An Illinois Congressman would have likely been on the firing line with President Donald Trump recently on a foreign relations decision. Talks earlier this week of President Trump meeting with leaders of the Taliban at Camp David fell apart. The fallout was the firing of National Security Adviser John Bolton. 18th District Congressman Darin LaHood likely would have been out the door, too. Bolton was ultimately fired for his disagreement with the president on foreign policy with the war in Afghanistan – final straw in a string of disagreements with President Trump.
LaHood agrees with what was allegedly Bolton’s ideas that negotiating with the Taliban would be a poor idea. LaHood said that negotiating with the Taliban would have been the equivalent of negotiating with ISIS or Osama bin Laden on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary. He says it wouldn’t have felt right and that the opposing side could not be trusted due to their propensity towards violence and a lack of an example of peace.
LaHood says that a long-term showing of peace and further violence towards American Armed Services must end. President Trump pledged during his campaign to draw down and end the conflict in Afghanistan, now one of the United States longest conflicts in history.