'Weakness and incompetence': Trump excoriates Biden, Harris over Afghan withdrawal

Former President Donald Trump on Wednesday fumed over the "weakness and incompetence" of the Biden-Harris administration during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, lamenting the loss of American servicemembers and the "humiliating" collapse of the 20-year American effort there.

"Exactly three years ago this month, the weakness and incompetence of Kamala Harris and crooked Joe Biden delivered the most humiliating event in the history of our country, and one of the biggest military disasters in the history of the world," he declared. "As far as I'm concerned, no one will ever forget the horrifying images of their catastrophic retreat from Afghanistan."

Trump made the remarks during an event in Asheboro, N.C., amid the Democratic National Convention.

"Desperate Afghans fell to their deaths from the wheels of U.S. cargo planes that were 3,000 feet up in the air," he continued. "Bloodthirsty terrorists poured out of the prisons after Biden and Harris surrendered Bagram [Air Base], one of the largest air military bases anywhere in the world... You had 13 heroic US service members were tragically and needlessly killed."

He then highlighted the state of Afghanistan, noting that the Taliban had begun to sell American military equipment left behind.

"Did you know that they're selling our equipment at tremendous prices? They're selling our beautiful we had 70,000 armored trucks, many of them armored, armored trucks and vehicles. Think of this. We had 700,000 rifles and guns... brand new, right out of the box," he went on. "Who bought all that stuff in the first place? Who bought it all?"

"How disgusted we're all... when we viewed their parade, our military equipment running down the middle of their main avenue, brand new, beautiful, armor plated trucks, tanks and vehicles running down the middle," Trump added. "And they're all celebrating because we have stupid people running our government."

The Taliban last week held a parade at Bagram Air Base to celebrate the three-year anniversary of the American withdrawal during which they displayed captured American military equipment.

Trump the turned to address what he saw as the administration's critical mistake during the withdrawal, namely the removal of military forces ahead of civilian personnel. 

"I'd take the military out last, but they took it out first and then we left hostages," he said. "We left all of the equipment, we left everything, and we left Bagram, and now China is occupying Bagram. Bagram being one hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons. Wouldn't it be nice to have our big, fat, beautiful base?"

"Under my leadership, we were getting out of Afghanistan, but we were going to get out with dignity, pride and with strike," Trump insisted.

"When I left office, we had not lost a single servicemember in the combat in Afghanistan in more than 18 months, and then we had that horrible day where we lost so many and so many were so badly hurt," he said. "We lost so many great people that day. Nobody talks about the people that were so badly injured, they never mentioned them. I always mention them."

"All over the world, our adversaries knew that America was not to be trifled with when I was your commander-in-chief," he declared.

Trump's event came as part of Republican counterprogramming to the DNC, with Wednesday's theme addressing national security. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., addressed the Afghan withdrawal earlier in the day at a press conference at Trump Tower in Chicago.