Washington Post columnist David Ignatius got on ‘Morning Joe’ Monday morning to talk his recent trip to Syria, where he met U.S. backed Kurdish fighters attacking ISIS.

The Kurdish fighters were fans of President Trump, and saw him as an effective ally in the war against ISIS. As Ignatius said:
“Every time the name “President Trump” was mentioned, there were cheers from the audience.”

He then humorously added:

“One Syrian Kurdish commander used a vulgar term, in Spanish it would be cojones, to describe what President Trump has got and why they like him.”

He praised President Trump’s decision to leave fighting authority to field commanders, a reversal of Obama’s policies of discussing and reviewing proposed attacks over before they’re carried out.

Ignatius related one instance where quick thinking commanders were able to give Kurdish fighters a big win with a “surprise landing by helicopter”- which wouldn’t have been possible if they had to first consult the President.

“In this case there was not one meeting. They just said, General Townsend, the commander in Baghdad, you decide. And three days later, these Kurds who’d never seen an airplane or helicopter had been helicoptered across a lake for a surprise attack that is probably the most daring and decisive of the war.”

Ignatius concluded with:

“So, do need to put this in perspective. Yes, there are a lot of people around the world who are appalled, but there are some people who say this image of strength that he’s projecting is something that they like.”

Sounds about right- President Trump has a unique way of doing things, but his way shows American strength, and has led to real results against ISIS. Bet ‘Morning Joe’ never saw that coming!

Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan, have donated millions of dollars via the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative to TheDream.US, a program that will award over 100 college scholarships to illegal immigrants in the Bay Area.
The donations have been spread out over the past several years, and the 139 scholarships given out are part of a concerted effort to ensure that 400 young illegals will attend college in the region by 2020. The “dreamers,” as they are commonly known, are not eligible for federal financial aid, private scholarships, or other grants, so cannot generally afford college. TheDream.US believes that it is a shame to “waste [their] talent.” Tania Wilcox, the program’s director for college partnerships, said that the organization “truly believes that an education is so important for people to be able to contribute to this community and this nation.”
Mary Papazian, the president of San Jose State University, argued that the illegal students have a “real sense of drive and purpose… with just a little support, it’s really incredible what they can do.” San Jose State is set to receive more than 40% of the scholarship recipients this year. The organization has also assisted universities in sharing information in how to support these students, which Pablo Reguerin, the assistant vice provost for student success at UC Santa Cruz, said made people feel “better equipped to address the changing demographics and the varying needs that students bring in.”

Last November’s election of President Trump prompted fears from TheDream.US that fewer students would apply; however, 9000 students started the application, with around 3000 completing it. “Even in the face of fear, even in the face of a lot of uncertainty, they just push forward,” program director Gaby Pacheco said.