WATCH: GOP Rep. Baffles CNN Anchor With Five Minutes of Incoherent Fumbling to Defend Trump on Syria

A Republican congressman twisted himself in knots in a botched attempt to defend President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out U.S. troops of Syria. And he left a CNN anchor utterly baffled in the process.

Appearing on CNN Newsroom Monday, Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) spent more than five minutes avoiding questions on Syria from anchor Poppy Harlow and saying as little as possible on the subject.

“Do you sport the president’s move to remove U.S. Troops from northern Syria?” Harlow asked the congressman simply and directly.

Burgess’s first attempt at deflection was to blame Congress.

“Well, what I will tell you is this was a very poor time for Congress to be out of town for two weeks,” he said. “Look, in the previous administration, this administration, there’s never been an authorization for use of military force in Syria. Now would be the time. If Congress feels that way, now would be the time to perhaps provide that direction to the executive branch.”

Harlow pressed the congressman.

“Let me ask you just a direct question again because there is reporting of two ISIS attacks since last Wednesday, since the Turkish incursion,” she said. “So again, do you support the president’s decision to remove U.S. troops from northern Syria?”

“I support the president in his effort to remove the United States from entanglements abroad that have diminished our treasury and sacrificed United States lives,” Burgess said. “So the president made no secret about this when he ran. He made no secret about it about six months ago that this was his intention. Congress has had every opportunity to provide him with an authorization for use of military forces.”

“To your point about ending endless wars and the president’s campaign promises, the U.S. just mid-last week committed 1,800 U.S. troops to the region, to Saudi Arabia,” Harlow said — trying once more to get a straight answer. “So again, do you support the president’s decision to remove these U.S. troops from northern Syria, given what we have seen take place since that happened?

“I don’t think the president made any secret about what his intention was,” Burgess said.

“Yes, and I’m asking do you support that move?” Harlow said.

“Yes,” Burgess finally conceded.

Having blown more than two minutes trying to get the very simple yes or no answer she sought, Harlow pressed her luck, and asked for another answer. She quoted General Mazloum Kobani Abdi saying to the United States, “You have given up on us. You are leaving us to be slaughtered.”

“Given that,” Harlow said, “what should the United States do today?”

The congressman delivered a rambling response – blaming Europe for not getting involved — while, again, avoiding the question.

A visibly exasperated Harlow didn’t surrender.

“I’m asking you what the U.S. should do today,” she said.

Burgess again pivoted to blaming Congress, then did it once more on a follow-up question.

“Was it not the president’s decision to pull back?” Harlow said.

“How did we get into Syria in the first place without any congressional authorization?”

“Okay,” Harlow said, finally giving up her futile quest for answers.

Watch above, via CNN.

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