President Donald Trump on Tuesday moved to cut troop levels in Afghanistan and Iraq during his last days in office. The Washington Post reports, based on official sources, that Trump, “plans to roughly halve the number of U.S. troops, from around 5,000 to 2,500, by the time President-elect Joe Biden assumes office on Jan. 20.” Trump had promised to draw down troops but has waited until the end of his term to do so and only after it was apparent that he lost the election. Meanwhile he increased the pace and intensity of airstrikes in Afghanistan over the course of his tenure. Trump’s GOP allies are not on the same page on troop reductions however. Senate Majority leader Mitch McConnell said, “A rapid withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan now would hurt our allies and delight the people who wish us harm.” NATO leaders also balked with Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg saying on Tuesday that U.S. troop drawdowns in an uncoordinated manner could threaten NATO troops. 

Trump’s desire to bring troops home is not an antiwar impulse as recent news reports revealed that he sought military options to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities recently. Trump apparently asked senior military leaders last Thursday at a White House meeting if the U.S. could bomb Iran’s main nuclear processing site. Numerous leaders reportedly discouraged Trump including Vice President Mike Pence, State Secretary Mike Pompeo and newly installed Pentagon head Christopher Miller. According to the New York Times, “Mr. Trump might still be looking at ways to strike Iranian assets and allies, including militias in Iraq.” Reuters reports that Iran’s leaders warned of a “crushing” response in the event of a U.S. military strike. 

Meanwhile President Trump continues to pretend as though he won the November 3rd election in spite of a decisive loss to Joe Biden, and in the face of growing skepticism from all sides. Trump’s own attorney Marc Scaringi has publicly said that lawsuits would not change the outcome and three attorneys have now withdrawn from representing the Trump campaign in Pennsylvania. Trump’s own national security adviser Robert O’Brien on Monday publicly acknowledged Biden’s win and more and more Republican Senators are now joining in. The Republican reluctance to acknowledge the democratic will of nearly 80 million Americans in order to remain loyal to Trump has been stunning and has offered Trump cover to refuse to cooperate in a transition process.