Politics

Sen. Coons Okay With Trump Negotiating With Taliban, But Critiques His ‘Abrupt Decisions’

REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Noah Adamitis Associate Editor
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Democratic Delaware Sen. Chris Coons appeared on CBS’ “Face The Nation” with host Margaret Brennan and talked about the attempted direct negotiations with the Taliban that were set to occur over the weekend.

The senator agreed in principle with President Donald Trump’s attempts to negotiate directly, saying, “I don’t have a problem with the Trump administration trying to resolve our very long conflict in Afghanistan, through direct negotiations with the Taliban and I agree that we should not fully withdraw from Afghanistan until we’ve got conditions on the ground that will prevent it from becoming, once again, a haven for terrorists who might attack us as happened on 9/11.”

He went on to make a broader critical point about the president’s style of negotiations with dictators and President Trump’s foreign policy in general, stating, “But I disagree with how our president goes about his negotiations around the world. He seems to think that he and he alone individually can negotiate with Kim Jong Un in North Korea, Xi in china or the Taliban. We don’t have an ambassador in Pakistan or Jordan.”

“I’m concerned that our president isn’t listening to the generals, diplomats, the intelligence community,” he continued. “That is why General Mattis resigned in protest, the president’s tendency to make abrupt decisions without relying on the advice of the skilled diplomats.”

Over the weekend, Trump cancelled a planned, secret meeting with Taliban leaders at Camp David, after the Taliban claimed an attack in Kabul that killed an American soldier. (RELATED: Trump Canceled Secret Meeting With Taliban Leaders)