Trump's order to gut South Korea alliance called 'inane, haphazard' by lawmakers

Lawmakers are denouncing President Donald Trump's abrupt decision to curtail joint military exercises with South Korea, labeling the move "inane" and "shortsighted." The order to scale back the Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises, which involve approximately 18,000 South Korean troops, came just days after North Korea conducted ballistic missile tests. Trump cited his "very good relationship" with Kim Jong-Un as justification, stating the drills were "inappropriate and hostile" to a country he described as "unthreatening."

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inane

Democrats in Congress argue that Trump's decision grants Kim Jong-Un a propaganda victory without any concessions, while a key ally is left to bear the consequences of a conflict it did not initiate. Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate armed services committee, called it "another inane, haphazard decision by President Trump and his chaotic administration." Reed warned that such actions make "America’s commitments negotiable" in the eyes of allies and adversaries alike.

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shortsighted

Mark Kelly of Arizona, also on the armed services committee, echoed these concerns, emphasizing that the joint exercises are not merely symbolic but fundamental to the alliance's operational capacity during a crisis. "North and South Korea are still technically at war," Kelly stated, highlighting the importance of well-trained forces capable of coordinating with South Korean counterparts for defense against North Korea.

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another inane, haphazard decision by President Trump and his chaotic administration.

The U.S.-South Korea military alliance, established in 1953, is currently under strain. Despite Trump's characterization of North Korea as "unthreatening," his own administration's 2026 Annual Threat Assessment described an "increasingly confident North Korean regime" with weapons of mass destruction, conventional forces, and cyber operations posing a threat to the U.S., South Korea, and Japan. Furthermore, former director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified in March that North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missiles can already reach U.S. soil.

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When President Trump cuts military exercises to flatter a dictator or punishes South Korea for declining to join a war he started, all of our allies – and adversaries – think that America’s commitments are negotiable.