Nbc nationalist Correspondent Peter joining me now where were expecting the greek Prime Minister to pull up, so well watch that. First of all, all the confusion. We see the president there in the doorway of the portico to the west wing entrance as the car pulls up, and were going to see the greek Prime Minister. Greece, of course, has been in financial turmoil. It has been part of the European Union crisis financially and economically and is also right in the region where migration has been a crisis, peter. So as we see him arriving, there will be an oval office meeting, a quick Photo Opportunity, later another Photo Opportunity in the cabinet room as they have an expanded lunch. Then theres going to be a News Conference. But lets go to the News Conference that you were a big part of yesterday, because this was the president trying to pretend there was no problem with mitch mcconnell, but importantly, youve got new reporting on the whole issue of
gold star families and the president an
To mount juliet, tennessee. Christy walked in for a get together and got the surprise of her life. Not a dry eye in that house. Thanks for joining us. Busy day. Im dana perino. Heres shep. Shepard a live look, the Eisenhower Executive Office building next to the west wing where were about to hear live from the president in the wake of an extraordinary morning. The pressure on President Trump accelerating and in moments hes scheduled to speak. Two big issues, first, the president s decision to withdraw troops from syria. Widely criticized by members of his own party, his own advisers and generals and cabinet. Our own reporting that he stopped listening to top leadership, didnt inform our allies or the pentagon. Hes getting praise from putin and condemnation from conservatives. At the same time, in the face of pressure to build that wall, the newly announced president ial decision not to sign the
shortterm budget deal that easily passed the u. S. Senate. His base was rebelling. The Freed
shep, a senior u.s. defense official said the president made the decision to pull out of syria after spoking with president erdogan last friday, december 14. secretary state mike pompeo was there at the time and was the first to be told we re leaving. the turkish president told president trump, turkish forces were planning to enter syria soon to go after the pkk and warned troops to get out of this way. this hastened the president s decision. something he had been mulling for. the fear is the u.s. won t be able to protect the syrian allies, the syrian democratic forces who have fought alongside u.s. forces and retake raqqa. the kurdish forces are likely to be slaughtered. as one defense official said, nobody will ever work or fight with us in the middle east again
strategic mistake that i hope the president is willing to reconsider. if he does not, i believe with some degree of confidence that he will come to regret this decision. i mean clearly we re repeating the obama mistake of premature withdrawal which got us isis. it is a misstatement to say that isis is defeated in syria. what is accurate is we have destroyed their safe haven in raqqa and have now taken down another town which isis put up a fight for over two months, which demonstrates their determination and resilience. and there is remnants of isis still in the area. in my judgment, we need to stick to it and finish the job. when senator paul and other supporters of the president s decision say that the united states has got to stop doing the heavy lifting in the middle east, we have to leave the fight to the people in the
turkish president erdogan last friday, december 14th. secretary of state mike pompeo was there at the time and was the first to be told we are leaving. the turkish president told president trump that turkish forces were planning to enter syria soon to go after the kurdish pkk and warned u.s. troops to get out of the way. this i am told hastened the president s decision, something he had been mulling for some time. the president gave the military 30 days to pull out. the fear among u.s. military commanders and pentagon chiefs is that the u.s. will not be able to protect its kurdish and syrian allies. the syrian democratic forces or sdf who fought alongside u.s. forces to retake raqqa, those cud i shall forces and other allies are likely to be slaughtered. as one u.s. defense official put it to me, no one will ever work or fight with us in the middle east again as a result of this hasty withdrawal and the abandonment of those kurds who risked everything to fight with the u.s. against isi