GOP's Waltz slams Biden, Harris over 'idiotic and asinine' moves during Afghan withdrawal

GOP Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., on Wednesday excoriated the Biden-Harris administration over its "idiotic and asinine decision-making" during the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, lamenting the loss of American servicemembers and chiding the White House for not accepting responsibility.

His remarks came as part of Republican counterprogramming to the Democratic National Convention and amid the anniversary of the tumultuous withdrawal.

"Three years ago this week, that all of that was going on in Afghanistan, that disgrace, that debacle, that stain on our national conscience, and I think, on American history," he said. "It's one thing to lose your men or women in combat. That happens, but to lose it due to incompetence and to literally idiotic and asinine decision making out of that White House is something we... will never forget."

"And she owns it. She owns it," he said of Vice President Kamala Harris. "She was proud of it, she bragged about it, and now to try to pretend didn't happen, to not even acknowledge it so far this week, and we won't hear the term 'Afghan.'"

"You won't hear any ownership of that debacle out of any one of the speakers this week," he went on. "And so what was happening three years ago with Harris standing to Biden's side, he was saying, 'What do you mean? This was outstanding success.'"

He went on to reject that notion and point to the resurgent terrorist activity in Afghanistan as well as the presence of American hostages in the country.

"There are three Americans hostage right now in Afghanistan by the Taliban," he went on. "At the same time, Baden and Harris provide billions of dollars in aid... How do you give an organization [a] billion dollars in aid while they're taking our own citizens hostage?"

"That's fair for the American people to have asked," he insisted. "But the other thing that is happening right now as we speak in Afghanistan is terrorism is making a roaring comeback. Al Qaeda is resurgent. They're developing training camps. ISIS resurgent."

Waltz made the remarks from Trump Tower in Chicago as part of a series of press conferences from Trump allies designed to counter the DNC. Former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, are slated to discuss national security at a separate event later in the day.