President Donald Trump delivers remarks during an ‘Unleashing American Energy’ event at the Department of Energy in Washington, U.S., June 29, 2017. Carlos Barria | Reuters
Business Insider: Trump says US troops may not need to be in the Middle East because 'we're producing more oil now'
* President Donald Trump suggested the US military's presence in the Middle East is tied to the region's oil in an interview with The Washington Post published on Tuesday.
* The idea, which he repeated on several occasions, reportedly earned him a rebuke from his national security advisers.
* Trump has teased the idea of allied nations compensating the US for its military presence.
In an exclusive interview with The Washington Post, President Donald Trump suggested the US military's presence in the Middle East is tied to the region's oil, an assessment that reportedly earned him a strong rebuke from his national security advisers last year when he mentioned it on a different occasion.
In a lengthy interview with the newspaper, Trump indicated the continued presence of US troops in the Middle East would depend on movement in the price of oil.
"Now, are we going to stay in that part of the world," Trump asked. "One reason to is Israel. Oil is becoming less and less of a reason because we're producing more oil now than we've ever produced."
"So, you know, all of a sudden it gets to a point where you don't have to stay there," Trump added.
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WNU Editor: There should be a debate on what the U.S. is doing in the Middle East. But here is an easy prediction .... there will be none.
