On Wednesday, Republican Representative Liz Cheney of Wyoming joined other supporters of President Donald Trump—like Pat Robertson and Senator Lindsey Graham —to do something almost unheard of: criticize the President.
The reason for their disagreement with Trump was his decision to pull out of Syria and allow Turkey to invade the country, targeting the United States' allies in the region, the Kurds.
Cheney posted on Twitter:
"News from Syria is sickening. Turkish troops preparing to invade Syria from the north, Russian-backed forces from the south, ISIS fighters attacking Raqqa."
Cheney added:
"Impossible to understand why [Donald Trump] is leaving America’s allies to be slaughtered and enabling the return of ISIS"
News from Syria is sickening. Turkish troops preparing to invade Syria from the north, Russian-backed forces from t… https://t.co/DTtSSMBs9M— Liz Cheney (@Liz Cheney) 1570627592.0
But others found Trump's motives very easy to understand and shared them with Cheney.
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump Its actually not that hard to understand, he doesn’t care about anything, but himself.… https://t.co/1mo9GiCzmE— Jennifer Haake 🏒 (@Jennifer Haake 🏒) 1570688656.0
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump Because he had a big money making hotel in Istanbul and Erdogan threatened ro national… https://t.co/8TcO6emdBM— Vince (pull no punches) Pesce (@Vince (pull no punches) Pesce) 1570672306.0
@d1Vinman @kellyannegoebb @Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump Also, this. ⬇️ https://t.co/07LzopEEEw— Oldman Talking 🌊 🆘️ 🇨🇦 (@Oldman Talking 🌊 🆘️ 🇨🇦) 1570675278.0
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump It's very simple @Liz_Cheney .... Putin and Erdogan. Will you be going to meet Erdogan… https://t.co/Z8UYSqRu92— medit8now (@medit8now) 1570641486.0
We betrayed our allies to help Russia. We betrayed our allies to help Russia. We betrayed our allies to help Russia… https://t.co/Ut4iW7IGDF— Mikel Jollett (@Mikel Jollett) 1570627364.0
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump Actually easy to understand why Putin’s puppet would do it. Open your eyes.— Mom account (@Mom account) 1570628292.0
Donald J. Trump, serial rapist & known human trafficker, killed a 6-year-old Kurdish child today in Syria, because… https://t.co/hw6FYPzoU2— Power VO (@Power VO) 1570673743.0
6) okay, now fast-forward.... 9/27: CNN reports Trump had secret calls with MBS around the Khashoggi hit 9/29: Er… https://t.co/eP0Mg51bhw— Jesse Lehrich (@Jesse Lehrich) 1570557461.0
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump Wanna’ solve Liz? https://t.co/8tmyQjBWkd— Sideline_Observer (@Sideline_Observer) 1570639091.0
In 2015, candidate Trump told an interviewer about his conflict of interest with Turkey. At the time he praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan as strong—a term Trump often uses to describe Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Others had only a harsh condemnation for Cheney and the GOP for enabling Trump.
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump Dear Liz Cheney, Donald Trump is YOUR GUY, the monster your party created and protecte… https://t.co/KZjLzM2CIm— Merrill⭐️ (@Merrill⭐️) 1570641774.0
@MerrillLynched @kindlee55 @Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump Turning our backs on our Kurd allies is bad enough. Does… https://t.co/dJZtq2L3jZ— LE Jay (@LE Jay) 1570649787.0
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump #TrumpIsANationalSecurityThreat and that means ALL… https://t.co/x0jArrw4G3— (((Feddi Up))) (@(((Feddi Up)))) 1570652951.0
@FeddiUp @Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump ....but they're so "concerned", "deeply disturbed", and "appalled".....— Rob Hem (@Rob Hem) 1570673409.0
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump You're trying to have it both ways, Cheney. The decision-making skills Trump used to a… https://t.co/PIbXl5Tl2U— JohnRJohnson (@JohnRJohnson) 1570643366.0
@Liz_Cheney @realDonaldTrump So stop talking and DO SOMETHING about stopping trump! Words don't work. Neither does… https://t.co/9TroH5UyBv— TheEdgeStefinCOW (@TheEdgeStefinCOW) 1570645603.0
Still others provided a cautionary tale from history for those putting Trump before party, Constitution or country.
@NitaS45120450 @Liz_Cheney @RepKinzinger @realDonaldTrump We do have a dictator. With all due respect sir, the GOP… https://t.co/2Xrtn94fWf— Jan Ols (@Jan Ols) 1570634222.0
@jlols @NitaS45120450 @Liz_Cheney @RepKinzinger @realDonaldTrump And like Germany after the war I would be willing… https://t.co/Y8P8DA0H7C— Rstandiego (@Rstandiego) 1570667985.0
@Rstandiego @jlols @NitaS45120450 @Liz_Cheney @RepKinzinger @realDonaldTrump Few will admit now they support him! Cowards. Every single one.— jeff goldblum’s conscience (@jeff goldblum’s conscience) 1570679190.0
The Turkish invasion of Syria began as soon as President Trump gave the go-ahead. Sources in Syria already report heavy casualties among the Kurdish people.
ABANDONED ALLIES: Turkey's assault on Kurds in northern Syria is in its second day. Turkish Pres. Erdoğan boasts th… https://t.co/78oveQPyyg— NowThis (@NowThis) 1570714443.0
Pres. Trump has reportedly ordered U.S. forces not to intervene. Syrian Kurds have been key allies in the fight aga… https://t.co/RGPf2T610D— NowThis (@NowThis) 1570714457.0
A REFLECTION ON THE KURDS: In 2014 I stood on Turkey-Syria border watching Kurds prevent IS taking Kobane. They wer… https://t.co/vf4tKmon3P— John Lyons (@John Lyons) 1570710279.0
The Kurds' successful feminist democracy in Syria is the one recent foreign policy result I feel truly proud of. In… https://t.co/Kj8w6PvgYR— Christopher C. Smith (@Christopher C. Smith) 1570718280.0
An #SDF official just told me that a number of civilians, including this woman, were killed in a #Turkish artillery… https://t.co/YvxceXqAxn— Sirwan Kajjo (@Sirwan Kajjo) 1570645370.0
To learn more about the Kurdish people the book The Battle for the Mountain of the Kurds: Self-Determination and Ethnic Cleansing in the Afrin Region of Rojava is available here .