Voters blame U.S. leadership for bungled Afghanistan withdrawal and want accountability

A new poll of registered voters shows most blame the bungled U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on failed American leadership and planning and want accountability for the mistakes.

The Napolitan News Service poll of 1,000 registered voters between Aug. 21 and 22 was conducted on the third anniversary of President Joe Biden’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, which resulted in the deaths of 13 Marines and the fall of the country to the Taliban.

It posed 12 questions on the Afghanistan withdrawal. Participants who followed news about Afghanistan "very closely" or "somewhat closely" numbered 43%.

More than half of the participants, 59%, correctly agreed with the statement that "13 American soldiers were killed" during the Afghanistan withdrawal. The remainder either answered incorrectly, 6%, or were "not sure," 35%.

When asked by pollster Scott Rasmussen where the blame for the deaths belonged, 54% said the deaths were "due to the failures of U.S. leadership and planning." The remaining participants saw the deaths as "an unavoidable result of any military withdrawal," 25%, or were "not sure," 21%.

The pollster also asked participants whether "the failure [was] primarily a failure of the nation's political leaders or the nation's military leaders."

"Political leaders" were blamed by 26%, "military leaders" by 5%, and "both equally" by 22%.

The 46% of participants who viewed the deaths as "unavoidable" or were "not sure" were not polled on this question. Excluding these participants and recalculating the percentages, 48% blamed "political leaders," 9% blamed "military leaders," and 42% blamed "both equally."

More than half of the participants, 60%, believed "leaders responsible for the mistakes [should] be held accountable and lose their jobs." The remainder disagreed, 16%, or were "not sure," 24%.

Half of the participants believed no military or political leader had been fired over the withdrawal. Only 14% believed a leader had been fired, with 36% reportedly "not sure."