Trump contradicts aides and says troops in Syria 'only for oil.'
Trump has insisted that the U.S. military presence in Syria is “only for the oil,” contradicting his own officials who have insisted that the remaining forces were there to fight ISIS. In a later press conference, Trump declared himself a “big fan” of Erdogan, and made no criticism of the Turkish incursion. Erdogan praised Trump, describing him as “a dear friend,” but went on to denounce the U.S. partnership with Syrian Kurdish forces.