Trump Sparks Outrage By Claiming Dead Soldiers Would Endorse His Withdrawal From Syria: ‘This is Sick’
After historic victories against ISIS, it’s time to bring our great young people home! pic.twitter.com/xoNjFzQFTp
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 19, 2018
President Donald Trump, facing intense backlash over his apparently slapdash decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria, issued one of his bizarre White House lawn video statements on Wednesday defending the move and blasting his media critics.
“These are heroes of the world,” Trump said in the video. “Because they’ve fought for us. But they’ve killed ISIS, who hurts the world.”
“So our boys, our young women, our men, they’re all coming back, and they’re coming back now,” Trump continued. “We won. And that’s the way we want it.”
Trump concluded, pointing at the sky: “And that’s the way they want it.”
The nonsensical video is now facing a backlash. Aside from the obvious point that ISIS has hardly been defeated in Syria, many have taken issue with Trump claiming that dead soldiers would endorse his plan to withdraw from the region (a plan reportedly opposed by the Pentagon and State Department).
Pres Trump says the soldiers who died fighting against ISIS would want the US to pull our troops out of Syria.
Pres Trump: “We won, and that’s the way we want it, and that’s the way they (*points to the sky*) want it.” https://t.co/xPrIYvTiRG
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) December 19, 2018
—> 20,000 to 30,000 ISIS fighters are still active in Syria and Iraq, according to a UN report released in August https://t.co/IOXQgIlWRC
— Trey Yingst (@TreyYingst) December 19, 2018
You know, I thought this was a little odd and then I got to the part where THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES STARTS SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF SERVICE MEMBERS WHO WERE KILLED IN COMBAT AND POINTING TO THE SKY. https://t.co/tObpe5GkqL
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) December 19, 2018
My God. He actually claims to have the endorsement of dead U.S. soldiers. This is sick. https://t.co/Gn0epFl4Rc
— John A. Daly (@JohnDalyBooks) December 19, 2018
I’m going to write 15,000 words about the influence of basic cable ads for sectional sofas have had on the president’s rhetorical style. https://t.co/PATDdiRX4b
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) December 19, 2018
In which the Commander in Chief says dead soldiers want him going against the advice of his generals https://t.co/gkFryaVHf9
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) December 19, 2018
This is ghastly. https://t.co/lW77oA7K7h
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) December 19, 2018
wherein, POTUS speaks for fallen service members. JFC https://t.co/5LOKiFFbzO
— Byrd Martin (@byrdshouse) December 19, 2018
It is more than a little strange speak definitively about the desires and policy views of US servcicemembers who have died fighting in Syria and Iraq. https://t.co/QPIPE0TgN4
— Chris Hayes (@chrislhayes) December 19, 2018
preparations for withdrawing troops from Syria?
they won’t even take time to write a 1 minute video script – just Trump ad-libbing incoherently about ISIS & fallen soldiers. https://t.co/JZEzyM98fV
— Jesse Lehrich (@JesseLehrich) December 19, 2018
“They’re all coming back, and they’re all coming back now. We won and that’s they way we want it and that’s the way” — points to sky, to KIA in heaven — “ *they* want it.” https://t.co/KGo7eNQkaa
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) December 19, 2018
I wondered if this gloss really captures the video. Yep. Trump says the KIA soldiers up in heaven are down with this move. https://t.co/TN0GBGniNA
— Josh Marshall (@joshtpm) December 19, 2018
This video is bizarre. Trump seems to be saying that we're about to bring home US soldiers from Syria because that's what dead US soldiers want. I've watched this 3 times, squinting. It's…??? Point being, what the hell is Bill Shine actually doing for that fat taxpayer salary? https://t.co/tch80tH1wU
— Mark Follman (@markfollman) December 19, 2018
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