The outspoken host of Fox & Friends Brian Kilmeade has furiously attacked President Trump on his favorite morning show over his decision to abandon America’s Kurdish allies and let them face an attack from Turkey.
Trump has received a wave of condemnation for his snap decision to leave the Kurds to fend for themselves. The Kurds have spearheaded the on-the-ground fight against ISIS in northern Syria and have been repaid for their efforts by Trump clearing the way for Turkey to obliterate them.
Some of the angriest criticism yet has come from the unlikely source of Fox & Friends. A visibly furious Kilmeade argued with his co-hosts, called Trump’s decision “disastrous,” and questioned why any ally of the U.S. would now place any level of trust in the Trump administration.
ADVERTISEMENT
Kilmeade said: “We defeated the caliphate, the caliphate is destroyed, we wouldn't have done that without the Kurds who did all of our fighting... The reason why our casualties were so low is because the Kurds did all the fighting. Now we’re saying, ‘OK Turks, go wipe them out or force them out.’ What kind of message is that to the next ally who wants to side with us?”
Kilmeade said the decision was “a disastrous series of events” and urged Trump to reconsider the call. It’s not clear if Trump was watching the show but he was simultaneously defending his decision on Twitter.
Co-host Steve Doocy attempted to defend the president from Kilmeade’s attack, saying that it was a “campaign promise” to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria—but that just made Kilmeade more angry. He responded: “To release ISIS fighters and abandon our allies? That’s a campaign promise? Abandon the people that got the caliphate destroyed?”
Kilmeade, shaking his head, went on: “Are you kidding me? We’re abandoning our most loyal allies who did all our fighting. All we did was arm them and they did all the work and now we say ‘Good luck, good luck surviving.’ Disaster.”
Later in the show, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham appeared and strongly agreed with Kilmeade’s analysis. He called Trump’s decision a “big win” for Iran, ISIS, and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. He also wrote on Twitter that the decision was a “disaster” that will ensure an ISIS comeback and “be a stain on America’s honor for abandoning the Kurds.” Graham also said he will introduce a Senate resolution to reverse Trump’s decision.
The president expressed no remorse over his decision Monday morning, posting on Twitter that it’s not America’s problem. “The Kurds fought with us, but were paid massive amounts of money and equipment to do so,” he wrote. “We are 7000 miles away and will crush ISIS again if they come anywhere near us!”
