Trump Says White House Blame Over Afghanistan Withdrawal a ‘Disinformation Game’

Former President Donald Trump has accused the White House of playing a “disinformation game” in its handling of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. President Joe Biden’s administration had previously placed blame on Trump for the outcome of the withdrawal from the Middle Eastern country. In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump criticized the Biden administration’s actions as “grossly incompetent surrender” and called them “morons.”

The U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021 resulted in 13 service members losing their lives and billions of dollars in military equipment being left behind. Additionally, the Taliban assumed control of the government.

Trump firmly believes that Biden should be held responsible for the outcome and that no one else should be blamed. In response to a White House review published Thursday, Trump hit back, stating that he had seen everything that had occurred during the withdrawal and that Biden should be held accountable for his administration’s actions.

The review stated that Biden was limited in his execution of the withdrawal due to lack of cooperation from the previous administration. The agreement signed in February 2020 with the Taliban was not properly shared with the Biden administration. National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby explained that the previous administration was not forthcoming with their May 2021 withdrawal plans and insight into the Doha Agreement. As a result, the Biden administration was forced to develop a new plan from scratch.

‘I Am Outraged’: Pompeo

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo disagreed with the White House’s review, stating that he did not believe that Biden’s options were restricted. He suggested that Biden simply failed to lead effectively and that the White House was trying to shield him from criticism. Pompeo also voiced his concerns over the White House blaming anyone else other than Biden for the withdrawal’s outcome.

Pompeo stated that the 13 American troops who had lost their lives in Afghanistan did not have to die. According to Pompeo, the military had advised the Biden administration that publicizing the withdrawal date would result in chaos.