Blackburn keeps her distance from Trump on Syria – Nashville Post

President Trump’s decision to draw back American forces working alongside Kurdish and other allies in Syria continues to be the rare position that can break through his Republican firewall.

Tennessee Republican Sen. Marsha Blackburn, one of Trump’s most unapologetic backers in recent years, on Tuesday continued her criticism of the move, which quickly led to Turkish aggression against Kurdish positions in northern Syria.

“For several years American forces have stood right alongside our Kurdish coalition partners in Syria, and they’ve been very involved in providing that much-needed buffer so that there is safety and security in that region,” Blackburn told reporters, referencing Nashville’s Kurdish population, the largest in the United States. “The U.S. does not abandon partners who have made sacrifices and contributions to protect our national security interests.”

But that appears to be just what Trump is doing.

“The Kurds and Turkey have been fighting for many years,” Trump tweeted over the weekend. “Turkey considers the PKK the worst terrorists of all. Others may want to come in and fight for one side or the other. Let them!”

Blackburn said she has not spoken with the president or anyone at the State Department about the situation, though she is “looking forward” to a briefing now that she has returned to Washington.

The freshman Republican senator did praise the Trump administration’s plan to impose financial sanctions on Turkey and to offer $50 million in aid to Syria.

“Those aid dollars will not keep the Kurds protected,” she said. “It will not prevent ISIS resurgence or protect against Russian or Iranian influence in Syria. A continued American presence is what’s going to help keep that region safe and thereby keep us safe.”

That stance stands in contrast to Trump’s repeated insistence that “the endless wars must end.” (Meanwhile, Trump is sending thousands of American troops to Saudi Arabia, in part because the kingdom “has agreed to pay us for everything we’re doing to help them.”)

Back in Nashville, local Kurds on Friday rallied in front of the federal courthouse to protest Trump’s decision. On Monday, city officials agreed to light the Metro courthouse and the Korean Veterans Memorial Bridge in the colors of the Kurdish flag. Republican Gov. Bill Lee has no plans for a similar show of solidarity, a spokesperson said.