Senator J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate in the 2024 presidential election, sharply criticized the continued U.S. funding to Afghanistan under Taliban control, calling it “insane” during an interview with Shawn Ryan.
He said the Taliban are “actively training terrorists right now”.
Vance, who has represented Ohio in the Senate since 2021, expressed his disbelief that the U.S. is still sending hundreds of millions of dollars to the Taliban that regained control of Afghanistan following the U.S. military withdrawal in 2021.
“It’s kind of crazy if you think about it,” Vance said. “The Taliban gave explicit support to Al-Qaeda, which planned 9/11. And now we’re sending hundreds of millions of dollars to the Taliban after they’ve taken control of the country, not to mention the fact that they have a lot of our military equipment.”
Vance linked the current funding to the broader dysfunction in Washington’s budget process, particularly criticizing the use of continuing resolutions, a legislative tool that extends previous budget levels temporarily without significant review.
“I’ve never voted for a continuing resolution, in part because of this very issue,” Vance said. “A continuing resolution is basically rubber-stamping what we’ve done before, without asking if it still makes sense. And the idea that we’re still funding the Taliban through this process is outrageous.”
The senator was particularly incensed that the U.S. is sending money to the Taliban just three years after a suicide bombing at Kabul airport, which killed 13 U.S. service members, including 11 Marines, during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
“If that can’t motivate our leadership to stop funding the Taliban, what would?” Vance said, referencing the attack. “We’re funding the same people who killed our Marines and are actively training terrorists right now.”
Vance stressed that while U.S. financial support for Afghanistan might have made sense two decades ago during efforts to build Afghan self-sufficiency and resist Taliban control, the situation has drastically changed.
“Maybe it made sense when we were trying to convince the Afghans to build their own military and resist the Taliban. But it sure as hell doesn’t make sense today when the Taliban are in control,” he said. “This is what happens when we rubber-stamp everything from the past instead of running a functional government.”
Vance’s remarks come amid broader debates in Congress over government spending and shutdowns. He has consistently advocated for more thorough budget scrutiny, opposing the practice of maintaining funding levels without evaluating whether they still align with current U.S. interests.
The U.S. has faced criticism for its handling of the Afghan withdrawal, including the continued flow of financial aid to the country, despite the Taliban’s return to power. The Biden administration has argued that the aid is primarily directed toward humanitarian needs, but critics like Vance contend that any funds reaching the Taliban regime undermine American security interests.
