Donald Trump has vowed that, if re-elected, his first act as President will be to demand the resignation of every senior official involved in the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal. Speaking at the National Guard Association meeting in Detroit on Monday, Trump criticized the handling of the situation, which he described as a “calamity.”
Trump’s Criticism of the Biden Administration
Trump expressed frustration over what he perceives as inadequate accountability for the chaotic exit from Afghanistan, which resulted in the deaths of 13 US service members and over 100 Afghans due to a suicide bombing claimed by Islamic State terrorists. “You have to fire people,” Trump said, referencing his experience on “The Apprentice.” He accused the Biden administration of failing to hold anyone accountable, stating, “Nobody ever gets fired.”
Kamala Harris’s Role and Public Backlash
The remarks came three years after the bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport. During a CNN interview before the attack, Vice President Kamala Harris confirmed she was the last person in the room before President Joe Biden decided to withdraw US troops from Afghanistan. Harris expressed confidence in the decision at the time.
Gold Star Families’ Criticism of Biden
Trump’s criticism coincided with recent backlash against President Biden from Gold Star families. Last month, Biden claimed in a CNN debate that he was the only president in this century not overseeing troop deaths abroad, which angered families of the 13 service members killed in Kabul. Darin Hoover, father of one of the fallen Marines, expressed frustration at Biden’s comments, accusing him of failing to acknowledge the sacrifices made by the service members and their families.