Former US President Donald J. Trump asserted that Afghanistan, now under Taliban control, has become one of the largest sellers of U.S. weapons left behind by American troops.
Speaking at the Republican National Convention, Trump criticized President Joe Biden’s withdrawal strategy and recounted a stern warning he gave to Taliban negotiators.
“I told the Taliban negotiator that if they attacked U.S. soldiers, they would be hit harder than any country has ever been hit before,” Trump said. “He called me ‘Your Excellency.’ I wonder if he calls the other guy [Biden] ‘Your Excellency.'”
Trump questioned the effectiveness of the withdrawal agreement, suggesting that it left behind valuable military equipment. “What kind of deal was that? He [Biden] walked out and gave them everything. Right now, Afghanistan is one of the largest sellers of weapons in the world, selling brand new, beautiful weapons.”
He emphasized that during his tenure, there were no attacks on U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan for 18 months following his warning to the Taliban. “Then we had that horrible day when soldiers were killed. I wasn’t there because of a ridiculous election, but we had that horrible attack.”
Trump also criticized the abandonment of Bagram Air Base, describing it as one of the largest and most strategically significant bases in the world. “The longest runways, the most powerful, hardened, thickened runways—we gave it up. I liked it not just because of Afghanistan, but because of China. It’s one hour away from where China makes their nuclear weapons, and now China has it.”
The U.S. military exited Afghanistan in August 2021 after 20 years of presence, a withdrawal that precipitated the collapse of the Afghan government and the Taliban’s return to power.
