As Donald Trump announces an increase in the number of American troops in Afghanistan during a Monday night address to the nation, his speech will likely be overshadowed by a long list of broken promises he has made on this very subject.
The Washington Post reported on a “baker’s dozen worth” of Trump tweets, all of which will likely contradict his speech on Monday.
Here’s a small sampling:
We have wasted an enormous amount of blood and treasure in Afghanistan. Their government has zero appreciation. Let’s get out!
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2013
I agree with Pres. Obama on Afghanistan. We should have a speedy withdrawal. Why should we keep wasting our money — rebuild the U.S.!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2013
84% of US troops wounded & 70% of our brave men & women killed in Afghanistan have all come under Obama. Time to get out of there.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2012
It is time to get out of Afghanistan. We are building roads and schools for people that hate us. It is not in our national interests.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 27, 2012
The tweets exemplify just how massive a 180 he is doing, spending years – even before announcing his candidacy – assailing the U.S. presence in Afghanistan, just to increase troops levels seven months after taking office.
Not only will Trump’s address tonight represent another major shift from candidate Trump to President Trump, but it will also remind voters that he has failed to follow through on the second part of those earlier promises, which was to enact massive infrastructure spending to rebuild roads and airports.
Monday night’s address announcing more troops being sent to Afghanistan is another example of how the reality of governing a country has clashed with this president’s lifelong habit of spewing whatever crosses his mind at any given moment.
We can add it to the growing dumpster heap of broken Trump promises.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.