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'Not a Platform I Expected to See': Taliban Endorsement of Trump Blows Twitter Away

© AP Photo / Alex BrandonIn this Monday, Sept. 9, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington. Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders agreed they wanted a deal with the United States, but some among them were in more of a hurry than others. Even before U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled a mysterious Camp David summit on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, the Taliban negotiators were at odds with the council of leaders, or shura, that rules the Islamic movement.
In this Monday, Sept. 9, 2019 file photo, President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before departing on Marine One from the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington. Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders agreed they wanted a deal with the United States, but some among them were in more of a hurry than others. Even before U.S. President Donald Trump cancelled a mysterious Camp David summit on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2019, the Taliban negotiators were at odds with the council of leaders, or shura, that rules the Islamic movement. - Sputnik International
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In a Saturday interview with CBS News, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the group "hopes Trump will win re-election and wind up US military presence in Afghanistan".

Shortly after the Taliban voiced its support for the US president's re-election, a Trump spokesman, Tim Murtaugh, stated that the campaign rejects the Taliban* endorsement.

“We reject their support and the Taliban should know that the president will always protect American interests by any means necessary, unlike Joe Biden who opposed taking out Osama bin Laden and Qasem Soleimani", Murtaugh said.

Many netizens were triggered by the Taliban endorsement for Trump, exploding Twitter threads with memes, reactions, jokes and outraged comments.

"We hope he will win the election and wind up US military presence in Afghanistan," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News in an interview, causing waves in social media.

Earlier in the day, teenage environmental activist Greta Thunberg endorsed Democratic candidate Joe Biden and users detailed the sharp contrast between the two endorsements. 

​​For many users, the news seemed to become a decisive point in their choice of vote.

​Netizens appeared to recall every controversial endorsement of Trump - even those that are not real.

​Some blamed it on 2020 - it appears someone played bingo.

​One user imagined how Trump would react to the endorsement.

​There were those, however, who remained calm, declaring that the Taliban are in support of Trump because of the president's suggestion that he would withdraw US troops from Afghanistan - a move suggested by some to be a good thing.

​The Taliban have endorsed Trump amid the POTUS' declaration that he would withdraw all US troops from Afghanistan by Christmas, if the group meets conditions on counter-terrorism. 

The Taliban spokesman welcomed the idea, reiterating the terrorist group's commitment to its agreements with the US, and voicing hopes for "good and positive relations" with all countries, including America, in the future.

In February, the US and the Taliban agreed on a tentative peace deal in Qatar, with Washington vowing to withdraw its troops from Afghanistan and the terror group pledging to prevent the country from becoming a haven for terrorism.

Trump's stated interest in withdrawing US troops from Afghanistan, if fulfilled, would bring to an end almost two decades of active US military presence in the country, beginning after the 9/11 attacks. The Afghanistan war was initiated by the administration of US President George W Bush, as it was believed at the time that Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was in hiding in the region.


*Taliban - a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries

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