Washington and Baghdad are working on a plan to draw down the U.S. troop presence in Iraq as soon as next year.

The U.S. and Iraq have reached an ‘understanding’ on plans to have hundreds of U.S. troops leave Iraq by September 2025 and the remainder leave by January 2027, according to a new Reuters report. However, no set-in-stone decision has been made, two defense officials told Fox News, and the timing is in flux. 

While the U.S. pulled out the last of its troops from Afghanistan in 2021, some 2,500 troops still remain in Iraq, and 900 remain in Syria. 

The remaining service members in Iraq are largely focused on combating ISIS under a global coalition, known as Operation Inherent Resolve. Last month, the U.S. carried out a joint raid, killing 15 ISIS fighters in Western Iraq. 

When asked about the Reuters report on Monday, Pentagon press secretary Pat Ryder told reporters that U.S. and Iraqi officials ‘continue to have their discussions’ on drawing down troops, as they have been since the start of the year. He would not comment on the accuracy of the report. 

‘As part of the U.S. Iraq Joint Security Cooperation dialog, we establish the Higher Military Commission, that will look at, the transition of the global coalition, into a long-term U.S. Iraq bilateral security cooperation relationship. And so those conversations are ongoing. And I just don’t want to get ahead of that process.’ 

The U.S. initially invaded Iraq in 2003, toppling Saddam Hussein’s regime and drawing down its troop presence from wartime levels in 2007 and leaving altogether in 2011, before returning in 2014 at the head of the coalition to fight the Islamic State.

Other nations, including Germany, France, Spain and Italy, also contribute hundreds of troops to the coalition. Under the reported plan, all coalition forces would leave the Ain al-Asad Air Base in the western Anbar province and significantly pull back their presence in Baghdad by September 2025.

While their mission is focused on the Islamic State, the U.S. troop presence serves as a strategic position against the growing threat of Iran. U.S. forces in Iraq have shot down rockets and drones fired towards Israel in recent months, according to U.S. officials. 

Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ al-Sudani has said he appreciates the U.S. help, but forces there have become a target for instability, often targeted and responding with strikes not coordinated with the Iraqi government. Al-Sudani is walking a tight line between an alliance with both Washington and Tehran. 

Defense experts argue that U.S. resources in Iraq indirectly benefit Iran because of the Iraqi government’s close alignment with the regime.

‘Our continued presence, while necessary during the fight against ISIS, now risks contributing to instability rather than achieving long-term peace,’ Jason Beardsley, a former senior Defense official, told Fox News Digital.

‘Recent events have shown that Iraqi forces are increasingly capable of managing their own security,’ the Army and Navy veteran said. 

‘With the current Iraqi government heavily influenced by Iranian-backed Shia factions, including the Popular Mobilization Front, maintaining U.S. troops doesn’t effectively counterbalance Iran. In fact, our resources end up indirectly benefiting those aligned with Iranian interests, making this a misguided strategy.’

‘The Iranians have done a fantastic job infiltrating the Iraqi Security Forces,’ said Bill Roggio, a senior fellow with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. ‘But this ensures Iranian dominance in Iraq.’

‘They get free rein in Iraq to do their bidding. And as far as the fight against the Islamic State goes, this is going to be harmful as well. Islamic State has not been defeated, as much as the Trump and Biden administrations have said,’ he went on. ‘I also don’t see how the U.S. is going to maintain troops in Syria. Without the troops in Iraq, they’re going to be isolated.’

However, according to Roggio, ‘As currently situated, the U.S. either needs to put more troops in to secure themselves from militia attacks, or they need to be withdrawn.’

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are set to face off in their first presidential debate, and the stakes could not be higher. Harris has erased Trump’s comfortable lead in the polls, setting up a razor-thin election with less than two months to go.

The highly anticipated matchup is the first time Trump and Harris will meet in person. It comes just 51 days after President Biden withdrew from the 2024 race and 75 days after his disastrous debate performance.

With Trump set to make a record seventh general election debate appearance, here is a look at what to expect in tonight’s debate as well as his past performances. 

Trump, Harris debate on Sept. 10

Although Tuesday’s debate is the second one of the 2024 campaign season, it is the first time the current nominees will face off. The 90-minute, audience-free debate will take place at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia. 

While Harris is hunkering down in Pittsburgh, Trump has forsaken traditional debate preparation. Trump has, however, employed former Democratic Rep. Tulsi Gabbard to help him refine his skills Gabbard, who recently endorsed Trump, had her own famous moment on the debate stage, when in 2020, she attacked Harris for her record as a California prosecutor.

Trump is expected to focus on inflation and immigration, two of the top issues in the 2024 race. The Trump campaign has been linking Harris to some of Biden’s weaker areas, a strategy he is expected to employ in the debate. Harris is expected to focus on abortion rights, which is tied with inflation at 14%, as the second-biggest issue in the race. The overturning of Roe v. Wade has proven to be one of Trump’s greatest political vulnerabilities.

Trump, Biden debate on June 27

The only 2024 debate between Biden and Trump was the first time a sitting president and a former president ever debated. It is also perhaps the most consequential in history as it ultimately led Biden to abandon his 2024 bid.

During the debate, the president struggled to mount a coherent defense or finish his sentences at times. As Biden wrapped up an argument about his record on border security, Trump quipped, ‘I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence. I don’t think he knows what he said, either.’

The Atlanta debate where Trump and Biden clashed overabortion, immigration, foreign policy and inflation amassed 51.3 million viewers, according to Nielsen Media Research. At the time, Real Clear Politics had Trump leading Biden by 1.5 points.

Trump, Biden debate on Oct. 22, 2020

Trump and Biden squared off in Nashville, Tennessee, less than two weeks before Election Day. The debate was more subdued than the first round, in part due to new rules that kept each candidate’s microphone muted. 

As Biden and Trump squabbled over personal finances, Trump claimed Biden had made money from foreign entities. Trump further sought to paint Biden as a typical, corrupt politician. A recent report from House Republicans alleged that Biden ‘participated in a conspiracy to monetize his office of public trust to enrich his family.’

Trump also questioned Biden’s accomplishments over his nearly 50-year public service career. Trump said he decided to mount a run for president because of the Obama administration’s ‘poor job.’

‘I ran because of you, Joe,’ Trump said. ‘I ran because of you.’

Nielsen Media Research recorded 63 million viewers for the final debate of the 2020 cycle. On the day of the debate, Biden led Trump by 7.9 points.

Trump, Biden debate on Sept. 29, 2020

What people most likely recall from this debate is Trump’s constant interruptions that led an exasperated Biden to declare, ‘will you shut up, man?’ The debate quickly descended into chaos as the two sparred over abortion rights and Trump’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. An unrelenting Trump pushed Biden on whether he would ‘pack’ the Supreme Court in the wake of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death. As the two men heatedly talked over each other about the pandemic, Trump declared, ‘I’ll tell you Joe, you could never have done the job that we did. You don’t have it in your blood.’

Trump did not shy away from making personal attacks on Biden, hurling insults about his intelligence, saying, ‘There’s nothing smart about you, Joe.’

With 73.1 million viewers, the debate in Cleveland was the most watched for a Trump-Biden matchup. Real Clear Politics had Biden leading Trump by 6.1 points on the day of the debate. 

Trump, Clinton debate on Oct. 19, 2016

The final debate of the 2016 cycle had Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton focusing more on personal weaknesses than policy. When Clinton attempted to tie Trump to Russia, he retorted that Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘doesn’t respect’ Clinton or then-President Barack Obama and insisted that he did not know Putin. As the two contended over Obamacare and Social Security, Trump proceeded to call Clinton, ‘such a nasty woman.’

Clinton repeatedly used the debate to belittle Trump’s character. Clinton’s strongest language came when she challenged Trump’s behavior toward women. Trump pushed back, vehemently denying any claims of inappropriate behavior toward women. ‘Nobody has more respect for women than I do,’ he said. 

A key highlight of the debate came when Trump declined to say he would accept the results of the election (much like his responses in 2020). Trump doubled down on insisting the process was ‘rigged’ and that he would ‘look at it at the time.’

Trump, Clinton debate on Oct. 9, 2016 

Trump used this debate as an opportunity to launch a blistering attack against Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton. When questioned about his conduct toward women, Trump stated ‘there’s never been anybody in the history of politics that has been so abusive to women,’ about former President Clinton. Hillary Clinton refused to address his comments about her husband.

Trump and Clinton also quarreled over Russian aggression, Trump’s refusal to release his tax returns and his plans for the ‘extreme vetting’ of immigrants arriving from countries with criminal links.

Trump, Clinton debate on Sept. 26, 2016

Trump’s first presidential debate was the first to surpass 70 million viewers in nearly four decades, gaining a record 84 million viewers. 

Trump came out swinging as he addressed the economy and jobs. As Clinton sought to defend her economic proposals, Trump attacked her political record, declaring she was a ‘typical politician: all talk, no action.’ However, as the debate progressed, Clinton put Trump more on the defensive. At one point, Clinton pushed Trump on his past comments on race and sex, prompting him to say, ‘It’s all words, it’s all soundbites.’

An overview of Trump’s past debates reveals an approach of rapid-fire statements, personal affronts, and ripostes – a strategy aimed at overwhelming his opponents. Additionally, with the race proving to be as tight as it is, Harris is anticipated to face greater pressure as the newer and unproven contender. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y. hosted a Gold Medal ceremony for the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate during the Afghanistan withdrawal. 

Johnson posthumously presented the Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor, to the 13 fallen Americans who were killed during the August 2021 ISIS-K suicide bombing at the Kabul Airport. 

He opened the ceremony on Tuesday by naming the fallen and apologizing to their families. 

The 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate were: Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Darin T. Hoover, Marine Corps Sgt. Johanny Rosario Pichardo, Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee, Marine Corps Cpl. Hunter Lopez, Marine Corps Cpl. Daegan W. Page, Marine Corps Cpl. Humberto A. Sanchez, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. David L. Espinoza, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Jared M. Schmitz, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Rylee J. McCollum, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan R. Merola, Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Kareem M. Nikoui, Navy Petty Officer Third Class Maxton W. Soviak, and Army Staff Sgt. Ryan C. Knauss. 

‘Our nation owes a profound debt of gratitude to these service members and those here today who were with them in Kabul. We also owe them something deeper, and that is an apology to the families who are here. I know many of you have yet to hear these words, so I will say them. We are sorry,’ Johnson said in opening remarks. ‘The United States government should have done everything to protect our troops. Those fallen and wounded at Abbey gate deserved our best efforts, and the families who have been left to pick up the pieces continue to deserve transparency and appreciation and recognition to you and the families who are not here. I can promise you this you are not alone in shouldering the burdens from that day. And although we can never fully measure your loss, we can and we must memorialize the ultimate sacrifice that was paid.’

Coral Doolittle, the mother of Marine Cpl. Humberto Sanchez, closed the ceremony with a plea to Americans on behalf of the families of the 13 fallen: ‘Say their names. Speak their names and tell their stories.’ 

‘We are honored to stand here today, receiving this recognition on behalf of the 13 who gave their lives. As their parents, our grief never truly ends,’ she said. ‘It changes, it transforms, but it remains with us always. A big part of us died with our children on Aug. 26, 2021. We want everybody to know the ceremonies like this provide a small but meaningful breath of relief in our ongoing journey of grief, reminding us that we raised the best and brightest for this country. We deeply appreciate the efforts of Congress and the Speaker of the House for making this moment possible.’ 

In his remarks, Jeffries said with the congressional Gold Medal, ‘we reverently honor 13 patriots who have fallen in a war zone with tremendous valor.’

‘The 13 heroes we are honoring here today represent the best of America. They were beloved sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, spouses and friends who knew the dangers of the mission but nevertheless answered the call to serve, risking their own safety for that of our fellow Americans, our allies and our Afghan partners. They defended freedom and democracy until their last breath. They held the gate,’ Jeffries said. ‘The Gold Medal we are presenting today is the highest honor that can be conferred by the United States Congress. But no honor can truly repay the incredible sacrifice made by our fallen to the families here.’

‘This Congressional Gold Medal also represents our ironclad promise to you. We have not forgotten your pain. We will never forget the ultimate sacrifice your loved ones have made, and our gratitude will be eternal,’ he said. ‘May the memory of these children of God, defenders of peace and defenders of liberty continue to inspire us all to protect freedom and democracy here at home and throughout the world, as they valiantly did.’ 

House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., recognized that the 13 U.S. service members killed ‘bound up the wounds of a war that had spanned their entire lives.’ 

‘In an instant, 13 young Americans from every corner of our country were bonded forever. In an instant, their heroic service became an ultimate and eternal sacrifice,’ McConnell said, after reading personal details about how each of the fallen are remembered by their families. ‘Today, the name Abbey Gate carries a heavy toll of anger, of confusion and unspeakable grief. But we declare here today, with the highest honor in Congress, and bestow that deep in the hearts of a grateful nation, those two words will forever stand for bravery, the bravery of your sons and daughters and our heroes. ‘ 

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., pointed out how some of the 13 U.S. service members killed at Abbey Gate ‘were even younger than the war in Afghanistan itself.’

‘But to the citizens desperately trying to escape the Taliban’s rule through Abbey Gate on that fateful day, these 13 Americans were something more heroes. Guardians, saviors that were fighting for a cause far bigger than themselves, to deliver freedom to those who otherwise might never, never have known it again,’ Schumer said. ‘As we remember the 13 fallen heroes, we likewise remember every American who served in Afghanistan, including the 2,400 killed, the over 20,000 wounded, and the hundreds of thousands more who wore the uniform.’ 

‘Tomorrow, we honor the anniversary of September 11th, a day when we rededicate ourselves to that sacred promise. Never forget,’ Schumer said. ‘Well, that is what this morning’s ceremony is all about. We will never forget the sacrifice of the fallen 13 service members. It now falls on us to all of us gathered here under the dome of Lady Liberty to ensure the sacrifices of all our servicemen were not in vain.’ 

The attack also left roughly 170 Afghans dead. Tuesday’s ceremony comes two days after Rep. Mike McCaul, the Republican chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released a scathing 350-page report that took a fine-toothed comb to the military’s 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal and highlighted areas of serious mismanagement. 

The Republican-led report opens by harkening back to President Biden’s urgency to withdraw from the Vietnam War as a senator in the 1970s. That, along with the Afghanistan withdrawal, demonstrates a ‘pattern of callous foreign policy positions and readiness to abandon strategic partners,’ according to the report.

The report also disputed Biden’s assertion that his hands were tied to the Doha agreement former President Trump had made with the Taliban establishing a deadline for U.S. withdrawal for the summer of 2021, and it revealed how state officials had no plan for getting Americans and allies out while there were still troops there to protect them.  

On the three-year anniversary of the attack last month, Trump joined the families of the slain 13 U.S. service members at Arlington National Cemetery. 

Biden and Vice President Harris were absent. Though they released written statements listing the names of the 13 fallen that day, neither Biden nor Harris spoke publicly on the anniversary. 

At the Republican National Convention in July, the Gold Star families took to the stage blasting President Biden for never saying the names of those 13 Americans killed publicly out loud. 

Harris later accused Trump of playing politics with the visit to Arlington National Cemetery, but in a series of short videos, eight families said they had invited Trump, and bitterly blasted the Biden-Harris administration over the pullout that left 13 U.S. service members dead three years ago. 

The vice president had criticized Trump’s team for taking photographs and videos at a wreath-laying ceremony event. The Army said that an Arlington National Cemetery official was ‘abruptly pushed aside’ while making sure that Trump’s team was ‘made aware of federal laws, Army regulations and DoD policies, which clearly prohibit political activities on cemetery grounds.’

The Gold Star families who lost loved ones in the botched Afghanistan withdrawal blasted Harris over her attack on Trump’s visit paying respect to the fallen. 

Fox News’ Morgan Phillips, Nicholas Kalman and Andrea Vacchiano contributed to this report. This is a developing story. Please check back for updates. 

Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., revealed the ‘biggest thing’ he believes can help former President Donald Trump in his debate against Vice President Kamala Harris in Philadelphia. 

During Tuesday night’s debate in the battleground state of Pennsylvania, Scott said that ‘the best thing Trump can get her to do is if she could talk 99% of the time.’

‘It’ll be interesting to see which Kamala Harris shows up,’ Scott told Fox News Digital. ‘The Harris that has been part of the Biden administration that has opened the border, ruined the economy and … stopped supporting Israel and allowed Iran to have all the weapons, or is it a new Harris that, you know, that believes the border ought to be secure, and we ought to get inflation under control by allowing free markets to work … allowing oil and gas production in this country so we can get the gas prices down. So it’ll be interesting to see which Harris shows up.’

‘I think the biggest thing is make sure that Harris talks,’ Scott, a Trump 2024 campaign surrogate, said. ‘When she talks, no one, almost nobody agrees with her – maybe some socialists would. So I think the biggest thing is for her to talk about her ideas, whether it’s to talk about the border, talk about the economy, talk about foreign policy … there is no logic to her thought process.’

‘When she talks about price controls, that just means product shortages,’ the senator said during a phone interview Monday morning. ‘When she talks about the border, people say, ‘Well, why didn’t she do it now?’ And because everything she says she’s going to do, I mean, I think the first reaction everybody has is ‘Well, why didn’t you do it?”

Scott said ABC News moderators should ask Harris during the debate if she will apologize to the families of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the August 2021 suicide bombing at Abbey Gate during the Afghanistan withdrawal. He also said the moderators should ask what Harris has to say to the families in this country who ‘can’t afford grocery prices and gas prices and rent because of the inflation she and Joe Biden caused.’

Scott, who sat next to Harris for two years on the Senate Homeland Security Committee, said he noticed during that time that she ‘wasn’t serious about any policy issues,’ but ‘was serious about getting on television.’

After plenty of debate over the debate, both camps agreed to adhere to the same rules that governed the Biden-Trump debate. The most contentious rule – the microphones will once again be muted during an opponent’s responses, which pundits see as a victory for Trump. As with the June debate hosted by CNN in Atlanta, there will be no studio audience.

The moderators, ABC News’ David Muir and Linsey Davis, will be the only ones asking questions, according to the rules.

When asked about how the Republican nominee should appeal to women during the debate amid recent polling indicating Harris has an advantage over Trump when it comes to female voters, Scott said Trump should talk about important issues like the economy, education and keeping people safe, which he argues ‘resonates with all men and all women.’ 

‘I think letting men playing women’s sports resonates to women, but I think it also resonates to men,’ Scott said. ‘And I think – just make sure Harris talks about what she believes in, and I think it turns people off.’ 

Fox News Digital also asked whether Trump should mention during the debate a piece of legislation called the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which aims to require states to obtain proof of citizenship – in person – when registering an individual to vote and require states to remove noncitizens from existing voter rolls. 

Some Republicans, including Scott, have pushed for the SAVE Act to be attached to a spending bill extension to avoid a government shutdown at the end of the fiscal year. 
 

‘Do you think specifically Trump should mention the SAVE act and the concern about illegal immigrants, noncitizens voting in this upcoming election?’ Fox News Digital asked. 

‘Yes,’ Scott said. ‘As I travel around Florida because I’m up this year, one of the things that comes up in every talk is, you know, are they going to steal the election. So I think it’s important to people.’

‘So I’m hopeful, hopefully it will pass the House,’ Scott said of the bill. ‘And then, you know, unless Schumer wants to shut down government, he’ll pass it out of the Senate.’ 

Fox News’ Paul Steinhauser contributed to this report.