President Donald Trump’s sudden decision to pull U.S. troops from northern Syria has drawn criticism -- and comparisons to “The Wizard of Oz.”

American and Kurdish military have fought side by side against the Islamic State for years, but the White House announced late Sunday night that it would withdraw from the region along the Syrian border with Turkey and not intervene in a Turkish offensive. Lawmakers, including Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham, called the decision a “disaster” and Syria’s Kurds accused the U.S. of turning its back on allies and risking gains made in the fight against ISIS.

Trump posted more than a dozen tweets Monday, claiming the U.S. “quickly defeated 100% of the ISIS Caliphate” and the Kurds were “paid massive amounts of money and equipment” to fight Turkey alongside U.S. troops.

“I held off this fight for almost 3 years, but it is time for us to get out of these ridiculous Endless Wars, many of them tribal, and bring our soldiers home,” the president wrote on Twitter. “WE WILL FIGHT WHERE IT IS TO OUR BENEFIT, AND ONLY FIGHT TO WIN. Turkey, Europe, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Russia and the Kurds will now have to figure the situation out, and what they want to do with the captured ISIS fighters in their ‘neighborhood.’ They all hate ISIS, have been enemies for years. We are 7000 miles away and will crush ISIS again if they come anywhere near us!”

Trump later added: “If Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits, I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey (I’ve done before!)”

“The Wizard of Oz" quickly became a trending topic on Twitter as users compared the phrase “in my great and unmatched wisdom” to the movie’s “great and powerful Oz.”

Talking like the Wizard of Oz is a bad look for international diplomacy. You know how that story ends. Right? #ImpeachmentIsComing pic.twitter.com/aK5zWskk8v — Lori Wade (@loridwade) October 7, 2019

I was just thinking “great and unmatched wisdom” feels like a line from the wizard of oz. https://t.co/vK3S83tMbt — Molly Jong-Fast (@MollyJongFast) October 7, 2019

He's like the Wizard of Oz who never saw the end of the movie. https://t.co/OgPoGczLhv — J. Elvis Weinstein (@JElvisWeinstein) October 7, 2019

Trump is now the Wizard of Oz just before he notices that Toto’s pulled the curtain back. — James O'Brien (@mrjamesob) October 7, 2019

“The Wizard of Oz” is a 1939 movie based on Chittenango native L. Frank Baum’s novel “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," telling the story of of Dorothy Gale (played by Judy Garland), a Kansas farm girl swept away by a tornado to the Land of Oz. In the Victor Fleming film, Dorothy journeys to the Emerald City with the Scarecrow, Tin Man and Cowardly Lion for help from the Wizard of Oz, who’s later revealed to be a former carnival worker who’s a “bad wizard.”

California Sen. Kamala Harris, a Democratic presidential candidate challenging Trump in 2020, recently made a similar comparison at a primary debate.

“Donald Trump, in office, on trade policy ... he reminds me of that guy in ‘The Wizard of Oz,’ you know, when you pull back the curtain, it’s a really small dude,” she said.

The Associated Press reports two senior State Department officials later minimized the effects of the U.S. action, telling reporters that only about two dozen American troops would be removed from the Turkey-Syria border, not all the U.S. forces in the northeast of the country. They also said Turkey may not go through with a large-scale invasion and the U.S. was still trying to discourage it.

Both officials spoke only on condition of anonymity to discuss what led to the internal White House decision.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has threatened for months to launch a military operation across the Syrian border. He views the Kurdish forces as a threat to his country. Both Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. have warned that allowing the Turkish attack could lead to a massacre of the Kurds and send a troubling message to American allies across the globe.

There are about 1,000 U.S. troops in northern Syria, and a senior U.S. official said they will pull back from the area — and could depart the country entirely should widespread fighting break out between Turkish and Kurdish forces. For the moment, the U.S. troops are not leaving Syria, officials said.

A U.S. official confirmed that American troops were already moving out of the security zone area, which includes the Syrian towns of Ras al-Ayn and Tal Abyad. That official was not authorized to speak for the record and was granted anonymity to comment.

Criticism has come from both sides of the aisle, including Graham and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., did say Monday in an appearance on “Fox & Friends” that he had been briefed by the president about the decision. But he also said he had concerns.

“I want to make sure we keep our word for those who fight with us and help us,” McCarthy told “Fox & Friends” on Monday. “If you make a commitment and somebody is fighting with you, America should keep their word.”

Nikki Haley, who served as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said the U.S. "must always have the backs of our allies, if we expect them to have our back. ... Leaving them to die is a big mistake."

Sunday’s announcement followed a call between Trump and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the White House said Sunday.

....the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2019

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