Former President Trump is attempting a campaign tactic to attack Harris as the architect of the failed effort to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, a chaotic and deadly truce that has overshadowed Biden's presidency but succeeded in ending the longest war in U.S. history.
Republicans and Democrats have been trading accusations over which administration is responsible for failing to plan and execute a drawdown of the 20-year military campaign in Afghanistan.
The end result was the collapse of the US-backed Kabul government in the face of a two-week Taliban seizure of power in late August 2021. The US withdrawal was marred by masses of people that overwhelmed Kabul airport, a devastating terrorist attack that killed 13 US soldiers, and a displacement crisis that put thousands of Afghan allies and others at risk of Taliban violence.
The Trump campaign has tried to shift the blame from Biden to Harris, bringing up an interview the vice president gave to CNN in April 2021, in which she said she was the last person present when the president decided to withdraw from Afghanistan and was happy with the choice.
“This is the perfect political attack,” said Chris Tuttle, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former policy director for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee majority staff under Chairman Bob Corker (R-Tenn.).
“I think this campaign is a good opportunity and a good opening to remind the public of what happened and the chaos that has resulted.”
Democrats and Trump's critics say the former president's decision to cut off the Afghan government and negotiate directly with the Taliban about a full withdrawal of U.S. troops within a specific deadline was a major factor that left Biden with few good options in developing and executing the plan.
“It's been a disaster on every front – civil, military and tactical. All Trump is trying to do is bathe in the blood of those 13 soldiers,” said a former senior Afghan official, speaking candidly on the condition of anonymity.
Still, efforts to focus on broad but nuanced situations often fail to energize the public during election season, Tuttle noted.
“When it comes to political campaigns, if you're explaining, you're going to lose,” he said.
“It's difficult for them. [Biden and Harris] It's about recovering from what actually happened on the ground.”
And Trump and his supporters are trying to position the former president as a leader who will use tough rhetoric and actions to deter violence and who respects and honors American military personnel, despite Trump's history of disrespecting and belittling the military. Wounded soldier And those who died in battle.
The Trump campaign spoke by phone with the families of the three US soldiers killed in the Abbey Gate bombing on Monday, the third anniversary of the terror attack, while the former president took part in a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery along with the families of other Gold Star recipients.
Republicans and some family members have criticized Harris and Biden for not properly recognizing the soldiers' sacrifices.
“Thanks to Trump, I know my children are safe,” said Cheryl Jewels, whose niece, Marine Sergeant Nicole Gee, was killed in Kabul on Aug. 26, 2021.
“You know, he's from New York. We weren't going to negotiate with anyone who was going to hurt our people, or we would make them pay the price. And they knew it. And look at the world today, under this administration. I mean, we'll be lucky if we're not in World War III within the next six months.”
Mark Schmitz, father of Marine Corporal Jared Schmitz, who was killed in the Abbey Gate bombing, said President Trump is “not perfect” but criticised the Biden-Harris administration for failing to fulfill its responsibilities.
“I think this is [Biden] “The administration has made it clear that they are treating withdrawal from Afghanistan like a plague. They have stayed as far away from the subject as possible,” he said.
In contrast to Trump's visit to Arlington, Biden and Harris each issued statements memorializing the 13 soldiers who were killed in action and offering condolences to the 2,461 killed and 20,744 wounded during the two decades of war.
When asked by reporters why neither Harris nor Biden hosted or attended any public events to honor fallen soldiers, the White House said the administration was focusing on behind-the-scenes efforts.
“I think there are many ways that we, the people and our leaders, can mark the third anniversary of Abbeygate,” said White House national security communications adviser John Kirby.He made the remarks during a conference call with reporters on Monday.
“The other way is to continue to work hard every day, without the fanfare, the publicity and the television cameras, to ensure that the families of those killed and injured during our 20-odd years in Afghanistan, not just at Abbey Gate, get the support they need.”
It is not yet clear whether Trump's strategy of portraying himself as a tough leader on the world stage will resonate with undecided voters.
Many of Trump's former aides oppose his reelection, but even his supporters are wary of the pitfalls of his personal flaws: easily manipulated, vulnerable to flattery and infatuated with autocrats.
“He's able to make really smart decisions on foreign policy and national security and disrupt things that need to be disrupted, but he often has a hard time following through on those decisions,” Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster said Sunday on CBS' “Face the Nation” about his book about his time as Trump's national security adviser.
“I've written about it, but he sometimes finds it difficult to follow through on those decisions because he knows how people push his buttons, especially those buttons that relate to maintaining the full support of his political base.”
And Harris is gaining support against Trump in opinion polls.
Foreign policy is an issue that typically takes a back seat to the economy, immigration and reproductive rights as Americans consider how they want the U.S. to present itself in the world.
BetweenChicago Council on Global Affairs PollA majority of Americans want to strengthen or expand U.S. alliances abroad, and a majority believe alliances benefit the United States.
But Trump supporters tend to say the United States should pursue its own national interests, even when its allies strongly oppose it.According to a Pew Research Center poll conducted in April.
Alison Jazlow, an Iraq War veteran and CEO of the nonprofit, nonpartisan Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), downplayed Trump's attacks on Harris over Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal.
“I have to think that this attack is a disservice to a lot of people. I don't think you can shift the blame entirely onto another administration when you yourself are partly responsible for how things were run in Afghanistan,” she said.
“Some people may be excited about this attack, but most people who have been watching what's happened in Afghanistan for a long time know that it's his [Trump’s] There was also a government that oversaw operations there.”
IAVA represents approximately 425,000 members and is an advocacy group for the post-9/11 veteran community. The group issued a statement in support of both Harris and Trump, who chose running mates with military backgrounds: Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is a retired U.S. Army National Guardsman, and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance is a former U.S. Marine who served in Iraq.
But IAVA is watching closely to see what candidates say about future policy, and the group is advocating for the repeal or reform of the 2001 and 2002 Authorizations for the Use of Military Force, which provided congressional authorization for the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and are also used in ongoing counterterrorism operations.
“Administrations of both parties continue to misuse AUMFs to send troops into dangerous areas… and I think it would be a true show of character if the next commander in chief, as he rightly should, supports curbing war powers,” she said.
IAVA also advocates for more efforts to support Afghan allies who are in limbo or stranded in Afghanistan and qualify for special immigrant visas to serve alongside the U.S. throughout the war.
“We still have an obligation to our Afghan allies, our translators and others who have helped us on the ground to help them find safe haven,” she said.
“If we can't keep our promises to our allies in Afghanistan, whose lives are at risk even after we leave, I think it really undermines our ability to wage war effectively in the future. This shouldn't just be seen as a humanitarian issue, it's a national security issue.”
