Taliban endorses President Trump

The Taliban, the ultraconservative political and military group in Afghanistan, has offered President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign an unwanted endorsement, CBS News reported Saturday.

“We hope he will win the election and wind up U.S. military presence in Afghanistan,” Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for the Taliban, told the news outlet.

The Trump campaign swatted the sentiment.

“We reject their support and the Taliban should know that the president will always protect American interests by any means necessary,” Tim Murtaugh, a spokesperson for the Trump campaign, said in a statement.

The president has presided over a withdrawal of U.S. troops from parts of Afghanistan, and he promised this week that all American soldiers in the country will be home by the end of 2020.

“We should have the small remaining number of our BRAVE Men and Women serving in Afghanistan home by Christmas!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.

As the U.S. has pulled out of Afghanistan, the Taliban has worked to broaden its regional influence.