Donald Trump’s unhinged presidency has had severe consequences for Syria’s Kurds, and US allies in Asia should take note
- Donald Trump’s abandonment of Syria’s Kurds shows how reckless he can be, especially while under fire over Ukraine
- Asian allies should start preparing for rash decisions, and making friends in US Congress who can check his impulses
The scene inside the White House Cabinet Room, by the look of the photo released by President Donald Trump via Twitter, was fraught with tension. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was on her feet and pointing at an incredulous looking Trump, mouth agape, chair pushed back from the table.
His advisers, many with their heads down looking at their hands, could feel the storm. Pelosi reportedly said “all roads seem to lead to Putin”. Sometime thereafter, the Democratic representatives stormed out of the room.
Pelosi questioned Trump’s mental fitness in a press conference that followed, describing his demeanour as a “meltdown”. Trump fired back, with the sophistication of a kindergartner, that no, it was Pelosi who had the meltdown. So much for executive messaging coming out of the White House these days.
This abandonment of the Kurds and Trump’s apoplectic retorts, are an ominous sign that highly volatile US foreign policy could easily spill over to other parts of the world, including Asia.