Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) said during an interview over the weekend that the U.S. under President-elect Donald Trump would enter into a “ne...
Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-MO) said during an interview over the weekend that the U.S. under President-elect Donald Trump would enter into a “new phase of realism” when it comes to intervening in foreign conflicts.
Schmitt made the remarks during a Sunday interview on ABC News’ “This Week” with George Stephanopoulos in the context of the collapse of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.
“I think President Trump has been clear as far as us intervening there,” he said. “I don’t think that’s a situation that we should do, but I do think diplomacy will be important especially in these critical hours in the aftermath of Assad being overthrown.”
“I do think we’re entering a new phase, though, of realism in this country,” he continued. “President Trump will be less interventionist, and we get back to our core national interests. Principally defending the homeland, the Indo-Pacific, and China, and so I think that’s a longer term conversation.”
Schmitt said that the U.S. would ensure that people were safe in Syria but would not get entangled in a new conflict that bogs down the U.S. military.
“Understanding what terrorism means around the world is important, but having these tripwires in other regions that pull us into wars, I think the American people have had enough of that,” he said.
He added, “And I think President Trump was pretty clear about it not only in his first term, but when he campaigned, and so again, I think getting back to the sense of, you know, abandoning this failed foreign policy that’s cost us trillions of dollars, that sent our men and women across the world, I think we need to revisit that, and again, get back to our core national interests.”
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