Former President Donald Trump has sharply criticized President Joe Biden for not firing any military generals following the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. During a CNN presidential debate, Trump labeled the withdrawal as “the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country,” pointing to the deaths of 13 U.S. soldiers and the abandonment of billions of dollars worth of military equipment.
Trump’s criticism was unrelenting. “He was so bad with Afghanistan,” Trump said. “It was such a horrible embarrassment. Most embarrassing moment in the history of our country that when Putin watched that and he saw the incompetence.” He continued, “He should have fired those generals like I fired the one that you mentioned and so he’s got no love lost but he should have fired those generals.”
The former president’s comments come amid ongoing debates about the U.S. military’s role and the decisions made during the withdrawal. Trump emphasized that no general was held accountable for what he described as a debacle. “No general got fired for the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country, Afghanistan, where we left billions of dollars of equipment behind. We lost 13 beautiful soldiers and 38 soldiers were obliterated,” he said.
Trump also took the opportunity to criticize the current state of global affairs under Biden’s administration, stating, “The world is blowing up under President Biden.”
In response, President Biden defended his decision to pull out of Afghanistan, arguing that it was a necessary move to end America’s longest war. He also took the opportunity to criticize Trump for his positions on the war in Ukraine and his comments about Russian President Vladimir Putin. “You ever heard so much malarkey in my whole life?” Biden retorted during the debate.
The debate over the Afghanistan withdrawal has been a contentious issue in Washington. Pentagon leaders, including Gen. Mark Milley, chair of the Joint Chiefs, and Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, commander of U.S. Central Command, have faced significant scrutiny. Both generals testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressing that they believed the complete withdrawal was a mistake and had recommended keeping at least 2,500 troops in Afghanistan to both Biden and Trump.
Gen. McKenzie explained that the military leaders believed “the withdrawal of those forces would inevitably lead to the collapse of those Afghan forces” and the Afghan government. Despite their advice, Biden ordered a complete withdrawal in April, setting a target date of September 11, which was later moved up to the end of August.
During the Senate Armed Services hearing, Milley and McKenzie declined to disclose the specific advice they gave to the president but maintained that their views were fully presented and heard. This conflicts with Biden’s earlier statements, where he claimed he did not recall being advised to keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan.
Milley also pointed to the Doha Agreement between the U.S. and the Taliban, reached in February 2020 under the Trump administration, as a contributing factor to the swift Taliban takeover. The agreement committed to a complete U.S. withdrawal by May 1, 2021, provided the Taliban met certain conditions, which Milley said they failed to do.
The Doha Agreement “did negatively affect the performance of the Afghan Security Forces,” McKenzie noted, adding that committing to a withdrawal by a specific date without having certain conditions met was a mistake. “Two presidents in a row put dates on it,” Milley said. “Don’t put dates on it. Make it conditions-based.”
Senators from both parties have weighed in on the issue. Republican Senator Tom Cotton questioned Milley on why he didn’t resign if his advice was ignored. Milley responded that he is fully committed to civilian control of the military and that the commander in chief is under no obligation to follow the recommendations given by any of his advisors. “It would be an incredible act of political defiance for a commissioned officer to just resign because my advice is not taken,” Milley said.
The debate over the Afghanistan withdrawal has also seen a divide among Democrats. While some, like Senators Tim Kaine and Elizabeth Warren, praised Biden for ending the two-decade-long war, others, such as Senator Richard Blumenthal, criticized the evacuation process, noting that lawmakers still don’t know how many Americans or Afghan partners were left behind.
The chaotic end to America’s longest war has left a lasting impact on U.S. military and foreign policy. The debate over accountability and the decisions made during the withdrawal continues to be a contentious issue, with Trump using it as a key point of criticism against Biden.
As the political landscape evolves, the Afghanistan withdrawal remains a significant topic of discussion, highlighting the complexities and challenges of military and foreign policy decisions.
Source: CNN, Fox News, Senate Armed Services Committee
