'Left dignity behind': Trump labels Afghan exit 'most embarrassing'; calls Milley 'idiot'

Time of India

2 days ago

US President Donald Trump (AP photo)
United States president Donald Trump called the hasty withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan, ordered under the Biden administration, a "most embarrassing moment" in US history, and then-US military chief Mark Milley an "idiot".
Speaking during a Cabinet meeting, Trump questioned the actions of US military commanders, particularly Milley, who served as the former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
He pointed to the abandonment of military equipment and the loss of Bagram Airbase, which he said had strategic significance. Trump was especially scathing in his remarks about Milley's decisions, reported news agency ANI, citing TOLO news.
'They left all that equipment behind and every year they have a parade down from street with the equipment. With all that equipment that they left, they should have taken every ounce of it. Every screw, every bolt, every nail you take out of there,' Trump said.
'And Milley said, I remember one time, so we're better off leaving the equipment. Why? It's cheaper to leave $150 million airplane rather than flying it into Pakistan or India or some place.
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Yes, sir. That's when I knew he was not an idiot. Didn't take long to figure that one out. They left their dignity behind. It was the most embarrassing moment in my opinion in the history of my country.'
According to Afghanistan's TOLO News, Trump also stressed the strategic significance of Bagram Airbase, alleging that it is now under Chinese control, an assertion previously denied by Afghanistan's caretaker government.
'We had Afghanistan, which I think was the most embarrassing moment in the history of our country, and we would have gotten out. I was the one that got him down. I would have kept Bagram, the big air base, which right now is controlled by China. Among the most powerful runways in the world. Thick, thick with concrete and seal. Anything could land. And right now they were one hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons,' Trump said.
Bagram Airbase, once the largest US military installation in Afghanistan, has long been viewed as a strategically vital location in the region due to its proximity to both China and Iran.
Meanwhile, TOLO News reported that Afghan security experts have pushed back against any potential return of US troops to the region.
'Although the US is a superpower and influences some Islamic countries, especially Arab ones, it is mistaken in this matter.
Afghans will never tolerate foreign military presence on their soil. They must reconsider this,' military analyst Yousuf Amin Zazai told TOLO News.
More than seven months into his second term, President Trump has yet to unveil a formal Afghanistan policy. However, his recent remarks, sharp and highly critical, come amid continued uncertainty over Washington's future approach to the region.
What happened in 2021?
The United States officially withdrew its troops from Afghanistan on August 30, 2021, marking the end of a nearly 20-year-long military presence -- America's longest war.
The withdrawal followed a deal signed between the US and the Taliban in February 2020 under the Trump administration, which set the stage for a phased US exit in exchange for Taliban commitments on counterterrorism.
The Biden administration carried out the final stages of the withdrawal, which culminated in a chaotic and deadly evacuation from Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport, especially after the Taliban swiftly regained control of the country in August 2021.
The withdrawal drew global attention and sharp criticism due to the abrupt collapse of the Afghan government and the dramatic scenes at Kabul airport, where thousands of desperate Afghans tried to flee.
The US military left behind billions of dollars' worth of equipment, and the sudden power vacuum allowed the Taliban to reestablish full control over Afghanistan. The operation raised serious questions about US intelligence assessments, planning, and the long-term legacy of the war in the region.