Trump's Syria announcement blindsided many GOP supporters

WASHINGTON (AP) — When it came to President Donald Trump's announcement that U.S. forces would no longer protect Syrian Kurds from a Turkish invasion, his supporters knew as little as his critics.

For once, Republicans and Democrats in Congress were in the same place: out of the loop.

All the effort by Republicans to assuage and court the mercurial president meant little in terms of their ability to dissuade him from a decision that most of them opposed.

Republicans found out about the policy change late at night and on Twitter. It was a reminder that having the president's back can be a one-way proposition, especially with a commander in chief who likes to make decisions from his "gut."

Sen. Lindsey Graham warned that Trump was making the "biggest mistake of his presidency."