Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham slammed President Joe Biden in a Tuesday night interview with Fox News, saying he has signed a “death warrant for thousands” stranded in Afghanistan.
Appearing on Sean Hannity, Graham said he does not believe all American citizens will be evacuated out of Afghanistan before Biden’s Aug. 31 deadline, saying Biden’s moves could cause the rise of al-Qaida and ISIS.
“It’s the most dishonorable thing a Commander-in-Chief has done in modern times. What he has said today is that he is going to leave the 31st of August because the Taliban told him he had to get out. There’s no way in hell we get all the American citizens out, we’re going to leave thousands of Afghans who fought along our side behind, and we’re setting the table for the rise of al-Qaida and ISIS to attack us down the road,” Graham said.
“The ISIS fighters have doubled in the last 10 days. The jailbreak led to thousands of ISIS fighters in jail now on the battlefield. So what I’m telling you is it is over. President Biden has signed the death warrant for thousands of Afghans who helped us. He’s washing his hands of Afghanistan at our peril as a nation,” he added.
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The Taliban has continued to say it will not allow the U.S. to extend the Aug. 31 deadline. Meanwhile, House Republicans received a classified briefing Tuesday. After attending the briefing, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said he is “less confident” about the deadline. (RELATED: Biden Reportedly Keeping Aug. 31 Afghanistan Withdrawal Date Despite Worry Surrounding Evacuations)
“It is over. Joe Biden has made up his mind, he’s capitulated to the Taliban…we’ve now left thousands of people behind, and we’re setting the stage for another 9/11. Joe Biden created a perfect storm to abandon those who helped us and create another 9/11 for this country,” Graham said. (RELATED: Lindsey Graham Says Biden Has Gone From ‘Sort Of Incompetent To Literally Dangerous,’ Calls On Him To Get Afghans Out)
“[President Biden] should be impeached. This is dereliction of duty by the Commander-in-Chief. This makes it harder to fight future wars. Who’s going to help us in the future after we abandon our friends in Afghanistan who fought bravely? The likelihood of a 9/11 is through the roof now because al-Qaeda and ISIS are coming after us. If you believe we left Afghanistan and we’ve ended the war between the U.S. and radical Islam, you’re a fool. They’re coming after us, and Joe Biden has left us naked and blind in Afghanistan,” he continued. (RELATED: Marco Rubio: Joe Biden’s Legacy As President Will ‘Forever Be Disgraced’ After Leaving Americans In Afghanistan)
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell criticized Biden’s decision to pull the U.S. military out of Afghanistan in a Tuesday interview with Fox News. He went so far as to call it one of the greatest foreign policy disasters in American history.