Rand Paul Defends Trump’s Syria Decision from Republican ‘Neocon War Caucus’

President Donald Trump‘s decision to withdraw troops from northern Syria has gotten some serious blowback from many Republicans raising alarm about the consequences, including his own former U.S. ambassador Nikki Haley:

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

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

NEW: Mitch McConnell weighs in on Syria:

`A precipitous withdrawal of U.S. forces from Syria would only benefit Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime,' he says. pic.twitter.com/YTmoA1A4dz

— Laura Litvan (@LauraLitvan) October 7, 2019

If reports about US retreat in #Syria are accurate, the Trump administration has made a grave mistake that will have implications far beyond Syria.

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) October 7, 2019

No matter what President Trump is saying about his decision, it is EXACTLY what President Obama did in Iraq with even more disastrous consequences for our national security.

Unlike President Obama, I hope President Trump will reassess and take sound military advice.

— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) October 7, 2019

Senator Rand Paul appeared on Fox News today to express support for the president’s move.

Neil Cavuto said, “A lot of people in your own party — Lindsey Graham, Marco Rubio, Mitt Romney, Nikki Haley, and on and on and on — say this is a tragedy, it’s a bad move, it emboldens our enemies.”

“It sounded like you listed the neocon war caucus of the Senate, so yeah, they always want to stay at war,” Paul responded.

Cavuto brought up the criticisms from Graham and Haley that the U.S. shouldn’t be abandoning the Kurds.

At one point Paul said Trump is right about regime change, saying, “\Regime change hasn’t worked. It’s led to more chaos and the rise of ISIS came in the chaos of Hussein being toppled but also the chaos of Assad’s regime being made marginal and made fragile.”

You can watch above, via Fox News.