In her first appearance on the presidential debate stage, Vice President Kamala Harris referred to the Taliban as a “terrorist organization” and criticized former President Donald Trump for his administration’s negotiations with the group, which she said led to the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners.
“Donald Trump, when he was president, negotiated one of the weakest deals you can imagine,” Harris said during the debate. “He calls himself a dealmaker, but even his own national security advisor called it a terrible deal. Trump bypassed the Afghan government and negotiated directly with the Taliban, a terrorist organization. As part of that deal, 5,000 Taliban terrorists were released.”
Harris also took aim at Trump for hosting Taliban representatives at Camp David, a venue traditionally associated with high-level diplomatic meetings involving U.S. allies.
“Get this,” Harris said. “The president at the time invited the Taliban to Camp David—a place of great significance to Americans, where we honor diplomacy and receive respected world leaders. Trump extended this invitation because he did not understand the responsibility of the President of the United States to act as Commander-in-Chief with respect. This is the same man who has consistently disparaged members of our military, including fallen soldiers, undermining the work we must do to maintain America’s strength and standing in the world.”
Harris’ remarks underscore her ongoing critique of Trump’s foreign policy, particularly his handling of Afghanistan, which she argues weakened U.S. national security.
