The White House is pushing back against reports that President Donald Trump has lost faith in the fight in Afghanistan.
A report from NBC News says Trump is unhappy because he says he believes the U.S. is losing the war.
So unhappy that in a July meeting, he reportedly suggested that the Department of Defense replace the current commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan — Gen. John Nicholson.
But Trump's deputy assistant Sebastian Gorka disputed that claim on Fox News.
The president reportedly is still considering different strategies for the ongoing war. And that process has taken longer than expected, partly due to tensions in the White House.
In June, Trump gave the Department of Defense the authority to set troop numbers in Afghanistan. And U.S. national security adviser H.R. McMaster said he would like to see more troops sent to the country.
But Trump's chief strategist, Steve Bannon, doesn't want the U.S. to get further involved in the ongoing war.
And while Trump didn't talk much about Afghanistan during the 2016 campaign, Bannon's opinion aligns pretty well with old tweets from Trump about the war.
Removing troops from the country might put the U.S. in a tough position. The Taliban has made major gains in the country recently and could make more if the U.S. were to back out of the fight.
But until Trump decides on a strategy, the Pentagon can't do much except stay the course.
