House Republicans have intensified their investigation into the Biden administration’s chaotic exit from Afghanistan, a subject that is heating up as the 2024 election draws near.
The expanding inquiry, focused on military and political failures, has become a major point of criticism from Republicans, especially former President Donald Trump, as Vice President Kamala Harris faces scrutiny on the campaign trail, as the Washington Post reports.
Congressional Republicans, led by Rep. Michael McCaul, are seeking testimony from key military figures involved in the August 2021 evacuation from Kabul, which followed the collapse of the Afghan government.
The military officers under the spotlight are Army Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue, Navy Rear Adm. Peter Vasely, and Marine Corps Brig. Gen. Farrell Sullivan. All three played critical roles during the hasty evacuation and have reportedly expressed frustration with how the Biden administration handled the situation.
While the officers have provided testimony in the past, the Republican-led House Foreign Affairs Committee is pushing for more, seeking to uncover deeper insights into the withdrawal process. The chaos surrounding the withdrawal has remained a flashpoint for GOP criticism, particularly focusing on the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in a suicide bombing near Kabul’s airport during the evacuation.
Pentagon spokesman James Adams confirmed that while the officers have previously voiced their views on the situation, no new congressional requests for testimony have been officially submitted. However, the House committee’s actions suggest that a report condemning the Biden administration is likely in the works.
Rep. McCaul and his fellow Republicans are determined to paint the Biden administration's handling of the withdrawal as a failure, hoping to make it a key issue in the upcoming election. “It is up to the American people to determine if they believe these things should disqualify Vice President Harris from continuing the Biden-Harris administration another four years,” McCaul stated.
In response, Democrats argue that the investigation is being used as a political weapon. They emphasize that Trump’s February 2020 deal with the Taliban, which established the framework for the U.S. withdrawal, is often overlooked in the current inquiry. An independent report by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction in 2022 highlighted that Trump’s agreement significantly weakened the Afghan government’s ability to resist the Taliban.
Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat from Colorado, voiced concern that the investigation is ignoring the broader context of the 20-year war, focusing instead on a brief period under the Biden administration. “Ultimately, they decided to take a partisan approach to this, and weaponize the investigation, and make it just about a one-month period of an over-20-year war,” Crow said. White House spokeswoman Sharon Yang echoed these sentiments, criticizing the GOP-led investigation as offering nothing new and merely rehashing old partisan talking points.
As Trump prepares to challenge Harris in the 2024 race, the Afghanistan withdrawal is becoming a central theme in his attacks. Some families of the service members who died in the Kabul bombing have joined Trump in criticizing the Biden administration's role in the evacuation. Jim McCollum, the father of one Marine who died in the bombing, believes the National Security Council bears significant responsibility for the event.
While Republicans build their case against the Biden-Harris administration, some within the committee have expressed concerns over how the investigation is being handled. Conservative journalist Jerry Dunleavy, who worked on the probe, resigned out of frustration, citing mismanagement and accusing the investigation of becoming overly partisan. Even with criticism from within, Republicans are expected to push forward, using the investigation as a tool to sway voters.
As the committee continues its work, the final outcome will likely include two opposing reports. Republicans are expected to release a scathing condemnation of the administration’s handling of the withdrawal, while Democrats will likely counter with a defense of the decision to end the two-decade war in Afghanistan.
For Republicans, the investigation serves not only as a way to scrutinize the Biden-Harris record but as a potent tool in the 2024 campaign. Trump’s focus on the withdrawal, particularly the tragedy of the Kabul bombing, is expected to resonate with a portion of the electorate, especially those who have been critical of how the war ended.
