'Totally gross': Susan Rice hits back at Trump after he criticizes her Syria policy
Former national security adviser and Ambassador to the U.N. Susan Rice hit back at President Donald Trump on Twitter as the two clashed over U.S. foreign policy in Syria.
Earlier on Friday, Trump blasted Rice as she appeared in an interview with Real Time with Bill Maher. She criticized Trump's Syria policy on the show.
Trump called her a "disaster to President Obama as National Security Adviser" and singled out the Obama administration's "red line" in Syria as a failure.
"Susan Rice, who was a disaster to President Obama as National Security Advisor, is now telling us her opinion on what to do in Syria. Remember RED LINE IN THE SAND? That was Obama. Millions killed! No thanks Susan, you were a disaster," Trump wrote.
The Obama administration said the use of chemical weapons would have been a "red line" for military intervention, but after Syria used chemical weapons against rebels, President Barack Obama oped to ask Congress for authorization of military force, rather than order a military strike.
More: Trump says Kurds are 'very happy' with U.S.-brokered deal and U.S. has 'taken control' of oil
Rice minced no words in responding, revealing an anecdote from her book, "Tough Love."
According to Rice, Trump came up and hugged her at the 2015 White House Correspondents' Dinner, despite never having met Rice before, which she found "totally gross."
Rice said Trump whispered in her eat that she "had been 'very unfairly treated' over Benghazi and 'was doing a great job for the country.'"
Then why did you come up and hug me at 2015 WHCD when I’d never met you (which was totally gross) and whisper in my ear that I had been “very unfairly treated” over Benghazi and “was doing a great job for the country”? https://t.co/HG3SU2gfrE
— Susan Rice (@AmbassadorRice) October 19, 2019
Trump's withdrawal of U.S. soldiers from northern Syria in advance of a Turkish invasion of the region drew bipartisan condemnation from lawmakers who said he had abandoned Kurdish groups allied with the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State.
Turkey and the U.S. announced a five-day ceasefire on Thursday, but by Friday, Kurdish groups said Turkey had violated the ceasefire.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Susan Rice says Trump was 'totally gross,' criticizes Syria policy
