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| ‘America Is Respected Again!’ Trump Tweets as Allies Question His Leadership | ‘America Is Respected Again!’ Trump Tweets as Allies Question His Leadership |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| WASHINGTON — President Trump retooled a campaign slogan on Monday to defend his worldview, declaring that “AMERICA IS RESPECTED AGAIN!” during a four-hour Twitter tirade as foreign allies braced for the potentially destabilizing effects of his policy decisions on national security. | WASHINGTON — President Trump retooled a campaign slogan on Monday to defend his worldview, declaring that “AMERICA IS RESPECTED AGAIN!” during a four-hour Twitter tirade as foreign allies braced for the potentially destabilizing effects of his policy decisions on national security. |
| Democratic leaders accused the president of “plunging the country into chaos” on Christmas Eve. | Democratic leaders accused the president of “plunging the country into chaos” on Christmas Eve. |
| Ensconced in the White House with no official plans other than hosting a meeting on border security and tracking Santa Claus on military radar, Mr. Trump showed no sign of slowing a Twitter storm amid a government shutdown, the fallout over his defense secretary’s resignation and a cratering stock market. | Ensconced in the White House with no official plans other than hosting a meeting on border security and tracking Santa Claus on military radar, Mr. Trump showed no sign of slowing a Twitter storm amid a government shutdown, the fallout over his defense secretary’s resignation and a cratering stock market. |
| In the midst of posting, he even lamented, “I am all alone (poor me).” | In the midst of posting, he even lamented, “I am all alone (poor me).” |
| His posts were replete with grievances about funds for border security, the Federal Reserve chairman, Democrats critical of his relationship with American allies and Brett McGurk, the departing special envoy for the coalition fighting the Islamic State. | His posts were replete with grievances about funds for border security, the Federal Reserve chairman, Democrats critical of his relationship with American allies and Brett McGurk, the departing special envoy for the coalition fighting the Islamic State. |
| “To those few Senators who think I don’t like or appreciate being allied with other countries, they are wrong, I DO,” Mr. Trump wrote in a pair of tweets critical of Jim Mattis, his departing defense secretary. “What I don’t like, however, is when many of these same countries take advantage of their friendship with the United States, both in Military Protection and Trade.” | “To those few Senators who think I don’t like or appreciate being allied with other countries, they are wrong, I DO,” Mr. Trump wrote in a pair of tweets critical of Jim Mattis, his departing defense secretary. “What I don’t like, however, is when many of these same countries take advantage of their friendship with the United States, both in Military Protection and Trade.” |
| Mr. Trump added: “General Mattis did not see this as a problem. I DO, and it is being fixed!” | Mr. Trump added: “General Mattis did not see this as a problem. I DO, and it is being fixed!” |
| Mr. Mattis’s resignation letter on Thursday served as a rebuke of the president’s sharp demands of America’s allies and softened approach toward some of its adversaries. Only over the weekend did Mr. Trump realize that Mr. Mattis’s letter was a critique of the president’s policies, leading to him to accelerate Mr. Mattis’s departure. | Mr. Mattis’s resignation letter on Thursday served as a rebuke of the president’s sharp demands of America’s allies and softened approach toward some of its adversaries. Only over the weekend did Mr. Trump realize that Mr. Mattis’s letter was a critique of the president’s policies, leading to him to accelerate Mr. Mattis’s departure. |
| The resignation was prompted by Mr. Trump’s abrupt decisions last week to pull troops from Syria and Afghanistan. Those moves have plunged some of the United States’ longest allied partners into uncertainty as they grapple with an American leader who largely treats those relationships as bottom-line business transactions. | The resignation was prompted by Mr. Trump’s abrupt decisions last week to pull troops from Syria and Afghanistan. Those moves have plunged some of the United States’ longest allied partners into uncertainty as they grapple with an American leader who largely treats those relationships as bottom-line business transactions. |
| Global leaders have also echoed Mr. Mattis’s rebuke of Mr. Trump’s worldview. | Global leaders have also echoed Mr. Mattis’s rebuke of Mr. Trump’s worldview. |
| “I very deeply regret the decision made on Syria,” President Emmanuel Macron of France said during a news conference over the weekend. “To be allies is to fight shoulder to shoulder. It’s the most important thing for a head of state and head of the military. An ally should be dependable.” | “I very deeply regret the decision made on Syria,” President Emmanuel Macron of France said during a news conference over the weekend. “To be allies is to fight shoulder to shoulder. It’s the most important thing for a head of state and head of the military. An ally should be dependable.” |
| Focusing on money saved, Mr. Trump sent more than 10 Twitter posts in four hours. | Focusing on money saved, Mr. Trump sent more than 10 Twitter posts in four hours. |
| In one, he declared that Saudi Arabia would “spend the necessary money needed to help rebuild Syria, instead of the United States.” It was not immediately clear how or when that would happen, or whether it was in addition to the $100 million that Saudi Arabia sent the United States in October for Syria reconstruction. | In one, he declared that Saudi Arabia would “spend the necessary money needed to help rebuild Syria, instead of the United States.” It was not immediately clear how or when that would happen, or whether it was in addition to the $100 million that Saudi Arabia sent the United States in October for Syria reconstruction. |
| Officials at neither the White House nor the Saudi Embassy in Washington responded to requests on Monday for explanation. | Officials at neither the White House nor the Saudi Embassy in Washington responded to requests on Monday for explanation. |
| As he assailed critics of his “America First” approach, Mr. Trump also targeted Mr. McGurk, the envoy to the global coalition that is fighting the Islamic State. | As he assailed critics of his “America First” approach, Mr. Trump also targeted Mr. McGurk, the envoy to the global coalition that is fighting the Islamic State. |
| The president misleadingly called Mr. McGurk an Obama-era appointee, and accused him of “loading up airplanes with 1.8 Billion Dollars in CASH & sending it to Iran” as part of the nuclear deal that world powers struck with Tehran — an agreement from which Mr. Trump has withdrawn the United States. | The president misleadingly called Mr. McGurk an Obama-era appointee, and accused him of “loading up airplanes with 1.8 Billion Dollars in CASH & sending it to Iran” as part of the nuclear deal that world powers struck with Tehran — an agreement from which Mr. Trump has withdrawn the United States. |
| The Obama administration did not directly give money to Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal; instead the United States unfroze billions in assets as part of a decades-long debt dispute, $1.7 billion of which was transferred in cash in 2016. The payment was indirectly tied to the nuclear deal. | The Obama administration did not directly give money to Iran as part of the 2015 nuclear deal; instead the United States unfroze billions in assets as part of a decades-long debt dispute, $1.7 billion of which was transferred in cash in 2016. The payment was indirectly tied to the nuclear deal. |
| Mr. McGurk, who worked in the administration of President George W. Bush as well as President Barack Obama, led the delicate, 14-month negotiations with Iran that prompted the release of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post journalist. This summer, Mr. McGurk was the target of assassination threats from Iranian-backed militias and demonstrators in Iraq. | Mr. McGurk, who worked in the administration of President George W. Bush as well as President Barack Obama, led the delicate, 14-month negotiations with Iran that prompted the release of Jason Rezaian, the Washington Post journalist. This summer, Mr. McGurk was the target of assassination threats from Iranian-backed militias and demonstrators in Iraq. |
| Over the weekend, Mr. Trump suggested on Twitter that Mr. McGurk was a “grandstander.” The envoy resigned in protest over the Syria decision, which he said had blindsided United States officials and allies in the Middle East, including American-backed Kurdish soldiers who are fighting the Islamic State. | Over the weekend, Mr. Trump suggested on Twitter that Mr. McGurk was a “grandstander.” The envoy resigned in protest over the Syria decision, which he said had blindsided United States officials and allies in the Middle East, including American-backed Kurdish soldiers who are fighting the Islamic State. |
| The president also said he was making progress on negotiations with North Korea, despite the State Department having been stymied so far in efforts to persuade the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to begin the process of dismantling its nuclear arsenal. “Looking forward to my next summit with Chairman Kim!” Mr. Trump tweeted. | The president also said he was making progress on negotiations with North Korea, despite the State Department having been stymied so far in efforts to persuade the country’s leader, Kim Jong-un, to begin the process of dismantling its nuclear arsenal. “Looking forward to my next summit with Chairman Kim!” Mr. Trump tweeted. |
| On the domestic policy front, Mr. Trump saved his ire for Democrats and furthered his longstanding, one-sided feud with Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman. Mr. Trump said on Twitter that a “complete” border wall would be paid for with “shutdown money.” | On the domestic policy front, Mr. Trump saved his ire for Democrats and furthered his longstanding, one-sided feud with Jerome H. Powell, the Federal Reserve chairman. Mr. Trump said on Twitter that a “complete” border wall would be paid for with “shutdown money.” |
| Democrats have refused to give in to his demand of $5 billion for the wall, prompting a stalemate that has shut down much of the government. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about what “shutdown money” was. | Democrats have refused to give in to his demand of $5 billion for the wall, prompting a stalemate that has shut down much of the government. The White House did not respond to a request for comment about what “shutdown money” was. |
| After his initial burst, Mr. Trump tweeted that he had just given out “a 115 mile long contract for another large section of the Wall in Texas.” White House and Department of Homeland Security officials did not respond to a request for comment on what the president meant, and Mr. Trump did not elaborate when he briefly appeared in front of reporters on Monday night. | |
| “Nothing new on the shutdown,” Mr. Trump said as he called children who were hoping to hear from Santa. “We need more border security.” | |
| Earlier, as he has done in recent days, Mr. Trump again castigated the leadership of Mr. Powell, sending the markets crashing toward their worst year since 2008 and the largest December decline since the 1930s. | |
| “The only problem our economy has is the Fed,” Mr. Trump said. “They don’t have a feel for the Market, they don’t understand necessary Trade Wars or Strong Dollars or even Democrat Shutdowns over Borders.” | “The only problem our economy has is the Fed,” Mr. Trump said. “They don’t have a feel for the Market, they don’t understand necessary Trade Wars or Strong Dollars or even Democrat Shutdowns over Borders.” |
| The president’s market-shaking tweeting caught the attention of top Democrats. In a joint statement, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the two Democratic leaders, accused Mr. Trump of “plunging the country into chaos.” | The president’s market-shaking tweeting caught the attention of top Democrats. In a joint statement, Representative Nancy Pelosi of California and Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the two Democratic leaders, accused Mr. Trump of “plunging the country into chaos.” |
| “The stock market is tanking and the president is waging a personal war on the Federal Reserve — after he just fired the secretary of defense,” the statement said. “The president wanted the shutdown, but he seems not to know how to get himself out of it.” | “The stock market is tanking and the president is waging a personal war on the Federal Reserve — after he just fired the secretary of defense,” the statement said. “The president wanted the shutdown, but he seems not to know how to get himself out of it.” |