I would like to think we have bipartisan agreement that sending a letter to a foreign head of state that reads like it was written by a pre-pubescent boy is not great foreign policy.
The White House confirmed today that the letter, seen below, was in fact sent to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on October 9th. Trish Regan of Fox Business Network was the first to obtain the letter and shared it on Twitter.
“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. I’ve already given you a little sample with respect to Pastor Brunson,” the letter reads.
Pastor Andrew Brunson is an American pastor of an evangelical church in Turkey who was arrested and imprisoned after purges by the Turkish government after a failed coup in 2016. He spent two years in a Turkish prison and was released in 2018 after the United States implemented sanctions and tariffs.
“I have worked hard to solve some of your problems. Don’t let the world down. You can make a great deal. General Mazloum is willing to negotiate with you, and he is willing to make concessions that they never would have made in the past,” Trump wrote.
“History will look at you favorably if you get this done the right and humane way. It will look upon you forever as the devil if good things don’t happen. Don’t be a tough guy. Don’t be a fool,” he concluded.
I really, really wish this letter was satire, but, alas, it’s not. I know he sounds like this when he’s on the phone, but good grief official White House correspondence should be more formal and sound like it wasn’t written by a child.
Also, perhaps a deal should have been reached BEFORE withdrawing our troops and throwing the Kurds under the bus.