John Bolton, a former national security adviser to Donald Trump, set the record straight with conservative commenter Eric Bolling over the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
The men got into a heated back and forth as Bolling blamed Biden for the fiasco that claimed 14 American lives. Additionally, 60 Afghans were killed by a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport as the U.S. worked feverishly to evacuate Americans and Afghans who helped the West during two decades of war.
“That was Trump’s deal. That was Trump’s deal,” Bolton said.
“Are you out of your mind, sir?” Bolling clapped back.
Who cut the deal, Eric? Who cut the deal? Donald Trump cut the deal, didn’t he?
Eric, you don’t know what you’re talking about.
The deal cut us down to zero. That’s what Trump wanted. He wanted everybody out. The record on that is completely clear.
Read the deal. Eric, have you ever read the deal? I know you’ve got to go before you’re embarrassed even further.
“That was Trump’s deal…You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Trump's former National Security Adviser John Bolton reminds Newsmax host Eric Bolling that it was Trump, not Biden, who negotiated the withdrawal from Afghanistan with the Taliban” pic.twitter.com/ahq1dYqEJZ — Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) July 29, 2024
Republicans have claimed that Biden’s decision to remove U.S. soldiers after the two-decade war in Afghanistan was a strictly political move. But the agreement for the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan was signed by Trump’s administration in February 2020. The deal called for American troops to be out by May 2021, but Trump left office that January without leaving a plan in place for the actual withdrawal of forces.
Several months before the peace deal with the Taliban was signed in Doha, Qatar, Trump had contemplated inviting the Taliban leadership to Camp David to sign an agreement. Those plans, which were vehemently objected to by senior military officials, were put on hold after a Taliban attack that killed a U.S. soldier.
Criticism of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan resonates with voters across party lines. Former Biden supporters, such as former New Hampshire House Speaker Steve Shurtleff, have cited the botched withdrawal as one reason why he wants Biden to step aside.
Bolton doesn’t support Trump for president and said he plans to write in Dick Cheney’s name instead this November.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @MatthewArco.
veridique on July 30th, 2024 at 01:47 UTC »
Everyone except MAGA knew that.
Adorable_Is9293 on July 30th, 2024 at 01:46 UTC »
Ummm, that was not in any way secret. He committed to our withdrawal before he left office. We all saw that happen. It was widely reported on at the time.
VladtheInhaler999 on July 30th, 2024 at 01:46 UTC »
There is literal picture evidence of Mike Pompeo meeting with the Taliban to complete the withdrawal deal.