Can our friends trust the US as an ally? Most Americans say trump’s move on Syria has suffered

WASHINGTON-Most Americans believe President trump’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the Syrian border has damaged America’s reputation around the world as a reliable ally, a new U.S. report has found, a TODAY/Ipsos poll found. 

Even Republicans, generally in trump’s corner, 44%-36% say the country’s reputation has suffered.

Many of those surveyed Express uncertainty about what to think; only half say they are very or somewhat familiar with the rapidly changing events in the region. The abrupt U.S. withdrawal opened the door for a Turkish military assault on Kurds who have been linked to U.S. forces against ISIS. The white house announced Thursday that Turkey had agreed to a five-day ceasefire to allow the Kurds to withdraw from the area.

Overall, 37% of pluralism Americans call the President’s decision to withdraw a small contingent of U.S. troops wrong because it violates stability in a dangerous region; 27% say it was right because the United States has too many military commitments around the world. More than one in four Republicans believe this decision is wrong.

Turkey ceasefire: Mike Pence says Turkey has agreed to a five-day ceasefire in its assault on Syria

Opposition is swelling among those more familiar with what is happening in the region. Almost 2-1, 58%-30%, they say, the President made the wrong call.

“The decision to withdraw from Northern Syria has not proved popular with the American public,” said cliff young, President of Ipsos. “While Americans remain divided on most topics, there is some surprising unanimity here, especially among people more familiar with the decision.”

Overall, 54% say the withdrawal damages the nation’s position as a reliable ally. 

The decision put trump at odds not only with some GOP voters, but also with GOP lawmakers. In the house on Wednesday, more than two-thirds of Republicans joined every Democrat in passing a resolution condemning the withdrawal as a move that put the Kurds at risk and benefited Russia, Syria and Iran.

Read more: Lindsey Graham to President Trump: “I will hold you accountable” for Turkey’s actions in Syria

In a US poll TODAY/Ipsos, Americans by more than 3-1, 61%-19%, say the country has a duty to protect the Kurds, who have been us allies in the battles in Syria and Iraq. That sentiment crosses party lines, including 72% of Democrats and 60% of Republicans.

And there is bipartisan concern that ISIS militants who have fled Kurdish prisons in chaos are likely to pose a terrorist threat in the future: 54% predict they will be a threat in the region, 44% say they will be a threat in the United States. 

The President received a loan from two thirds of the Republicans for the implementation of his campaign promise to “end the endless wars”. And including trump’s name in the question could make a difference. In the poll, 57% of Republicans say they support his Syria policy, despite concerns about its consequences. But only 41% of Republicans say the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the Syrian border – essentially trump’s policy in Syria, but without mentioning his name-was the right decision.

Among all Americans surveyed, only 31% say they support the President’s policy on Syria.

The online survey of 1,006 adults taken on Wednesday and Thursday has a confidence interval of 3.5 percentage points.

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