WAPO: Rand's influence on Trump

[francisco]

In private chat with senator, Trump hints at policy shift in Afghanistan — and a return to isolationism



In the days leading up to a key vote last week over the fate of his nominee for secretary of state, President Trump found a way to win over one of the biggest skeptics in the Senate.

Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), a rare isolationist Republican, was signaling that he would oppose Trump’s pick, then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a hawkish former congressman who had backed the Iraq War.

But the more Trump and Paul spoke, including three calls last Monday, the more assured Paul became that the president was moving back toward the non-interventionist world view that Trump had championed on the campaign trail. The conversations left Paul with a particularly enticing notion: that Trump was prepared to end the war in Afghanistan.

“The president told me over and over again in general we’re getting the hell out of there,” Paul said in an interview Thursday in his Senate office. “I think the president’s instincts and inclination are to resolve the Afghan conflict.”
The two men discussed no exit dates and did not strike a written agreement, as Trump urged Paul to meet one-on-one with Pompeo and ultimately secured the senator’s support ahead of a key Foreign Relations Committee vote that paved the way for confirmation...

...It is unclear just how much Trump’s private conversations signal a public shift in policy or, rather, if they are just maneuvering by a famously transactional leader who often says what he needs to say to make a deal and then reverses himself. The White House declined to comment for this story, but an official confirmed the outlines of the interactions that Paul described.

Nonetheless, Trump’s talks with Paul reflect an area of growing tension between the president, whose instinct is to withdraw from overseas entanglements, and his military, whose leaders think that swift pullouts would spark dangerous instability. In Afghanistan, one indication of the military’s nervousness is its eagerness to open peace talks with the Taliban and try to negotiate an end the conflict...

...The Trump-Paul conversations also point to an effort by the dovish senator and former Trump rival, long treated by his party as a foreign policy gadfly, to assert influence over a president who chafes at being managed by his advisers and the Republican foreign policy establishment.

Full Article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.ca7cdfd7f9d5

[dannno]

Arrggg blarg Isolationist garrrrrrffff

[Swordsmyth]

The question is whether Paul’s influence will persuade Trump to listen less to generals and more to his gut.
“His true worldview, and I have heard him say this over and over, is that we have no business being anywhere over there and we look like fools,” said onelongtime friend, who has spoken to Trump repeatedly about the Middle East. “He is inclined to agree with Rand Paul.”

“The other day when we were talking, he said it’s probably only he and I of the whole 16 that shared any of this vision of foreign policy that these wars had been a mistake,” Paul said. “That’s something. That’s an amazing opening for people like me who think we have made so many mistakes.”

[nikcers]

The question is whether Paul’s influence will persuade Trump to listen less to generals and more to his gut.
“His true worldview, and I have heard him say this over and over, is that we have no business being anywhere over there and we look like fools,” said onelongtime friend, who has spoken to Trump repeatedly about the Middle East. “He is inclined to agree with Rand Paul.”

“The other day when we were talking, he said it’s probably only he and I of the whole 16 that shared any of this vision of foreign policy that these wars had been a mistake,” Paul said. “That’s something. That’s an amazing opening for people like me who think we have made so many mistakes.”

Rand Paul is a master troll there have been a few articles out now about this same quote. They should have him come on the shows and talk about Trumps plan to end the war in Afghanistan

[timosman]

Rand Paul is a master troll there have been a few articles out now about this same quote. They should have him come on the shows and talk about Trumps plan to end the war in Afghanistan

Because Trump and Pompeo are unable to do it themselves?

[juleswin]

Keep your eyes on the ball people, I am smelling a head fake. Remember folks, the US is still in Germany, they mostly never leave if they have not been defeated (1st gulf war was a mistake that they have now rectified).

[juleswin]

Because Trump and Pompeo are unable to do it themselves?

Plus promises made to Rand in secret now has more weight than that made to the voters in public campaign rallies.

Politicians have it so good with these group of voters. They would believe anything.

[timosman]

Keep your eyes on the ball people, I am smelling a head fake. Remember folks, the US is still in Germany, they mostly never leave if they have not been defeated (1st gulf war was a mistake that they have now rectified).

Not even a head fake. Simply Rand bumbling about as usual. Delusion of Grandeur.

[r3volution 3.0]

At this afternoon's WH press conference, Huckleberry whore was asked about this; she denied any change of policy in Afghanistan.

So, that leverage...

[Swordsmyth]

At this afternoon's WH press conference, Huckleberry whore was asked about this; she denied any change of policy in Afghanistan.

So, that leverage...

We shall see.

[AuH20]

Trump may be on Rand's side, but it could mean very little. The president is held captive.

[Anti-Neocon]

Please break any links to articles that use the word "isolationism" to refer to Paul foreign policy. We can't do our enemy's work for them.

[Anti-Neocon]

The question is whether Paul’s influence will persuade Trump to listen less to generals and more to his gut.
“His true worldview, and I have heard him say this over and over, is that we have no business being anywhere over there and we look like fools,” said onelongtime friend, who has spoken to Trump repeatedly about the Middle East. “He is inclined to agree with Rand Paul.”

“The other day when we were talking, he said it’s probably only he and I of the whole 16 that shared any of this vision of foreign policy that these wars had been a mistake,” Paul said. “That’s something. That’s an amazing opening for people like me who think we have made so many mistakes.”

Even if this is true, what good is it if he's too much of a spineless cowardly "betacuck" to do anything about it?

[jmdrake]

Full Article:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.ca7cdfd7f9d5

In private chat with senator, Trump hints at policy shift in Afghanistan — and a return to isolationism



In the days leading up to a key vote last week over the fate of his nominee for secretary of state, President Trump found a way to win over one of the biggest skeptics in the Senate.

Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.), a rare isolationist Republican, was signaling that he would oppose Trump’s pick, then-CIA Director Mike Pompeo, a hawkish former congressman who had backed the Iraq War.

But the more Trump and Paul spoke, including three calls last Monday, the more assured Paul became that the president was moving back toward the non-interventionist world view that Trump had championed on the campaign trail. The conversations left Paul with a particularly enticing notion: that Trump was prepared to end the war in Afghanistan.

Sometimes I wish I had a button that I could press and electrically shock anytime a reporter said something stupid like isolationism = non-interventionism.