WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), the top Democrat of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism, on Wednesday made the following statement on reports that the Trump administration will withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan before the November presidential election:

“We should be executing a schedule of troop drawdowns in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but not according to the President's re-election calendar. Troop reductions should be paced to maximize political and security stability on the ground, and it's clear that this announcement has nothing to do with American, Afghani or Iraqi security. Trump is trying to use this announcement to make voters forget that he has dramatically increased American troops in the Middle East, with no corresponding return on our security. These decisions are some of the most solemn choices a Commander-in-Chief has to make, but instead Trump callously treats our troops like political pawns in his re-election strategy.” said Murphy.

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