President Donald Trump criticized the decision to leave U.S. military equipment in Afghanistan, calling it a “stupid” move that weakened American military strength.
Speaking at a press conference alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Trump argued that there was no justification for abandoning the equipment.
“I rebuilt our military during my first term—did a great job,” Trump said. “We left some of it behind in Afghanistan stupidly. There was no reason for that. As much as it was—billions and billions of dollars—but it was a strong part of making sure we had the strongest military by far.”
His remarks come as the Taliban asserts control over the U.S. weaponry left behind. Last week, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid warned that no one could take the arms from them.
“We use these weapons to defend the country’s freedom, independence, and Islamic system,” Mujahid said. “No one can take them from us, nor can they remove them. If anyone wants to take them, we will negotiate with them using the same weapons.”
Meanwhile, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaled a tougher approach to reviewing America’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, telling Pentagon employees that accountability was necessary.
“We are going to look back at what happened in Afghanistan and hold people accountable—not to be retrospective, not for retribution, but to understand what went wrong and why there was no accountability for it,” Hegseth said Friday.
Hegseth, like Trump, has argued that the chaotic U.S. withdrawal created a perception of American weakness that must be corrected.
According to a CBS report, more than 300,000 American weapons, 40,000 military vehicles, and 78 military aircraft were left behind and fell into Taliban hands following the U.S. withdrawal.
The stockpile has raised concerns among Afghanistan’s neighbors. Last week, Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs warned that terrorist groups were using leftover U.S. weapons in Afghanistan to carry out attacks against Pakistan.
