Former President Donald Trump is lashing out at President Joe Biden for 'surrendering to terrorists' after Biden made the decision to hold firm on an August 31 deadline for a full US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
'Biden surrendered Afghanistan to terrorists and left thousands of Americans for dead by pulling out the Military before our citizens,' Trump wrote in a statement shortly after noon on Tuesday.
'Now we are learning that out of the 26,000 people who have been evacuated, only 4,000 are Americans. You can be sure the Taliban, who are now in complete control, didn’t allow the best and brightest to board these evacuation flights.
'Instead, we can only imagine how many thousands of terrorists have been airlifted out of Afghanistan and into neighborhoods around the world. What a terrible failure. NO VETTING. How many terrorists will Joe Biden bring to America? We don’t know!'
The 4,000 figure references reporting from Politico journalist Alex Ward.
Ward wrote on Twitter that a total of 4,407 Americans have been evacuated from Kabul since the operation began.
Former President Trump joined in on the criticism of Biden's Afghanistan crisis (pictured in New York on August 22)
'Total = 6,916 Total manifested since op began: 4,407 AMCITS, 21,533 Afghans, 642 TCNs. Total = 26,582,' Ward reported.
He added that 128 evacuation flights were planned for the next 48 hours and that around 13,000 people are currently at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
The Taliban announced they are blocking Afghan citizens from accessing the Kabul after allowing evacuations for little more than a week, likely complicating efforts to rescue Afghans who worked with the US military.
Trump referenced reporting from a Politico journalist, who said roughly 4,400 Americans have been evacuated since the operation began
A group of Republican lawmakers including military veterans also tore into President Joe Biden over his handling of the Afghanistan crisis and demanded he extend the evacuation deadline past August 31 during a press briefing outside the Capitol on Tuesday.
'We're going to leave Americans behind 11 days before the 20th anniversary of September 11? Are you kidding me?' Rep. Mike Waltz said. 'The Taliban taking over means Al Qaeda 3.0 comes roaring back, except we're in a worse position than before.'
'Are we going to have another pulse night club? Are we going to have another San Bernardino? Are we going to have another 9/11 because of that incompetence?'
'That blood is and will be on Joe Biden's hands.'
Biden initially seemed open to extending the deadline if necessary. As of Tuesday morning he is standing firm on the August 31 date, Reuters reports after the president's emergency meeting with other G7 leaders.
The GOP lawmakers said blood would be on Biden's hands if he doesn't extend the August 31 deadline to get all Americans and Afghan allies out of Afghanistan
Waltz, the first Green Beret special forces veteran to serve in Congress, served multiple tours in Afghanistan.
He said not extending the deadline means leaving Americans and allies 'stranded' - seemingly taking a shot at White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
Psaki on Monday called out a reporter who asked about Americans 'stranded' in Kabul - telling him using the term was 'irresponsible.'
At one point Waltz displayed a framed letter he said hangs on his office wall, claiming it was sent by the Taliban to a school principal.
The Taliban allegedly threatened 'if he didn't get out of town he would be beheaded within 24 hours' for running a school for girls.
At one point Rep. Waltz, a Green Beret, held up a letter from the Taliban to an Afghan school principal, warning
