Trump Says He Will 'Try to Save' Afghan Refugees in UAE, but Obstacles Remain

President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Sunday that he wants to help Afghan refugees who are stuck in the United Arab Emirates. "I will try to save them starting right now," he wrote, linking to reporting that the UAE plans to send Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan, which is now under Taliban rule. NPR has not confirmed that reporting.

The post surprised many observers. Since returning to office this year, Trump has moved to end protections that let Afghan refugees live in the United States, suspended refugee resettlement, and put in place a ban on travelers from Afghanistan and several other countries.

Democratic Representative Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, an Iraq veteran who has advocated for Iraqis and Afghans who helped the U.S. in those wars, told NPR's Mary Louise Kelly the statement was hard to square with the president's record. He called it a welcome sign that someone may have convinced Trump that upholding moral obligations matters for U.S. credibility in future conflicts.

Moulton also urged some caution. He said it is not clear what the service records of these particular Afghans are. Many U.S. allies were left behind during the withdrawal from Afghanistan, he said, but some people who got out in the chaos were probably not properly vetted. In his view, it is reasonable to ask why they remain in the UAE.

Moulton said he would support the effort regardless of politics, because the refugees were promised help. He stressed that the people brought in must be those who actually worked for the U.S., which is why extensive vetting exists. He argued that Trump has repeatedly defunded the processes and people responsible for that vetting, in both his first and second terms, and that this is one reason people remain stranded in places like the UAE.

On whether the president can act, Moulton was direct. He said the president has enormous power to save people who could face persecution to the point of death if forced back to Afghanistan, where the Taliban would see them as traitors. The commander-in-chief, he said, can work with the UAE to make sure they are cared for.

Moulton said the cuts to refugee programs make the task harder. The staff who vet applicants and help ensure the right people are admitted are gone, he said, having been fired by Elon Musk. Still, he said the president has the power to change course, and that the post might amount to an implicit admission that the administration made a mistake.

Moulton also pointed to a role for Congress. He said he has worked with Republicans and fellow Democrats on the issue, but accused Republicans of being afraid of Trump when it comes to acting for allies whose lives are at stake. He suggested that the president's apparent agreement with them might give them the courage to act.

NPR said it had contacted the State Department for comment and had not heard back.