President Donald Trump retooled a campaign slogan Monday to defend his worldview, declaring that “AMERICA IS RESPECTED AGAIN!” during a four-hour Twitter tirade as foreign allies braced for the potentially destabilizing effects of his policy decisions on national security.
President Donald Trump retooled a campaign slogan Monday to defend his worldview, declaring that “AMERICA IS RESPECTED AGAIN!” during a four-hour Twitter tirade as foreign allies braced for the potentially destabilizing effects of his policy decisions on national security.
Democratic leaders accused the president of “plunging the country into chaos” on Christmas Eve.
Ensconced in the White House with no official plans other than hosting a meeting on border security and tracking Santa Claus on military radar, Trump showed no sign of slowing a Twitter storm amid a government shutdown, the fallout over his defense secretary’s resignation and a cratering stock market.
In the midst of posting, he even lamented, “I am all alone (poor me).”
His posts were replete with grievances about funds for border security, the Federal Reserve chairman, Democrats critical of his relationship with U.S. allies and Brett McGurk, the departing special envoy for the coalition fighting the Islamic State group.
“To those few Senators who think I don’t like or appreciate being allied with other countries, they are wrong, I DO,” Trump wrote in a pair of tweets critical of Jim Mattis, his departing defense secretary. “What I don’t like, however, is when many of these same countries take advantage of their friendship with the United States, both in Military Protection and Trade.”
Trump added: “General Mattis did not see this as a problem. I DO, and it is being fixed!”
Mattis’ resignation letter Thursday served as a rebuke of the president’s sharp demands of America’s allies and softened approach toward some of its adversaries.
Focusing on money saved, Trump sent more than 10 Twitter posts in four hours.
In one, he declared that Saudi Arabia would “spend the necessary money needed to help rebuild Syria, instead of the United States.” It was not immediately clear how or when that would happen, or whether it was in addition to the $100 million that Saudi Arabia sent the United States in October for Syria reconstruction.
Officials at neither the White House nor the Saudi Embassy in Washington responded to requests Monday for explanation.
Democratic leaders accused the president of “plunging the country into chaos” on Christmas Eve.
Ensconced in the White House with no official plans other than hosting a meeting on border security and tracking Santa Claus on military radar, Trump showed no sign of slowing a Twitter storm amid a government shutdown, the fallout over his defense secretary’s resignation and a cratering stock market.
In the midst of posting, he even lamented, “I am all alone (poor me).”
His posts were replete with grievances about funds for border security, the Federal Reserve chairman, Democrats critical of his relationship with U.S. allies and Brett McGurk, the departing special envoy for the coalition fighting the Islamic State group.
“To those few Senators who think I don’t like or appreciate being allied with other countries, they are wrong, I DO,” Trump wrote in a pair of tweets critical of Jim Mattis, his departing defense secretary. “What I don’t like, however, is when many of these same countries take advantage of their friendship with the United States, both in Military Protection and Trade.”
Trump added: “General Mattis did not see this as a problem. I DO, and it is being fixed!”
Mattis’ resignation letter Thursday served as a rebuke of the president’s sharp demands of America’s allies and softened approach toward some of its adversaries.
Focusing on money saved, Trump sent more than 10 Twitter posts in four hours.
In one, he declared that Saudi Arabia would “spend the necessary money needed to help rebuild Syria, instead of the United States.” It was not immediately clear how or when that would happen, or whether it was in addition to the $100 million that Saudi Arabia sent the United States in October for Syria reconstruction.
Officials at neither the White House nor the Saudi Embassy in Washington responded to requests Monday for explanation.