June 06, 2017

Rep. Gallego Responds to Trump’s Comments on Qatar

Washington, DC – Today, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to claim credit for the pressure being placed on Qatar by Gulf Arab states who have accused the country of supporting terrorism.

Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-07), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement:

"The Gulf Arab states' diplomatic isolation of Qatar is a highly significant development and the American people should be alarmed by Donald Trump's total inability to understand the complexity of the situation.

"Qatar's actions with respect to unsavory groups and characters is disturbing, but the President seems to forget that he is also responsible for our forces at Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest military base in the Middle East, which is key to our campaign against ISIS.

"The President illustrated his rank ignorance for all the world to see on Twitter this morning, almost certainly before the few adults in his entourage could speak sense to him. This situation is complex, like many diplomatic situations, and showcases how uniquely unqualified Donald Trump is in securing the best interests of the United States when it comes to foreign policy and national security.

"I empathize with the professionals at the State Department, Defense Department, Central Command, relevant Embassies, and other organizations of the U.S. Government that will have to clean up his mess."