Former President Launches Series of Attacks on Biden’s Handling of the Exit, But Downplays His Own Peace Deal’s Impact
In a flurry of statements, former President Donald Trump launched 12 attacks in just five days, condemning President Joe Biden’s management of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Trump claimed that under his leadership, the withdrawal would have been far more successful, echoing long-standing criticisms of Biden’s handling of the chaotic exit.
At the same time, Trump and the Republican National Committee have taken steps to distance the former president from the events. The RNC quietly removed a webpage that had previously highlighted Trump’s “historic peace agreement” with the Taliban, an accord that effectively set the timeline for the U.S. withdrawal. This agreement, negotiated in 2020, was pivotal in shaping the eventual American exit, but Trump has minimized its role in the aftermath of the Taliban’s swift victory.
The rhetoric, which started on August 12, underscores a political strategy by Trump to deflect blame for the collapse of the Afghan government while attacking Biden’s leadership. Trump’s attempts to portray the withdrawal as a failure under Biden’s watch have dominated discussions within the Republican Party, despite his own agreement with the Taliban that laid the groundwork for the eventual exit.
