President Trump’s assertion that it was time to bring troops home from Syria because it seemed to be an endless war rings hollow when simultaneously he is ordering thousands of troops to Saudi Arabia.

As I write this letter, Turkey is attacking the Kurds in Northern Syria. The Kurds have been our ally and were instrumental in containing ISIS and creating a stable area in Syria.

Our president has turned his back on the Kurds and has left them to be slaughtered by the Turks. Trump’s move is a blunder and has been roundly condemned by some in the military, many veterans, evangelicals (The Kurds are Christian), and many politicians including some republicans.

The Democrats have a sleeper candidate who is presently campaigning by walking the length and breadth of New Hampshire.

Retired three-star Admiral Joe Setak is seeking the Democratic nomination for the presidency. Admiral Joe, as he likes to be called, graduated second in his class from the Naval Academy at Annapolis. He also earned a master’s degree in public administration and a doctorate in political economics.

Both of the advanced degrees were obtained at Harvard.

Admiral Joe is not an ideologue, and he defies traditional labeling. He makes creative decisions based on his varied life experiences, his endless humanity, his vast store of knowledge and the situation at hand.

In 2002 Admiral Joe commanded the George Washington Aircraft Carrier Group consisting of 10 ships, 100 aircraft and 10,000 sailors, Marines and Seals.

He led this command during combat operations in both Iraq and Afghanistan.

As Trump continues to confuse our international alliances, would it not be a good idea to replace him with someone who has actually commanded our military in combat, is knowledgeable about our military capabilities and is aware of the politics in the Middle East.

Admiral Joe would crush Donald Trump in a presidential election with many republicans splitting their ballots.

In Butler County we know Joe Sestak very well as he visited the county perhaps a dozen times in his two efforts to become a United States Senator from Pennsylvania.

David Kerr

Harmony, Lancaster Township