Republican Rep. Shimkus: President Trump's Syria decision 'despicable'

CHICAGO - Republican U.S. Rep. John Shimkus of Illinois says he no longer supports President Donald Trump after his "terrible and despicable" decision to pull American troops from Syria.

Shimkus says he was so "shocked, embarrassed and angered" by the president's announcement that U.S. forces would no longer protect Syrian Kurds from a Turkish invasion that he told his staff to "take my name off the 'I support Donald Trump' list."

The congressman made the remarks in a Wednesday radio interview with KMOX in St. Louis.

In a statement Thursday, Shimkus added that Kurds have "fought our battles in Syria and Iraq so that countless American sons and daughters didn't have to."

Shimkus announced in September that he won't seek re-election in 2020.