkeyIsNotOurFriend
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) October 7, 2019
The President’s decision to abandon our Kurd allies in the face of an assault by Turkey is a betrayal. It says that America is an unreliable ally; it facilitates ISIS resurgence; and it presages another humanitarian disaster. https://t.co/Tu8ARa8Pmp
— Senator Mitt Romney (@SenatorRomney) October 7, 2019
Of course he did. https://t.co/nY5gcmbyZL
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) October 7, 2019
it… was a White House statement. https://t.co/FnfNnJjT3Q
— Blake News (@blakehounshell) October 7, 2019
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