Politics

Hawley Tells Gen. Milley, Sec. Austin To ‘Resign’ During Hearing

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Henry Rodgers Chief National Correspondent
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Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley looked at Gen. Mark Milley and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin during Tuesday’s Senate hearing into President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and told them both to “resign”.

At the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Hawley slammed both Milley and Austin for the way they handled the withdrawal in Afghanistan, where 13 U.S. service members were killed in a terror attack at the Kabul airport and Americans were left stranded throughout the country. (RELATED: Josh Hawley Grills Sec. Austin Over Afghanistan Withdrawal: ‘You Left Them Behind. Joe Biden Left Them Behind’)

“I just want to say this: It seems to me that you put a high priority on making sure that you are favorably portrayed by the D.C. press corps. You spend a lot of time doing that. Fair enough if that’s your priority, but at the same time we had a rapidly deteriorating, frankly disastrous, situation in Afghanistan which resulted in 13 soldiers, including one from my home state, hundreds of civilians, hundreds of Americans left behind,” Hawley said to Milley.

“In my view, that mission cannot be called a success in any way, shape, or form, logistical or otherwise. General, I think you should resign. Secretary Austin, I think you should resign. I think this mission was a catastrophe. I think there’s no other way to say it and there has to be accountability. I respectfully submit it should be given to you,” Hawley said while looking at Milley and Austin.

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A group of Senate Republicans sent a letter to Democratic Rhode Island Sen. Jack Reed, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, demanding that he hold hearings on Biden’s withdrawal and asking for sworn testimony from Austin, Milley, Gen. Kenneth McKenzie and Gen. Scott Miller, The Daily Caller first reported. The letter called on Jack Reed to schedule the committee hearings so they could examine Biden and his administration’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan after the 13 U.S. service members were killed. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Senate Republicans Demand Hearings On Afghanistan, Sworn Testimony From Secretary Lloyd Austin, General Mark Milley)

A number of Republicans have called on the resignation of Biden and his senior military officials, including the House Freedom Caucus, Hawley and Republican Tennessee Sen. Marsha Blackburn. Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has called for Biden to be impeached.