From KCRW in Santa Monica and PRI, Public Radio International, this is To the Point.

President Trump, an America's Forever War.

Hello again, I'm Aronaldi, and this is To the Point.

Last night, President Trump defied what he called his own instinct to pull out of Afghanistan.

He vowed to continue military operations there.

Reversing last year's campaign pledges, he endorsed a slight change from Obama administration policies

with a modest increase in U.S. troop strength.

He took ownership of America's longest war with the promise that we will win without saying what that would mean or how it might happen.

We'll hear what he said and what he left out in his first primetime speech to the nation.

Later on today's talking point, the president's rally tonight in Phoenix.

Will one target be a fellow Republican?

U.S. Senator Jeff Flake. First,

here's the news.

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Hello again, Mormon. I'll be back with To The Point. After President Trump's speech to the nation last night on Afghanistan, one report said a president obsessed with winning has now settled on simply trying not to lose. We'll hear some high points and sample reaction. Today's talking point,

the president is holding a rally tonight in Phoenix, but it may not be a showcase for Republican unity.

We'll hear the background of his standoff with a senator of his own party, Jeff Flake,

who's up for reelection next year. First is news update. Fifteen people were killed and 130 were injured when a car drove into a crowd last Thursday in Barcelona.

Officials have said that today in court, a suspect said much larger attacks had been planned.

He was arrested after a house blew up on Wednesday.

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