Former President Donald Trump is blasting President Joe Biden again over the withdrawal from Afghanistan, suggesting it was designed by a “child’s mind.”
In a statement on Tuesday, Trump wrote, “The botched and embarrassingly incompetent withdrawal from Afghanistan had nothing to do with past Administrations or things that happened ‘from 20 years ago,’ (other than we should not have been in the Middle East in the first place!).”
“The horrible ‘withdrawal’ was caused, in particular, because the Military was taken out before American citizens and $85 Billion worth of the highest-grade Military equipment anywhere in the world. This withdrawal was developed by a child’s mind, and only the Biden Administration is responsible for it,” he continued.
Finally, Trump said, “When I left office, the Taliban was held at bay, we had as long as we wanted, there was no reason to rush, no soldiers were killed or even shot at for over 18 months, and if they didn’t meet certain conditions, we would have hit them very hard. But then Biden and Milley removed the Military in one of the dumbest Military moves in history, and it all began. So sad for our Nation!”
Read the statement below:
New statement from Donald Trump:
— The First (@TheFirstonTV) September 28, 2021
"This withdrawal was developed by a child’s mind, and only the Biden Administration is responsible for it.” pic.twitter.com/lt2qo6E0UR
Biden has previously defended the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan by arguing that “there is no good time to leave Afghanistan.”
He told ABC News’ George Stephanopolous in August, “The basic choice is am I gonna send your sons and your daughters to war in Afghanistan in perpetuity?”
The president also insisted, “I don’t think it could have been handled in a way that–we’re going to go back in hindsight and look, but the idea that somehow, there’s a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing I don’t know how that happens.”
During the same interview, he denied reports that military advisers recommended keeping 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, he said, “No, they didn’t. It was split. That wasn’t true. That wasn’t true.”
When pressed again, Biden said, “No. No one said that to me that I can recall. Look, George, the reason why it’s been stable for a year is because the last president said, ‘We’re leaving. And here’s the deal I wanna make with you, Taliban. We’re agreeing to leave if you agree not to attack us between now and the time we leave on May the 1st.”
During a Senate hearing on Tuesday, two of the nation’s top generals apparently contracted Biden’s claim that “no one” advised against a full withdrawal.
Gen. Frank McKenzie, who was the overall commander of U.S. forces in Afghanistan, said, “I will give you my honest opinion, and my honest opinion and view shaped my recommendation. I recommended we maintain 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. And I also recommended earlier in the fall of 2020 that we maintain 4,500 at that time. Those were my personal views.”
And Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also testified that he recommended keeping between 2,500 and 3,500 troops in Afghanistan.
However, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki implied in a tweet that the generals’ comments were not a contradiction of what Biden told Stephanopolous.