Democrats shift blame for Afghanistan withdrawal chaos to Trump

Under pressure over August departure from Kabul, Biden allies in Congress point to Donald Trump’s deal with Taliban.

Washington, DC – As Democratic legislators in the United States scramble to defend the Biden administration against growing criticism for the country’s chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, a new tactic is emerging: highlighting former President Donald Trump’s role. At a congressional hearing on Monday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed that President Joe Biden inherited a Trump agreement with the Taliban that stipulated that all US troops would leave Afghanistan by May of this year. The US withdrawal at the end of August, shortly after the Taliban took control of the country, turned into a crisis for Biden, who faced widespread condemnation from Republicans and media commentators, as well as calls for his resignation.