Donald Trump’s letter to the Turkish President was so outrageous it seemed fake – the 7 best reactions
Despite advice against the move, and warnings of the probable violent repercussions, Donald Trump withdrew US troops from the Syria-Turkey border, tweeting this threat before doing so.
As I have stated strongly before, and just to reiterate, if Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!). They must, with Europe and others, watch over…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2019
It now seems that he followed up the tweet, and the withdrawal, with a letter to the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and it has to be seen to be believed. In fact, you may still not believe it after you’ve seen it.
EXCLUSIVE: I have obtained a copy of @realDonaldTrump’s letter to #Erdogan. @POTUS warns him to not “be a tough guy! Don’t be a fool!” Says he could destroy Turkey’s economy if #Syria is not resolved in a humane way. Details tonight at 8pm #TrishRegan #FoxBusiness pic.twitter.com/9BoSGlbRyt
— Trish Regan (@trish_regan) October 16, 2019
“Let’s work out a good deal! You don’t want to be responsible for slaughtering thousands of people, and I don’t want to be responsible for destroying the Turkish economy – and I will”
The letter, maintaining the threatening tone, was so unlike anything that usually passes through diplomatic channels, that people really struggled to accept it.
1.
Wow.
According to Jake Tapper, the White House has confirmed this letter is REAL.
I was resisting tweeting because I assumed it must be a hoax. https://t.co/8rk00MAUQp
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) October 16, 2019
2.
Had to ask and, yeah, White House confirming this is a real letter sent by the US President https://t.co/tBG1DFoYiQ
— Salvador Hernandez (@SalHernandez) October 16, 2019
3.
Press office confirms this is real. https://t.co/uyprm6NYCj
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) October 16, 2019
They weren’t the only reactions.
4.
It's hard to believe this well-considered, nuanced piece of statecraft didn't get the job done. https://t.co/midqLCTULp
— Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) October 16, 2019
5.
these are just lines from a Metal Gear Solid codec, right https://t.co/FOJNLh4RzO
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) October 16, 2019
6.
Imagine leaking this insane letter to a Fox host because you think it makes the administration look good https://t.co/XPQhYC5uaX
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 16, 2019
7.
Primary school assignment: imagine you’re the leader of the most powerful country in the world. Write a letter to another world leader asking them not to invade another country, even though you previously told them they could. Remember to use persuasive and diplomatic language! https://t.co/S89QjXbxNS
— Jon Dennis (@JonDennis) October 17, 2019
As a bonus, Tony Posnanski gave us all a glimpse of the letter Trump really wanted to write.
I have obtained a copy of the letter from Trump to Turkey pic.twitter.com/jJ3OsRtqC4
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) October 16, 2019
And actor Anthony Atamanuik provided us with an audio clip of the “president” dictating the letter.
Leaked audio of @realDonaldTrump dictating his letter to Erdogan. Enjoy @heathercampbell pic.twitter.com/zsU8FY4vHQ
— Anthony Atamanuik (@TonyAtamanuik) October 16, 2019
Sounds about right. Unsurprisingly, word reached the press that Erdogan had thrown the letter straight in the bin, leaving only one clear conclusion.
The letter almost guarantees Erdogan won’t participate in a ceasefire. https://t.co/DrMonKUn0h
— Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) October 17, 2019
Source: Twitter Image: Twitter, YouTube
Read more: The only five responses you need to Trump’s bizarre tweet about Turkey
