White House struggles to defend Trump’s Syria withdrawal plan

Among those who learned about Trump’s decision from reading news reports were top congressional leaders in both parties and senior military brass. In a more traditional administration, these two groups would have almost certainly been consulted ahead of such a momentous military announcement.

And while the Pentagon took pains to downplay the apparent disconnect between the commander in chief and his top generals, on Capitol Hill, members of Congress did not hide their frustration with the White House.

“I’ve never seen a decision like this since I’ve been here, in 12 years, where nothing is communicated in advance, and all of a sudden this type of massive decision takes place,” said Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Once the news broke, however, Trump did nothing to help key stakeholders better understand where he was coming from. On the contrary, Corker went to the White House for a previously scheduled meeting, only to have it cancelled while he was waiting.

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