Conservative Rep. Justin Amash (I-Mich.) accused Donald Trump Saturday of “selling” American troops to Saudi Arabia after the president boasted that the nation has deposited $1 billion into a bank he did not identify for “more troops.”

“He sells troops,” Amash tersely noted in a tweet.

Other critics erupted on Twitter over a possible future in which U.S. soldiers could be sent as mercenaries to any high-bidding country to risk their lives, regardless of a nation’s ideology or rationale for fighting.

Others argued the country doesn’t deserve American support because of Saudi Arabia’s link to the vicious dismemberment and murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who was writing at the time for The Washington Post. Some pointed out that most of the hijackers in the 9/11 attack were Saudis.

And some wondered exactly where the Saudi $1 billion is.

Trump clearly saw nothing wrong with the idea. “Listen, you’re a very rich country,” he told Saudi officials, Trump recounted on Fox News. “You want more troops? I’m going to send them to you, but you’ve got to pay us. They’re paying us. They’ve already deposited $1 billion in the bank.”

Amash, who recently left the Republican Party, becoming an independent as he began to criticize Trump, complained in October that the president broke his campaign promise to bring American troops home.

“He’s not bringing home the troops. He’s just moving them to other parts of the Middle East,” Amash said.

“He’s moving ... troops into Saudi Arabia and using our forces almost as mercenaries, paid mercenaries. As long as Saudi Arabia pays us some money, it’s good to go,” he added sarcastically.

He sells troops.



“We have a very good relationship with Saudi Arabia—I said, listen, you’re a very rich country. You want more troops? I’m going to send them to you, but you’ve got to pay us. They’re paying us. They’ve already deposited $1B in the bank.” pic.twitter.com/rc1f7heyCP — Justin Amash (@justinamash) January 11, 2020

The US military is now a mercenary army for the country that sent the majority of hijackers to do 9/11. — Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) January 11, 2020

And sells morals. Don’t forget SA butchered a journalist, our intelligence agencies said it MBS, and trump ignored them. — Nathaniel #CountryOverParty (@NewGopforUSA) January 11, 2020

He can’t sell what he doesn’t own. And he wouldn’t own our military if the co-equal congress demonstrated any ability or desire to hold him accountable. Elected and appointed GOP continue to enable and abet this man. They fail their oath of office. — (((Howard Forman))) (@thehowie) January 11, 2020

How much of that $1B has been transferred into the bank accounts of Trump or his family? This is why we need to see ALL of their tax returns. — JohnRJohnson (@JohnRJohnson) January 11, 2020

Yes. He treats our military like paid mercenaries, which in addition to being completely unAmerican, is also illegal. And who’s “bank account” is he talking about? Sounds like his own. All this guy does is break the law. https://t.co/RMjSZAxCyA — Andrew Wortman (@AmoneyResists) January 11, 2020

If Saudi Arabia has paid US $1 billion for use of US military as mercenaries, that $$$ should go directly to the American people - healthcare, education, environmental cleanup & combatting climate change, infrastructure, etc. Where has it gone? Straight to Trump I’m sure. — Empire Storm (@empirestatemind) January 11, 2020

Generations of Marines in my family who served for love of their country not to be sold as mercenaries. This is a complete betrayal of our values and might be Trump's worst crime. Anyone supporting this is sick in the head. — Timi Haworth (@timihaworth) January 12, 2020

Serious question: is there such a thing as a a country wiring funds to the US to 'pay for troops'? What fund does it go to? Where can we see the receipt of those funds being applied to the military budget to offset expenses? I'm a CPA, MBA, and forensic accountant, so curious. — PNW_Louise🌊 (@livingintheGig) January 11, 2020