President Trump tweets that troops in Afghanistan should be home by Christmas

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– President Donald Trump says troops still in Afghanistan should be home by Christmas. He tweeted yesterday on the 19th anniversary of America’s longest war, the War in Afghanistan.

President Trump’s timeline for their removal, however, is more aggressive than defense and national security officials. Today, around 5,000 soldiers remain in afghanistan. The president’s national security advisor says that number will go down to 2,500 by early next year.

The U.S. and the Taliban agreed earlier this year to the full withdrawal of U.S. troops by 2021.