President Donald Trump has just lost a key ally in the House that has been an open supporter of this presidency.
Rep. John Shimkus (R-Il) has officially declared himself no longer a supporter of Trump due to the Presidentās decision to pull troops out of an area in Northern Syria.
Iām Off the List
President Trump has taken considerable heat for deciding to leave the Kurds on their own to fight off the Turkish offensive.
Earlier this week, Trump tried to offer some insight behind his decision as well as calling out people like Shimkus that talk a tough game when they do not have to face the reality of their own decisions.
I can honestly say this was one of the most emotional addresses I have ever seen Trump make, as he clearly had to work hard to keep his composure throughout the speechā¦
Even so, Rep. Shimkus believes the move by Trump was the wrong move, so he is no longer supporting Trump.
Since he is not running for re-election, Shimkus can afford to be bold, and bold he was, stating, āItās terrible. Itās despicable. Iām heartbroken. In fact, I called my chief of staff in DC and said, āPull my name off the I support Donald Trump list.ā
āWe have just stabbed our allies in the back. This has just shocked, embarrassed, and angered me.ā
Not the Only One
The decision to withdraw troops from this area of Syria has brought considerable heat on Trump throughout the party.
While other members of Congress were not as bold as Shimkus, it is clear that many party members believe this is a major mistake.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has been one of Trumpās most robust supporters after being so critical of him early on, called the move āa disaster in the making.ā
Many in the party believe this move by Trump is inviting ISIS to gain a stronghold and return to its past strength, but the White House says that it will not be so.
The administration is not going to quit fighting ISIS, it just wants to move our troops out of the area to prevent more lives being lost for what Trump believes to be a battle that offers little upside (as he stated in the video above).
As vocal as Graham was in his criticism of the move, Trump was not shy about his own response.
He stated, āI think Lindsey would like to stay there for the next 200 years and maybe add a couple a hundred thousand people every place. But I disagree with Lindsey on that.ā
Trump vowed to get this county out of āforeverā wars when he was running for president, and that is what he is doing.
The measuring stick as to whether or not this was the right move, however, will not be known for some time to come.
In the meantime, Trump has lost at least one ally in a battleground state that could impact his ability to win a second term.
On the other hand, this is now an opportunity for a new candidate to come forward that will openly support Trump and this presidency as well as rallying the citizens of the state of Illinois to support their president now and in the 2020 election.