Maine’s congressional delegation is giving a mixed review to President Trump’s recommitment to the war in Afghanistan.

Trump used a primetime speech on Monday to say the U.S. must “fight to win” the war. Republican Sen. Susan Collins says Trump has “outlined an important change” from an approach she says has been driven by arbitrary deadlines.

Independent Sen. Angus King says he applauds Trump for moving toward a more regional approach to stabilizing Afghanistan. But he also says the U.S. must “move forward with clear goals” for its own troops.

While Republican Rep. Bruce Poliquin, 2nd District, says it would be a mistake to declare arbitrary withdrawal dates, his 1st-District counterpart, Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree, says committing more troops to the conflict will make developing an exit strategy more difficult.


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