Trump Criticizes Afghanistan Withdrawal and Calls for Dismissal of Military Leaders

Person at a rally with Make America Great Again signs.

Trump demands the termination of all military leaders responsible for the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal that left $7 billion in American equipment in Taliban hands.

Key Takeaways

President Trump has called for the firing of all military generals involved in the disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.
Over $7 billion worth of American military equipment was abandoned and subsequently seized by the Taliban, who now proudly parade it in propaganda displays.
The chaotic evacuation resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians in a suicide bombing.
Trump has emphasized the strategic blunder of abandoning Bagram Air Base and is pushing for retrieval of the abandoned equipment.
Top military leaders including Gen. McKenzie have admitted responsibility for the failures, yet most accountability actions are still pending.

Trump Urges Accountability for Military Leadership

In a recent Cabinet meeting, President Donald Trump made his intentions crystal clear regarding military leaders who oversaw the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Speaking directly to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump suggested that generals involved in planning and executing the 2021 withdrawal should face immediate dismissal. The president’s frustration stems from what many Americans view as one of the most humiliating foreign policy failures in recent history, resulting in American deaths, massive equipment losses, and the rapid Taliban takeover of the country.

“They’re going to be largely gone” – Trump

While Trump emphasized his trust in Hegseth, adding “I’m not going to tell this man what to do,” the message was unmistakable. Several high-profile military figures have already been removed, including the Joint Chiefs of Staff chair, the Navy’s top admiral, and the Air Force deputy chief of staff. However, some key officers who were directly involved in the withdrawal remain in active duty positions, including Gen. Christopher Donahue, who led the 82nd Airborne Division during the chaotic final days in Kabul.

Billions in Equipment Left for Taliban Propaganda

Perhaps most infuriating to American taxpayers is the staggering amount of military equipment abandoned during the hasty retreat. An estimated $7 billion worth of vehicles, aircraft, weapons, and other military assets fell into Taliban hands when U.S. forces departed. This equipment, paid for by American taxpayers, is now being flaunted by Taliban forces in propaganda displays that further humiliate the United States and embolden America’s enemies around the world.

“We left billions, tens of billions of dollars worth of equipment behind, brand new trucks. You see them display it every year, or their little roadway, someplace where they have a road and they drive the, you know, waving the flag and talking about America … that’s all the top of the line stuff. I think we should get a lot of that equipment back.” – Donald Trump

President Donald Trump has called for the firing of military generals involved in the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal.

While speaking to reporters at the White House, President Trump criticized the US military’s handling of the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal, calling it a “disaster”… pic.twitter.com/bhMkMWFvZ2

— Real News No Bullshit (@NewsNotBs) February 26, 2025

While Pentagon officials claimed that major equipment was removed or destroyed and that remaining assets would fail without U.S. contractor maintenance, the visual reality of Taliban forces parading in American vehicles tells a different story. The Biden administration has never presented a comprehensive plan to reclaim or neutralize these assets, effectively gifting a terrorist organization with sophisticated military hardware while demanding American citizens pay ever-increasing defense budgets.

Deadly Consequences and Strategic Failures

The hasty withdrawal culminated in tragic loss of American life when a suicide bomber attacked Abbey Gate at Kabul Airport, killing 13 U.S. service members and approximately 170 Afghan civilians. This attack represents the deadliest day for American forces in Afghanistan since 2011 and has become the defining image of the withdrawal’s catastrophic mismanagement. The decision to abandon the strategic Bagram Air Base before evacuating civilians and military personnel further complicated the withdrawal process.

“I was the overall commander, and I and I alone bear full military responsibility for what happened at Abbey Gate.” – Gen. Kenneth McKenzie

Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, who commanded U.S. Central Command during the withdrawal, has since retired after taking responsibility for the loss of American troops. Similarly, retired Army Gen. Mark Milley acknowledged multiple failures in the evacuation process. Both generals had advised keeping some U.S. troops in Afghanistan, recommendations that were ultimately rejected by the Biden administration. Secretary Hegseth has promised “a complete review of every single aspect of what happened with the botched withdrawal” with plans for “full accountability.”

Shifting Responsibility

While the Trump administration initiated negotiations with the Taliban that included plans for a U.S. withdrawal, Trump has been highly critical of how the Biden administration executed that departure. Trump’s team had established conditions-based withdrawal parameters, whereas Biden implemented a calendar-based exit regardless of deteriorating security conditions. This distinction has become a critical point in the ongoing political debate about responsibility for the Afghanistan debacle.

“The outcome in Afghanistan was the result of many decisions from many years of war. Like any complex phenomena, there was no single causal factor that determined the outcome.” – Army Gen. Mark Milley

As Trump pushes for accountability and recovery of abandoned equipment, the White House has remained conspicuously silent on specific plans to address these concerns. For many Americans watching billions in taxpayer-funded equipment paraded by terrorists while facing record inflation at home, the Afghanistan withdrawal continues to represent a perfect storm of government incompetence, wasted resources, and strategic failure that demands accountability.