Description of US President-elect Donald Trump dropping Syrian President Bashar al-Assad described it as an “unfriendly takeover” by Türkiye, which joined several opposition groups that led the blitz on Damascus.
Trump made the comments – in apparent praise of Ankara – during a wide-ranging press conference on Monday at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. His comments provided a window into his foreign and domestic policy weeks before his return to the White House on January 20.
“I think Türkiye is very smart…Türkiye made an unfriendly seizure of power without losing many lives. “I can say that Assad was a butcher, what he did to the children,” Trump said, referring to the overthrow of the long-time Syrian leader on December 8.
Assad’s forced departure followed a surprise attack across the country by rebel groups led by… Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS). Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long opposed Assad’s rule and supported the Syrian National Army opposition group based in northwestern Syria.
Trump had previously commented on the conflict, saying that it was “not our fight.”
During his first term, he sought to withdraw about 900 US troops stationed in Syria into advisory roles for the Syrian Democratic Forces, a US-backed opposition group, but backed down due to pressure from allies concerned about the resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS). ISIS).
Trump demurred on Monday when asked if he would withdraw US troops.
He said that “no one knows” what the future holds for Syria, which has been at war since 2011.
However, he added that he believes “Türkiye will hold the key” to the nation.
Ankara has broadly supported the opposition offensive, but the full extent of its support for groups such as Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham has remained unclear. The Syrian National Army has continued to fight the Kurdish-majority Syrian Democratic Forces since the fall of Assad.
Trump on Gaza
Regarding the Middle East, Trump also said he “had a very good conversation” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying they discussed efforts to negotiate the release of prisoners held in Gaza before he took office.
These talks have long faltered, with critics accusing Netanyahu of obstructing progress under the current administration of US President Joe Biden.
“I warned that if these hostages did not return home by that date, things would flare up,” Trump said. Previous threat He has spoken on social media about releasing Israeli prisoners in Gaza in exchange for a ceasefire.
Trump added about his conversation with Netanyahu: “It was more of a summary call than anything else.”
He did not say when he spoke with the prime minister, but Netanyahu’s office said the two men spoke on Saturday.
Russia and Ukraine
on Russian invasion of UkraineTrump deflected when asked about conversations he may have had with Russian President Vladimir Putin since his election victory in November.
He later said he planned to speak with Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Trump has repeatedly pledged to bring the war to a quick end, but statements by his allies have raised concerns that he will pressure Ukraine to give up territory to Russia.
“We’ll talk to President Putin, we’ll talk to the representatives, Zelensky and representatives from Ukraine. We have to stop him. It’s a massacre,” Trump said.
“They’re just rubble,” Trump said of the cities destroyed by the fighting. “Just like when you demolished a building in Manhattan, which is actually worse, because we do it step by step.”
On TikTok
Trump also weighed in on a looming federal ban on its headquarters in China Social media platform Tik Tok. The US Congress passed a law in 2023 stating that the popular social media platform must cut ties with its China-based parent company or be banned in the US by mid-January.
Without going into details, Trump credited this platform – which is very popular among young people and less politically engaged Americans – with helping him win the election. He said he would review the pending ban.
“We’ll take a look at TikTok,” he said. “You know, I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok.”
Drone sightings
On the domestic front, Trump weighed in on a list of matters Drone sightings have been reported In the eastern United States.
Federal law enforcement officials said most of the sightings are believed to be crewed planes flying on regular routes and there does not appear to be a threat to national security.
Trump called for more transparency.
“The government knows what’s going on,” Trump said. “For some reason, they don’t want to comment. I think it would be better if they said what our military knows and what our president knows.”
He added, “I cannot imagine that he is the enemy,” without going into details.
A controversial healthy choice
Trump also took time to defend his pick for health secretary, prominent vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The political scion is meeting with lawmakers this week to shore up support for his appointment, which must be approved by the Senate.
Over the weekend, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, who had polio as a child, spoke out in defense of the polio vaccine after a recent report revealed that a Kennedy adviser filed a complaint. Petition to revoke approval of the polio vaccine In 2022.
Trump said he remains a “big believer” in the polio vaccine and will maintain access to it.
“You will not lose the polio vaccine,” he said. “This won’t happen.”
“He’s going to be a lot less extreme than you think,” Trump said of Kennedy.
“I think he has a very open mind, otherwise I wouldn’t have put him there.”
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