By Brandon Turbeville

Just over a week ago, US President Donald Trump addressed supporters in Ohio largely focusing on economic issues. As a sidebar, he mentioned that the United States was going to pull its forces out of Syria “very soon.”

“By the way, we’re knocking the hell out of ISIS. We’ll be coming out of Syria, like, very soon. Let the other people take care of it now,” Trump said. “Very soon — very soon we’re coming out. We’re going to have 100 percent of the caliphate, as they call it… But we’re going to be coming out of there real soon. Going to get back to our country, where we belong, where we want to be.”

It seemed that before Trump even stepped off of the podium, Western mainstream media channels were alight with hysteria that the President would dare even suggest removing troops from a place they have no business being and begin the process of ending a war that should never have been waged against the secular Syrian government in support of barbaric terrorists. News media was full of editorials, op-eds, and “reports” questioning the validity of removing these troops, the dangers to the world if America took a small step back on imperialism, and the stupidity of a President who would dare suggest less war and a focus on his own country more so than the affairs of others. Everything from “America would lose face,” to “the Russians will take over the world” was spewed from the typically vitriolic mouths of Western media outlets, not even paying lip service to the idea that war is not the ultimate preoccupation of the United States.

During the midst of the media dust-up, Trump’s own Pentagon, State Department, and advisors, as well as the ever-present “officials” quoted as sources by mainstream “news” organizations all expressed surprise at the President’s words, with the military even stating that it was, in fact, planning to add more troops.

Trump’s statement may have played well with his audience, his base, anti-war activists, real liberals, and the general population, but it didn’t play well with leftists, the Neo-Cons in his cabinet, the war-obsessed US military leadership, Israeli lobby, or US Congress. As a result, Trump backed away from his own stated policy, met with the unified war front, and decided to remain in Syria.

This isn’t surprising. But it is dangerous.

The President of the United States has announced his foreign policy. That foreign policy was immediately contradicted by the Pentagon and other agencies and cabinet members. The President then rescinds his foreign policy. There is a logical conclusion to be drawn here.

When the President says we are getting out of Syria and the military says and does otherwise, you have evidence of that has taken place in the White House. Trump has repeatedly expressed a desire to do one thing while his agencies, cabinet members, and the military have either publicly contradicted him or done the opposite. Whatever one thinks about Trump, the Deep State has repeatedly shown Trump he is not really in control and Trump has repeatedly refused to buck them in any meaningful way.

As fake news paragon and propaganda outlet CNN writes,

Despite his annoyance and public statement to the contrary, Trump agreed to hold off on immediately pulling troops from the war-plagued nation, even after airing his displeasure with top national security officials.

The White House declined to comment on the tone of the meeting.

It’s a scenario that has played out repeatedly since Trump entered office last year. He’s clashed with advisers over the Iran nuclear deal, Afghanistan strategy and tariffs, particularly when he believes his campaign promises aren’t being upheld. As he transitions to a new national security team, Trump has made clear he wants advisers who agree in principle with his core beliefs.

So with that, the Deep State has informed Trump he will not be leaving Syria and Trump, contrary to his public persona, has capitulated. Just like with Afghanistan, his “instinct” was actually right but he ignored his “instinct” and opted instead to follow orders.

Now, the official policy is that the United States needs to finish its mission “against ISIS” within six months, before the withdrawal can be executed. Thus, the Deep State apparatus is allowing its President to tell the American people who actually know what Syria is, that troops will leave in about six months, knowing full well that, six months from now, those troops will still be there and the people who heard his message won’t even remember his promise. Even that, however, is not sufficient enough for the warmongers in the US government. Secretary of Defense James Mattis has already warned that six months is too short a time to achieve the President’s goals.