Former Vice President Joe Biden hit President Trump’s decision to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria on Thursday, saying Trump sold out Kurdish allies in Syria and betrayed U.S. troops.
“He betrayed our brave troops, who sacrificed alongside them,” Biden said in a statement. “He betrayed our word as a nation — raising doubts among our allies around the world about America’s security commitments.”
{mosads}”And he betrayed our security by green lighting a Turkish incursion that will create chaos and destruction, setting conditions for ISIS to regrow,” he continued.
The White House announced on Sunday that Turkey would be moving forward with a long-threatened offensive in northern Syria and that U.S. troops would not be in the “immediate area” when it happens.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan announced on Wednesday that Turkis forces had begun their assault on Kurdish forces after Trump’s announcement.
Trump condemned Turkey’s move in the region but has stood by his decision to remove the troops despite facing major bipartisan blowback.
“The Kurds are fighting for their land,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “And as somebody wrote in a very, very powerful article today, they didn’t help us in the second World War, they didn’t help us with Normandy as an example. They mentioned names of different battles. But they’re there to help us with their land and that’s a different thing.”
Biden said the president’s comments “adds insult to very real injury.”
“By that standard, only Canada, a handful of European allies, and others could ever hope for America to come to their defense — and even they might have doubts after Trump’s performance,” he said.
Biden’s statement comes as the war of words between him and Trump escalates on the campaign trail.
The former vice president said for the first time on Wednesday that Trump should be impeached amid the controversy surrounding his calls for Ukraine to investigate Biden and his son.