(From Eighth District Congressman Jason Smith)
After the unfolding disaster that we have all witnessed in Afghanistan, the American people expect – and the families of the Marines who were killed deserve – accountability for such catastrophic failures.
Tens of billions of dollars in equipment were left for the Taliban. Rooftop helicopter evacuations were required at our own Embassy. American citizens were abandoned and told to fend for themselves.
Thirteen Marines were murdered by terrorists. But not one person has been removed from their position in either the State Department or the Department of Defense. That’s unacceptable. By choosing not to hold anyone accountable, you can only conclude that what has occurred is entirely supported by this administration. This failure of leadership can continue no longer. Joe Biden needs to resign.
American presidents are supposed to represent the best of our nation, bringing us together in good times and bad. When a national or global crisis occurs, most Americans look to our elected leaders for clarity, for assurance, and for comfort. As the tragic events in Afghanistan continue to unfold, do any of you feel unified? Comforted? Or even safer? Unfortunately, President Biden and his administration have failed on all these counts.
After 20 years of U.S. forces fighting in Afghanistan, the majority of Americans agreed it was time for the men and women of our military to come home, and I include myself in that category. However, the way in which we exited was dangerous, uncoordinated, lacked leadership, and ended tragically as a result.
American presidents are supposed to represent the best of our nation, bringing us together in good times and bad. When a national or global crisis occurs, most Americans look to our elected leaders for clarity, for assurance, and for comfort. As the tragic events in Afghanistan continue to unfold, do any of you feel unified? Comforted? Or even safer? Unfortunately, President Biden and his administration have failed on all these counts.
After 20 years of U.S. forces fighting in Afghanistan, the majority of Americans agreed it was time for the men and women of our military to come home, and I include myself in that category. However, the way in which we exited was dangerous, uncoordinated, lacked leadership, and ended tragically as a result.
To make matters worse, these terrorists seized the military equipment we left behind in working order. As President Biden said, the buck stops with him and this is a leadership failure that falls squarely on his shoulders.
Utilizing our bases and remaining resources, we could have effectively evacuated all those who needed to leave. Additionally, our troops should have been able to continue their support of the Afghan military with targeted strikes, intelligence, and supplies, instead of being abandoned by the very country that promised to protect them.
The few times Joe Biden spoke, he blamed the Afghan people for his failure, blamed the media for covering it, and even went so far as to try and blame it all on President Trump. On the rare occasion he answered any questions, he only took ones pre-selected by his staff. Joe Biden told the president of Afghanistan that all of this was nothing more than a “perception” problem and there was a need to “project a different picture.” Maybe so, because the reality of the picture right now is shameful and embarrassing. This is not a “historic success” as the President and his staff would suggest, but instead a tragic undoing of America’s powerful presence on the world stage. And the work isn’t done, hundreds of Americans and thousands of our allies are still trapped in Afghanistan.
The truth is, the failures of President Biden aren’t limited to just Afghanistan. In less than a year, Joe Biden has added trillions to our nation’s debt causing record levels of inflation, which is both a tax increase and a pay cut to working class families. He’s kept millions of people out of work by paying them to stay home. He’s created a crisis at our southern border by broadcasting to the world that he no longer intended to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, resulting in over 1 million illegal border crossings and putting over 11 million illegal immigrants in direct competition with American workers. And from his first day in office, Joe Biden has ended American energy independence, forcing us to once again be reliant on foreign governments for our energy needs.
The American people deserve better than Joe Biden as their President.
Utilizing our bases and remaining resources, we could have effectively evacuated all those who needed to leave. Additionally, our troops should have been able to continue their support of the Afghan military with targeted strikes, intelligence, and supplies, instead of being abandoned by the very country that promised to protect them.
The few times Joe Biden spoke, he blamed the Afghan people for his failure, blamed the media for covering it, and even went so far as to try and blame it all on President Trump. On the rare occasion he answered any questions, he only took ones pre-selected by his staff. Joe Biden told the president of Afghanistan that all of this was nothing more than a “perception” problem and there was a need to “project a different picture.” Maybe so, because the reality of the picture right now is shameful and embarrassing. This is not a “historic success” as the President and his staff would suggest, but instead a tragic undoing of America’s powerful presence on the world stage. And the work isn’t done, hundreds of Americans and thousands of our allies are still trapped in Afghanistan.
The truth is, the failures of President Biden aren’t limited to just Afghanistan. In less than a year, Joe Biden has added trillions to our nation’s debt causing record levels of inflation, which is both a tax increase and a pay cut to working class families. He’s kept millions of people out of work by paying them to stay home. He’s created a crisis at our southern border by broadcasting to the world that he no longer intended to enforce our nation’s immigration laws, resulting in over 1 million illegal border crossings and putting over 11 million illegal immigrants in direct competition with American workers. And from his first day in office, Joe Biden has ended American energy independence, forcing us to once again be reliant on foreign governments for our energy needs.
The American people deserve better than Joe Biden as their President.
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