That was some vote in the House Wednesday on a resolution opposing President Trumps withdrawal from northern Syria and noting the mayhem that has resulted. In an era marked by furious partisanship, the House voted 354 to 60 for the resolution.
Democrats voted 225-0, which was no big surprise. But Republicans also voted by more than 2 to 1 in favor of the rebuke, 129-60, and they included Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, whip Steve Scalise and Conference Chair Liz Cheney. National security experts Mac Thornberry, former Chairman of the Armed Services Committee; top Foreign Affairs Republican Michael McCaul ; and rising star and Marine veteran Michael Gallagher also opposed the President. The magnitude of the vote suggests comparable majorities when the bicameral, bipartisan resolution hits the Senate floor.
The resolution carries no force of law, but Mr. Trump should still take it seriously. The rebuke sends a message of eroding trust in the Presidents foreign-policy judgment that could carry over to other issues. Republicans may have felt there was safety in numbers since Mr. Trump will find it harder to single out individuals for Twitter targeting.
The vote also shows that Mr. Trump is wrong in assuming that all Republicans are following him on a path of retreat from global commitments. Most Republicans still believe in American global leadership and the robust use of military power when warranted. Mr. Trump has been listening too much to Kentucky Senator Rand Paul if he thinks the GOP is moving toward isolationism. The Republicans on Capitol Hill we talk to privately are more concerned that Mr. Trumps policies are moving too close to Barack Obamas for comfort.
Mr. Trump essentially validated the House rebuke with remarks at a press conference Wednesday that lashed out at his critics in Congress, attacked the Kurds as not really deserving of U.S. support despite having been our ground allies against Islamic State, and asserting that the U.S. has no great interest in Turkeys invasion of Kurdish territory. Yet he has also imposed sanctions on Turkish officials involved in the invasion and has urged Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop.
Mr. Erdogan has ignored Mr. Trumps pleas, which is what happens when foreign leaders sense weakness in an American President.
