Trump slams ‘incompetence’ of Afghan withdrawal on 9/11 anniversary

Former President Trump used his address marking the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to lambast President Biden’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan following the chaotic U.S. exit after two decades of conflict in the country.

“The leader of our country was made to look like a fool, and that can never be allowed to happen. It was caused by bad planning, incredible weakness and leaders who truly didn’t understand what was happening,” Trump argued in a video shared by his Save America PAC.

“This is the 20th year of this war and should have been a year of victory and honor and strength. Instead, Joe Biden and his inept administration surrendered in defeat,” Trump said.

20th Anniversary of September 11th Address from President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/u9IVTMTI5b

— Taylor Budowich (@TayFromCA) September 11, 2021

Trump, who long advocated for the U.S. to withdraw from Afghanistan, has vocally criticized his successor’s handling of the exit as the men battle over who is to blame. Biden has argued that his hands were tied by the Trump administration and that the Afghan government fell to the Taliban much more quickly than many anticipated, while Trump has gone as far as to call on Biden to resign.

While Trump addressed 9/11 and those who died in his video on Saturday, he spent the majority of the recording railing against the Afghan withdrawal, arguing that the U.S. “will struggle to recover from the embarrassment this incompetence has caused.”

“Do not fear, however. America will be made great again,” Trump concluded in the video.

Biden and former Presidents Obama, Clinton and George W. Bush visited memorial sites for the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on Saturday. Bush, who was president when the attacks happened, delivered remarks at the United 93 Memorial in Shanksville, Pa., where he commemorated those who died in the plane crash while overpowering terrorists who attempted to hijack the plane.

Trump is not expected to be at any of the memorial sites on Saturday and is set to offer commentary at a boxing match on Saturday evening.