Sunday shows preview: Chaos in Kabul mars US evacuation efforts

The continuing chaos in Kabul following the Taliban’s takeover of the capital city is expected to dominate this weekend’s Sunday talk shows as concerns grow over the Biden administration’s ability to swiftly evacuate Americans and Afghan civilians still in the country. 

Maj. Gen. Hank Taylor of the Joint Staff said Saturday that the U.S. had evacuated roughly 17,000 people in the past week, with a total of 22,000 evacuations since the end of July. 

Of the evacuations in the past few weeks, 2,500 have been Americans, with the Biden administration also working to help out thousands of Afghan allies, including those eligible for Special Immigrant Visas (SIVs) due to their assistance to U.S. and allied forces during their operations in Afghanistan. 

However, instability has continued in Kabul as thousands of people have crowded near Kabul’s international airport in desperation to flee. The U.S. Embassy in Kabul warned Americans in Afghanistan not to travel to the airport until they have received instructions from the embassy to do so, citing “potential security threats.”

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is scheduled to appear on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday, admitted in a Friday call with lawmakers that he was “aware” that Afghans and Americans who were attempting to travel to the Kabul airport “have been harassed or even beaten by the Taliban.”

Austin, as well as other members of President Biden’s security team, have faced growing criticism from both parties over their handling of the security situation in Afghanistan. Some Republicans have called on Biden to fire members of the team, or called on administration officials to resign. 

GOP Sen. Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) on Thursday tweeted that Biden “needs to fire his national security team, starting with Jake Sullivan,” the president’s national security adviser. 

However, White House press secretary Jen Psaki indicated this week that the president has confidence in Sullivan. 

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley (R), who initially supported Biden’s decision to remove all troops from Afghanistan in April, this week called on “Biden’s entire defense and foreign policy team,” to resign. 

Several members of Biden’s security team are scheduled to make a round of appearances on this week’s Sunday talk shows, with Sullivan on the lineup for both NBC’s “Meet the Press” and CNN’s “State of the Union.” 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is also scheduled to appear on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” 

Former President Trump’s secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, who this week slammed Biden’s withdrawal and handling of evacuations from Afghanistan “a debacle of significant proportions,” will be on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” this week.

Here’s the full Sunday show lineup:

ABC’s “This Week” — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin; Surgeon General Vivek Murthy; Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa); retired Adm. Mike Mullen, a former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman.

NBC’s “Meet the Press” — White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan; Education Secretary Miguel Cardona; Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.

CBS’ “Face the Nation” — Secretary of State Antony Blinken; Gov. Larry Hogan (R-Md.); former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker; former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley; Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner.

CNN’s “State of the Union” — Sullivan; Murthy; Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.).

“Fox News Sunday” — Blinken; Murthy; Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.).

Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” — Mike Pompeo, Fox News contributor, former Secretary of State; Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Minority Leader; Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Senate Judiciary Committee; Newt Gingrich, Fox News contributor, former Speaker of the House.