I had never seen this clip or heard this story, so I pass it along.

This is from the Sage Steele podcast with Texas congressman Wesley Hunt and Florida congressman Byron Donalds in 2024.  Hunt tells the story of President Trump negotiating with Taliban leadership to get out of Afghanistan.

This sounds like something President Trump would do.

Here’s the lightly-edited transcript of the segment.

When we were negotiating with the Taliban, when President Trump was still the president.  President Trump wanted to get out of Afghanistan, but he wanted a conditions-based withdrawal, meaning that you do what we tell you to do, and then we will start pulling troops back slowly as long as you abide by our rules.

It’s President Trump and Mike Pompeo and they are talking to Taliban leadership in the room and they had one translator in the room.

President Trump looked at at the Taliban leader and said this, “I want to leave Afghanistan, but it’s going to be a conditions– based withdrawal.”

The translator translated.

He said, “If you harm a a hair on a single American, I’m gonna kill you.”

Translator goes [astonished look] and Trump goes, “Tell him. Tell him what I said.”

Trump reached in his pocket and pulled out a satellite photo of the leader of the Taliban’s home and handed it to him.  Trump walked out of the room.

Do you know for 18 months not a single American was killed in Afghanistan.

I can overlook a lot of petty issues to have a president who stands up for American interests.  It’s almost like Trump doesn’t threaten, he just says, “if you do this, we do that”, then he does.