Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina announced plans Thursday to introduce legislation calling on President Donald Trump to reverse his decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria.
Graham spoke out at a press conference with Democratic Sens. Jack Reed of Rhode Island and Bob Menendez of New Jersey. Reed is the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, while Menendez is the ranking member on the Foreign Relations Committee. (RELATED: Lindsey Graham On Trump And Clinton-“Most People, Blindsided Would Lie To Protect Their Family’)
“Mr. President, you have a chance to change course,” Graham said. “You’ve got a lot of bipartisan support to do so.”
Graham said that the decision came as a shock to him and other senators.
“I don’t know how this decision was made,” Graham said. “It literally came out of left field.”
Often a staunch ally of the president, Graham has found himself vehemently opposed to Trump on this critical foreign policy issue.
Trump fired back at Graham in a Wednesday tweet, writing, “So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$,” Trump said. “Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!”
So hard to believe that Lindsey Graham would be against saving soldier lives & billions of $$$. Why are we fighting for our enemy, Syria, by staying & killing ISIS for them, Russia, Iran & other locals? Time to focus on our Country & bring our youth back home where they belong!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 20, 2018
