GOP War Hero Congressman Takes Issue With Trump’s Taliban Plan

When some congresspeople who served in the military speak about United States policy, their words carry more weight. Florida congressman, Michael Waltz, is one of these people. The lawmaker, who represents Florida’s district, was the first Green Beret to ever be elected to Congress.

Waltz joined the Army in 1996 and fought against Afghai, al Qaeda and Taliban forces throughout his military career. The congressman appeared on CNN on Sunday and blasted Donald Trump’s plan to meet with leaders from the Taliban.

Like Wyoming congressperson, Liz Cheney, Waltz initially praised Trump for cancelling the meeting. He tweeted Sunday morning, “Smart move by Donald Trump to cancel talks with the Taliban, who have repeatedly shown they’re not negotiating in good faith, nor can they prevent terrorism from resurging on their own soil.”

Smart move by @realDonaldTrump to cancel talks with the Taliban, who have repeatedly shown they’re not negotiating in good faith, nor can they prevent terrorism from resurging on their own soil.

— Rep. Michael Waltz (@RepMichaelWaltz) September 8, 2019

Waltz was more negative about the idea while appearing on CNN in the afternoon. The congressman told the hosts, “As we head into the anniversary of 9/11, I do not ever want to see these terrorists step foot on the United States soil. Period.”

The Florida lawmaker continued, “I can understand the president’s frustration. Heck, the American people’s frustration. This war has been long, hard and costly. But that doesn’t mean that we can just walk away or just wish away these wars.”

The former Green Beret finished the segment by noting, “One of the major aspects of the deal was that the Taliban assured us that they would stop Afghanistan from being used by Al-Qaeda, ISIS and others to launch attacks on the West. Even if you buy into those assurances, which I don’t, I don’t think they have the military capability to keep Al-Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a base.”