CHARLESTON, W.Va. — U.S. Rep. Alex Mooney, R-W.Va., said Wednesday he is not sure if President Donald Trump made the right decision in opting to withdraw American troops from northern Syria.
“That depends on a lot of circumstances,” Mooney said. “I don’t think it’s wrong for him to do it, I’ll tell you that.”
Mooney’s appearance on MetroNews “Talkline” came as Turkey launched airstrikes and attacks against Kurdish fighters. President Donald Trump announced Sunday he was withdrawing the troops, leaving the Kurds vulnerable to attacks.
Trump later said Turkey’s effort was a “bad idea.”
Mooney said on “Talkline” no one should be surprised by the president’s decision, given his campaign promise to decrease American involvement in foreign conflicts.
“The circumstances in Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq are constantly changing,” Mooney said.
“I do think we should vote on these things before troops go to Syria or any other country. I think the U.S. House of Representatives should have a vote on that to authorize the use of force. I think that is a lacking issue for the president, whether it’s Donald Trump or Obama or Clinton, is constantly deciding when the troops come and when the troops leave,” he said.
Mooney noted Trump was right in ordering missile strikes after chemical attacks in Syria, adding he does trust the president, noting likely consultation with officials before the decision.
“I think he has a lot of people to give him advice, and I think in the end he makes a decision,” the congressman said. “One of his benefits, one of his strong points is that he’s hard to predict, and so if something happens differently in Syria next week, next month, next year, he may well reverse it and decide maybe we should go back in some strategic way.”
Trump tweeted Wednesday morning sending troops to the Middle East was the “WORST DECISION EVER MADE IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY,” and he is focused on the “BIG PICTURE!“