Trump uncorks new threat to old foe: 'Very bad choice!'
President Donald Trump dropped a new threat to an old international foe on Tuesday.
Trump was slated to speak in Iowa and was arriving in Des Moines where he was expected to speak about the economy amid Republican concerns over upcoming midterm losses when he shared a sharp criticism of Nouri al-Maliki, an Iraqi politician who served as Prime Minister of Iraq from 2006 to 2014, a period marked by significant sectarian violence, the rise of ISIS and allegations of authoritarian governance and marginalization of Sunni populations.
Trump wrote the following on his Truth Social platform:
"I’m hearing that the Great Country of Iraq might make a very bad choice by reinstalling Nouri al-Maliki as Prime Minister. Last time Maliki was in power, the Country descended into poverty and total chaos. That should not be allowed to happen again. Because of his insane policies and ideologies, if elected, the United States of America will no longer help Iraq and, if we are not there to help, Iraq has ZERO chance of Success, Prosperity, or Freedom. MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!"
Al-Maliki and his administration have been criticized for corruption, mismanagement of the military and policies that many analysts argue exacerbated sectarian tensions and contributed to the conditions that allowed ISIS to gain a foothold in Iraq, leading to his eventual replacement as Prime Minister in 2014.