Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), a leading ally of President Donald Trump, told reporters in a brief conference call after a meeting with the president on Wednesday that Trump is planning withdrawals of U.S. forces from Syria and Afghanistan and will instead reinvest U.S. resources wasted there in rebuilding the United States.
In Syria, U.S. armed forces have been fighting the Islamic State or ISIS, a terrorist group that once controlled significant territory and resources, but the administration insists that ISIS has been defeated. As such, Trump is moving to withdraw all U.S. forces from Syria.
In Afghanistan, U.S. troops have been at war there for nearly 18 years, since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, making it the longest war in U.S. history. While Paul was nonspecific on the details of the timeline and scope of withdrawal from Afghanistan, the senator from Kentucky said that President Trump did make clear to senators and national security officials on Wednesday he intends to end the war there too. Paul said:
I’ve just come from the White House and we had a great meeting there. I tweeted out that I’ve never been prouder of the president and I don’t say that lightly. I’m not the kind to just say something is really great if it’s not. I really am proud of the president for making an argument that no president in recent history has made and that is that we have been at war too long in too many places and that he’s really going to make a difference. This is the kind of stuff those of us who have seen the horror of war and see the horror of those who have lost limbs in war and war that has gone on and on and on. We live for the day that somebody will actually stand up and say ‘I’m going to change history.’ I think the president is that person—and I really am proud of him not only for saying that not only is he following through with his Syria policy but I really do think there will be changes in Afghanistan as well. If you look at the polling data for the American people, I think the American people are with the president and they’re tired of both parties who are unwilling to stand up and say enough is enough. It’s time to spend some of that money at home. He mentioned how much money we spent in Afghanistan on gas stations, luxury hotels, and this and that—our country suffers. We need to be able to spend that money here at home.
I have never been prouder of President Donald Trump. In today’s meeting, he stood up for a strong America and steadfastly opposed foreign wars. Putting America First means declaring victory in Afghanistan and Syria. President Trump is delivering on his promises.
— Senator Rand Paul (@RandPaul) January 16, 2019
Regarding the specifics of the withdrawal plans, Paul said he will allow the president to detail those for the nation but laid out how Trump has made clear both wars are coming to an end, and soon:
I think the president will have to characterize the specifics, but I think his general—the idea is we’re going to do things differently. We’re not going to stay forever. The Afghans will have to step up. The Afghans will need to begin fighting their own wars and protecting their country. It’s not that we’ll do nothing. I think the president still help them. I think we’ll still actually be there longer than I would like to be, but the president is willing to acknowledge that America’s longest war needs to come to a close and that we need to learn how to declare a victory. I can tell you with each successive conversation that I’ve had with him, I feel that he really is going to try to do something extraordinary for our country. We’ve been at war for so long and so many young men and women have died and so many have given up parts of their body. I think it’s a part of the president that a lot of people haven’t seen publicly, and that’s his concern for those he has met at Walter Reed… He takes that burden very personally that he is in charge and he is the one who now gets to decide whether we’re going to be in this forever or if we’re going to change course. And I think he’s going to change course. And I think he’s going to set his own. I don’t want to talk to the specifics though because I think he has to tell the country that, but I will tell you if you’ll look at his language in his tweets about ‘endless war’ and you hear him talk about how long this has gone on, I think you’re seeing one of the extraordinary things about how people couldn’t figure out how did Donald Trump get elected? Well, it would be because he doesn’t fit neatly in a box. He was a different kind of Republican who actually looked at the issues of war and said you know what? We ought to think of America first, and not spend so much everywhere all the time that really a lot of times just doesn’t work frankly.
Paul added that in addition to a major policy win for the president, the withdrawals from Syria and Afghanistan–ending both wars finally–are major political wins for him,as well, heading into his re-election in 2020.
Paul said when asked by Breitbart News about how important keeping these promises is for his re-election:
I think most people, most political pundits, still haven’t figured out how he won in 2016. I think he did win by being different. He got a lot of working class voters who understand that he wanted to and would stand up to foreign countries to make sure we get a better deal for this country, that he would make even our friends and allies pay more for their own defense and the day of everybody thinking that we were Uncle Sam and going to take care of their every want and wish, that those days were over. That’s also what he was saying with regard to war. He won because he said things—look he will defend America. He said in the meeting that he is for a stronger defense than anybody in the meeting ever imagined and that he will do whatever it takes to defend America but that he’s not going to fight forever or leave our troops in wars forever where it’s not really helping America.
Paul was part of a meeting with several other senators and national security officials, along with Trump, at the White House. He also met with Trump privately, where they discussed the ongoing government shutdown.
Shut down government, end our wars, bring the troops home, and make the liberals batshit crazy. Trump is getting two thumbs up from me if he keeps this up.
Of course, ending our wars and bringing our troops home would be far more than I expected. Let’s hope Trump follows through and keeps Bolton locked in the closet for another couple years. Also, let’s hope he avoids any open-air limousine rides through Dallas.
Troops are getting shuffled around, not getting sent home.
Wall street and monopolies like CIAmazon, NSAGoogle, and FBIbook are more out of control than ever and in no danger of being reeled in.
Driving liberals bat shit crazy may seem funny, but it’s really just purposely dividing America more than ever. A true leader and patriot unites, or at least doesn’t further divide.
We need troops on the border where the real threat is, not some contrived imagined foreign bogeyman. A wall of heavily armed american soldiers will suffice until a physical wall can be built. If they shoot them muds with a full metal jacket pinto bean, I guarantee you they’ll never come back.
Much better to waste public resources on domestic boondoggles than blowing the shit out of foreign countries.
We don’t just blow the shit out of countries. We blow it up and then award billion dollar contracts to rebuild it, and then never bother to follow up on whether it ever gets rebuilt or not. I’m an anarchist, but would absolutely rather see my stolen monies wasted in this country than in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc. At least OUR bridges might remain standing for a while longer.
The three greatest lies: The check is in the mail, I don’t care if my daughter does marry a black man, and I promise…I’ll pull out.
Yep. I will believe it when I see it. I suspect if he does begin to follow through, we could see another Kennedy style assassination. I strongly doubt the interests that make billions of dollars “liberating” foreign countries are just going to say “ok, no problem”, I don’t need any more free money…..sure.
Besides, what about Russia – Isn’t Trump still “colluding”. What a joke.
Good grief.
Hey Rand, Trump has killed the Republican party deader than a stone, people just don’t realize it yet. You can always jump ship for team blue or get a real fucking job.
Rand is so full of softball mainstream reasoning I don’t know where to begin.
Sorry for the sportsball analogy, but Rand rand needs to put on 150+ pounds if he wants to play defensive end and protect Jewish reality-TV Quarterback Trumps blindside.
5 Steps to give up Being A People Pleaser
When your the main ageda is to be liked all the time, You aren’t in touch with what you deserve. “You would certainly find it very, Very difficult to do what you should do for you, Lue promises.
People pleasing isn’t some thing just pushovers do. Lue notes that perfectionists might be prone to people pleasing.
the great thing is that it’s a changeable habit. ahead of that Lue recommends.
Lift Your Head and Lower Your Arms You might just Feel Better
buy some data Over a week, Observe how you spend your time and energy. Lue recommends keeping note of offer you say yes, No or it could be to a request. Don’t judge it just observe she says.
“People pleasers don’t need many no’s or even maybes in that week, reads Lue.
Notice and record how each of those requests made felt.
“what type of things tend to stress you out? all that [that could be] in which [packs] yourself off? try out that, tells people Lue. This helps identify the times when you say no and everything turns out fine so guess what happens situations you can say no to in the future.
Keeping notes also reveals the types of requests or people who might cause you anxiety. For those human relationships, Lue tells how, “to find out: what’s the subject matter baggage behind this, Does a certain kind of request remind you of a bad relationship or some other traumatic event?
“People pleasing is a response to old hurts and loss, states. “It will undoubtedly be. A survival and coping mechanism that we’ve learned when they are young and then just continued on in adulthood,
This habit is likewise a survival tactic, Lue ideas, For those from marginalized backgrounds to repress who they may be.
It’s a great deal to unpack. But once you know fo you to safely say no, Try setting a goal of saying no a certain number of times per day. Lue says it’s OK unless you meet that goal.
“But starting to actually cut back permits us to get a feel of what it can be like, She exposes.
“organic beef look at our week [And recognize], ‘I take, as with, 90% of my week doing stuff feels like I’m trapped.. important reason [url=https://latamdatescam.wordpress.com/2014/04/22/what-latamdate-does-to-protect-its-members-from-latamdate-scam-or-fraud/]latamdate review[/url] I’m anxious,’ ” describes Lue.
the very next time someone asks you for something, Assess your time and energy before taking on new tasks.
“People are missing things that we actually do want to do because we’ve been too busy turning around and saying yes to stuff that we shouldn’t, pronounces Lue.
She says people pleasers spend a lot of energy going out of their way for others, Expecting that power source to keep renewing itself.
“But exactly how we’re spending our bandwidth means that, basically, We affect our psychologically and mentally,demonstrative, mind, Physical and faith based health, states.
What ‘The Rocket Years’ can instruct Us
Learn the difference between desire and obligation Lue says gathering all this data helps distinguish between when you feel excited to say yes to something and when it feels like an obligation.
“If you do things from a place of guilt or debt, It is guaranteed to lead to resentment, she says. Because when a people pleaser doesn’t see someone spending the equivalent time or energy on them, That can make the people pleaser feel robbed.
Start to notice the kinds of requests that align with your values or make you feel good. clearly, There are some tasks that will simply have to get done. But Lue says being on purpose with saying yes can be eye opening.