Top Republicans have criticized Vice President Kamala Harris for admitting she was “the last person in the room” when President Biden made the decision to abruptly evacuate all U.S. troops from Afghanistan.
The criticism comes on the anniversary of the deadly suicide bombing at Abbey Gate, outside Kabul’s Hamid Karazai International Airport, which ultimately killed 13 U.S. service members and wounded others.
Harris’ comments about her involvement in the decision to evacuate the war-torn region came before the tragic attack, during an April 2021 interview with CNN’s Dana Bash. “You just made a very important decision: Afghanistan. Were you the last person in the room?” Bash asked Harris. “Yes,” she replied, adding that she felt “comfortable” with the president’s decision and admired his courage in making the decision.
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This year marks the third anniversary of the tragic event, and some Republicans were quick to criticize the now Democratic presidential nominee’s comments, some arguing that they demonstrate Harris’s involvement in the disastrous decision.
“It is morally abhorrent for Vice President Harris to boast about being the ‘last person in the room’ for Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal. The American people deserve a full answer about her role in this disaster,” said former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. wrote in X Monday.
Pompeo included a video of the interview in his post, as did House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., in his. Third anniversary commemorative publication. In the video, Johnson called the withdrawal from Afghanistan “disastrous” and honored, by name, all the soldiers lost.
House Speaker Mike Johnson and Vice President Kamala Harris
But North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who is also running for president, was more direct in his criticism of Harris. On Fox News Monday morning, he said the Afghanistan withdrawal should be blamed not only on Biden, but also on Harris.
“We have to give the rose not only to Biden, but also to Harris,” Burgum told Fox News. “She brags that she was the last person in the room with Biden when they made this decision… they made it for a certain date and that certain date was chosen for political reasons.”
“This is why we need President Trump back as our commander in chief: someone who understands how the world works and understands what we need to do to keep… the world safe.”
North Dakota Republican Gov. Doug Burgum during the second Republican Party debate earlier this year. (Robyn Beck/Getty Images)
Kelly Loeffler, Harris, a former senator from Georgia, argued Monday that while “Harris has overseen many failures,” his worst and “most tragic” was “being ‘the last person in the room’ to authorize the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.” Dave McCormick, The Republican Senate candidate from Pennsylvania criticized Harris for being “proud to be the last person in the room” amid a decision that resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members.
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In addition to Harris’ comments about “being the last person in the room,” some Republicans on Monday also questioned her failure to mention the names of the 13 U.S. service members killed in the suicide bombing at Kabul airport three years ago.
“It was the deadliest day for Americans in Afghanistan in more than a decade, and to this day, neither Biden nor Harris have spoken the names of our fallen soldiers,” said Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y. wrote in X Monday morning.
Pallbearers carry one of the 13 soldiers killed in the Abbey Gate attack at Kabul airport in August 2021. (Stephen Lam/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
Meanwhile, the Trump campaign released a video on Monday on the anniversary Highlighting all the Gold Star families who lost their loved ones in the Kabul airport bombing, the video reads: “To this day, Kamala Harris has never mentioned the names of these fallen soldiers.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to the Harris campaign for comment but did not receive a response.
