President Trump on Monday defended his decision to bring back US troops from Syria, saying that America had been there long enough and that the task of writing letters to the families of fallen soldiers was “devastating.”

“I have to sign letters to parents of young soldiers that were killed and it is the hardest thing. I hate it. I hate it. Afghanistan. Syria. They get blown up with mines. They get taken out by a sniper. It’s devastating. The parents will never be the same. The families will never be the same,” a somber Trump said at the White House after signing a trade deal with Japan.

He also said he consulted with “everybody” when asked if he consulted the Joint Chiefs of Staff before Sunday’s decision.

The president said that there were only about 50 soldiers affected by his order.

“We only have 50 people all in that area and I do not want those 50 people hurt or killed or anything. I do not want anything bad to happen. I said to President Erdogan, I said don’t hit any of our people. That’s big trouble,” he said referring to the area closest to the Turkish border.

And he shook off mounting criticism from Republicans who ripped his decision to remove some US troops from Syria as a blow to America’s Kurdish allies and offered a strong defense of his plan.

“I have great respect for all of the [Republican] people. They have an opinion,” he said.

But, he added, it was time for the US to bring home the troops.

Trump’s comments came after a handful of top Republicans — including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Sen. Lindsey Graham — criticized Trump’s move earlier in the day.

“A precipitous withdrawal of US forces from Syria would only benefit Russia, Iran and the Assad regime. And it would increase the risk that ISIS and other terrorist groups regroup,” McConnell said in a statement, referring to Syrian strongman Bashar al Assad.

Graham, one of Trump’s most loyal supporters, said he and Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland would introduce a bipartisan bill to slap tough sanctions on Turkey should the country — with the second-largest army in NATO — invade northern Syria and threaten the Kurds.

Graham also warned that the move would embolden US foes.

“By abandoning the Kurds we have sent the most dangerous signal possible – America is an unreliable ally … ” he wrote.

Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah and Marco Rubio of Florida also slammed the move.