Trump's national security adviser pushes back at top general, says troops won't be home by Christmas

[Tony]

President Trump’s national security adviser on Friday repeated his claim that the United States would cut its troop strength in Afghanistan to 2,500 by early next year, rebutting comments from the nation’s top military officer that this represented “speculation.”

In webcast comments to the Aspen Institute, Robert O’Brien added that Trump’s recent tweet about bringing all U.S. troops home from the 19-year-old conflict by Christmas reflected a “desire,” not an actual plan. O’Brien’s remarks are the latest in a series of seemingly contradictory statements about Afghanistan made by senior Trump administration officials during the past few weeks.