Biden Admin in Denial About Afghanistan Withdrawal, Warns Former Trump National Security Adviser

Former Trump National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster criticizes the Biden administration for its handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, which he says left 13 U.S. service members dead and allowed the Taliban to seize power.

Former Trump National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster has accused the Biden administration of being in "denial" about the disastrous 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal that left 13 U.S. service members dead and eventually allowed the Taliban to seize power.

"We are still dealing with what I would call the stain of August 2021," McMaster said Monday on "America's Newsroom."

Biden Admin in Denial About Afghanistan Withdrawal, Warns Former Trump National Security Adviser

"We're seeing that with a number of consequences as we commemorate the loss of these courageous service men and women, but the consequences are also in the area of a resurgence of jihadist terrorist organizations," McMaster continued. "The [Biden] administration told themselves lies about this bold line between the Taliban and other terrorist organizations."

McMaster, the author of the new book "At War With Ourselves," said at least 65 terror cells are now inside Afghanistan, and that terrorists are in charge of the state. He said the threat of jihadist terrorism has gone "way up," but that's not the only issue related to the botched withdrawal.

Biden Admin in Denial About Afghanistan Withdrawal, Warns Former Trump National Security Adviser

"I think you can draw a direct line between August 2021 and the renewed invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. I think Putin looked at us leaving in such disarray, in such a humiliating fashion, and said, ‘These guys are finished… and I’m going to have my way with Ukraine,’" McMaster said.

McMaster also criticized the Biden administration for its silence on the Taliban's recent ban on women's voices and bare faces in public.

Biden Admin in Denial About Afghanistan Withdrawal, Warns Former Trump National Security Adviser

"Well, they're in denial about it, completely," McMaster said.

"These are people that were extolling, you know, various rights that are associated with their own view of human rights, and then they abandoned the Afghan people. They threw them under the bus," he continued. "I think what's most disconcerting about this period of time, is we negotiated a withdraw… a surrender, essentially, as I would call it. A self-defeat, at least."

The Biden administration has defended its handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, saying that it was the best of a bad situation. However, McMaster and other critics have argued that the withdrawal was poorly planned and executed, and that it has had a number of negative consequences, including the death of 13 U.S. service members and the resurgence of the Taliban.

The anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal comes as the Biden administration is facing increasing criticism for its handling of foreign policy, including its response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Critics have accused the administration of being weak and indecisive, and of failing to stand up to authoritarian regimes.

The Biden administration has defended its foreign policy record, saying that it has taken a principled stand in support of democracy and human rights. However, the anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal is a reminder of the challenges that the administration faces in implementing its foreign policy goals.