Iraq Veteran and Congressman Says Trump is 'One of the Dumbest Presidents in History' over Syria Withdrawal: 'This is Tragic'

An Iraq veteran and House Democrat has dubbed Donald Trump "one of the dumbest presidents in history" following his decision to pull U.S. troops from northeastern Syria.

Arizona Rep. Ruben Gallego, a member of the House Armed Services Committee and an ex-Marine, told The Dean Obeidallah Show that he didn't think the president "realised the impact of what he was doing" when he chose to take U.S. forces out of the region.

The White House revealed it would be withdrawing troops from areas controlled by U.S.-allied Kurdish militias on Sunday after a phone call between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

President Trump was reportedly "rolled" by Erdogan during the call as the Turkish President sought the green-light to attack Kurdish forces in Syria—who have played a key role in the fight against ISIS forces.

Turkey launched its assault on Kurds in northeastern Syria yesterday, with Turkish military claiming to have hit 181 "militant targets," according to Reuters. The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), led by Kurdish groups, said Turkish bombing had killed five civilians yesterday.

Speaking to The Dean Obeidallah Show on SiriuxXM, Arizona Rep. Gallego shared his view on why Republicans were getting angry about President Trump's decision to pull troops from northeastern Syria.

"I mean honestly it's just because he's really stupid," the Democrat said. "He's one of the dumbest presidents in the history of this country, and I don't think he realized the impact of what he was doing when Erdogan got on the phone and tried to put pressure on him."

Gallego also went on the accuse Trump of having a "haphazard" and "dangerous" approach to foreign policy matters.

"He's not listening to his advisors and he's more focused on him than the country," the Arizona Representative said.

Asked if he feared a "wholesale slaughter" of people in northern Syria as a result of the U.S. troop withdrawal, the former Marine said: "The Turkish government, Erdogan, has been waiting for this opportunity for years.

"They would love nothing more than to create a further buffer between them and the Kurds."

Gallego also said the Turkish government was "not very helpful" to the United States, saying the country allowed ISIS to use it as a "transportation point into Syria."

"This is just a tragedy. It's a tragedy across a huge scale," he added.

The Democrat Representative of Arizona's 7th District is not the only Congressman to have slammed President Trump's removal of U.S. troops on Kurdish-controlled Syria.

In a statement released on Monday, Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the move would "only benefit Russia, Iran, and the Assad regime," while increasing "the risk that ISIS and other terrorist groups regroup."

"American interests are best served by American leadership, not by retreat or withdrawal," he added.

McConnell's criticism of the White House decision chimed with the views of other Republicans in the GOP-led Senate, with South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham tweeting Monday that the withdrawal "sent the most dangerous signal possible" and Florida Sen. Marco Rubio saying Kurds would "face annihilation" as a result of the move.