Former national security adviser H.R. McMaster accused the past two administrations of dealing “psychological blows” to Afghans.
During an interview with “Today,” co-host Savannah Guthrie brought up comments made by President Joe Biden about the Taliban take over in Afghanistan.
While delivering remarks from the White House on Monday, Biden said, “The truth is, this did unfold more quickly than we anticipated.”
When asked if the administration should have been surprised by how quickly it happened, McMaster responded, “They should not have been surprised. War is a contest of wills, and we did everything we could, it seemed, across the last two administrations, to deliver psychological blows to the Afghans.”
He noted the United States did so by “telling them that we’re going to withdrawal, making concession after concession with the Taliban, not even allowing the Afghan government to participate in what became our capitulation agreement with the Taliban.”
McMaster reiterated, “So, it should not have come as a surprise at all.”
Watch part of McMaster’s interview below:
The president has acknowledged that they were surprised by how quickly the Taliban took over. Should they have been? –@SavannahGuthrie
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 17, 2021
No, they should not have been surprised. War is a contest of wills. -Retired Army Gen. H.R. McMaster pic.twitter.com/f1ex4DaHm7
The president blamed Trump for the situation in Afghanistan during his speech, as IJR reported. He explained, “When I came into office, I inherited a deal that President Trump negotiated with the Taliban.”
Biden added, “The choice I had to make, as your president, was either to follow through on that agreement, or be prepared to go back to fighting the Taliban in the middle of the spring fighting season.”
He also said he stands “squarely behind” his decision to pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan.
Trump slammed Biden over the situation in a statement on Sunday, as IJR reported. He argued, “It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen in Afghanistan, along with the tremendous surge in COVID, the Border catastrophe, the destruction of energy independence, and our crippled economy.”