Far From Home, Far From The Truth

Two weeks ago President Donald Trump announced that U.S. troops were being withdrawn from Syria to come home. Less than a week later, he announced the soldiers weren’t actually coming home like he had promised, but instead being diverted to Iraq. 

Similarly, Trump has repeatedly and publicly stated that he was not involved in a quid pro quo  —  in this case, an exchange of promises with a foreign nation with personal, political motivations –– with the Ukranian government. But then his Chief of Staff, Mick Mulvaney, essentially admitted in a press conference that he was, in fact, involved. Two days later, in a desperate attempt to recover from the press conference, the verdict was once again changed when Mulvaney said he was misunderstood. Yet another case of the Trump administration contradicting their original statements.

U.S. presidents and their administrations should be held to higher ethical standards that what we’ve coe to settle with. American lives and welfare are at stake, and Trump must be held accountable for his misleading words and false claims. Until then, the country is left wondering whether the latest tweet from Trump is a trusted statement from the White House, or just another excerpt in Trump’s personal diary. 

We’re also left deciding between our president’s word and that of an anonymous whistleblower. After President Trump suspended military aid for Ukraine, questions were raised as to why and whether or not a quid pro quo was enacted. When a whistleblower complaint claims that Trump requested Ukraine’s assistance in obtaining a Democratic National Committee server used in the 2016 election — accusing him of a quid pro quo — the integrity of the nation is at stake.

Then, when the president’s Chief of Staff accidentally confirms the whistleblower’s accusations, things turn from questionable to embarrassing. Mulvaney’s accidental mention is one of three reasons for the aid’s suspension — Ukraine’s lack of involvement in the Russia investigation, particularly not providing the DNC server in question –– contradicted Trump’s original stance that he wasn’t involved. The president’s administration needs to align their story and discover their truth before introducing to the public. 

Or at least give us the courtesy of being truthful in the reasons behind potentially detrimental actions. Pulling all U.S. troops from Syria reversed years of foreign policy on combating Islamic State terrorists in the Middle East and released unwarranted Turkish pressure on the Kurdish population — and more importantly, his statement about it misled constituents across the country. 

Trump supported his ‘change of plans’ by claiming that some troops must remain in the Middle East in order to secure oil fields and prevent an ISIS resurgence. But if it is still necessary for our troops to be involved in the Middle East, then the president should never have promised a homecoming to thousands of U.S. soldiers. 

The decision to bring the troops home (which again, isn’t happening) also allowed Turkey –– which publicly regards the Kurds as terrorists  –– to advance and attack the Kurdish population, amplifying the already unprecedented humanitarian crisis in the region.  

In Trump’s defense, this undulating humanitarian crisis, which Turkey now sees as an opportunity to wipe out the Kurdish population, began long before President Trump took office. And he has always, both as a candidate and as president, voiced his belief that the U.S. has shed far too much blood fighting “other people’s wars” in the Middle East. But if we are trying to prevent our men from shedding blood for someone else’s cause, removing them on the grounds of “bringing home the troops” only to station them elsewhere is politically unreliable. 

Politically unreliable seems to be the theme of this administration. Mulvaney’s admission to a quid pro quo was shocking, but less shocking was him walking back with his head between his legs after a nudge from the rest of the Trump team. According to the Washington Post, Trump hit the 10,000 mark in unreliable claims during his presidency, so no one should be surprised by each new inconsistency. 

It’s difficult as youth in our country to live through the events of this past week and not feel discouraged for the reputation and future of U.S. foreign policy. Inconsistencies and failed policies are found in just about every administration, but this past month’s inconsistencies seem much more damning to our future than any other past misleading claims.  

This administration’s words must be taken with a grain of salt — their truth is always changing. An occasional glance at a TV screen won’t inform the general public to an acceptable extent anymore. The first words that come out of this administration’s mouth are never the last on the subject. Anyone who wants to be fully informed on what’s really happening must glue themselves to a screen and peruse news articles in the days following each public address to ensure it’s the truth. 

Lying as president, no matter what administration, is wrong. The consistent lying from this president tremendously digresses from the level of truth expressed by presidents before him. Democrat or Republican, U.S. presidents are supposed to be respectable and patriotic figures. Dishonesty and deceit is not mentioned anywhere in our Constitution, and it has no business being in our country.