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ELIZABETH: JOINING US NOW,
CONGRESSMAN ROB WHITMAN FROM
HOUSE ARMED SERVICES.
CONGRESSMAN, LET’S TALK ABOUT
THIS PHONE CALL THAT REUTERS IS
REPORTING ABOUT AND CONGRESS,
LOOKS LIKE IT’S GOING TO
INVESTIGATE.
THE PRESIDENT’S PHONE CALL IN
JULY WITH THE FORMER AFGHANISTAN
PRESIDENT.
REUTERS SAID THAT HE PRESSURED
THE AFGHAN LEADER TO PAINT A
FALSE PICTURE, YOU KNOW, TELL
THE MEDIA AROUND THE WORLD THAT
THE TALIBAN WAS WEAKER -- THAT
THE TALIBAN WAS LOSING VERSUS IS
WHAT THE REALITY WAS, AND THAT
WAS THE LEADER OF AFGHANISTAN IS
SAYING, NO, THE TALIBAN IS
BRINGING IN 15,000 TERRORISTS,
IT’S GOT PAKISTAN, THE WIND
BEHIND ITS SAILS.
SO TALK ABOUT THE TIMING OF
THIS.
THAT’S WHAT THE MEDIA IS MISSING
ABOUT THIS IS THE TIMING OF
THIS.
WHY WAS BIDEN DOING THAT PHONE
CALL IN JULY?
WHY WAS HE TALKING ABOUT THAT AT
THAT POINT?
>> THAT’S A GREAT QUESTION, LIZ.
THAT’S A QUESTION THAT THIS
ADMINISTRATION NEEDS TO ANSWER.
IT’S A QUESTION THAT THE
CONGRESS NEEDS TO ASK.
WE NEED TO SEE ALL OF THE
CONVERSATIONS THAT PRESIDENT
BIDEN HAD WITH PRESIDENT GHAANI,
ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT THE
PRESIDENT SAID IS, AND THAT IS
THAT THIS OVERTAKING OF
AFGHANISTAN BY THE TALIBAN WAS
COMPLETELY UNEXPECTED.
THAT COMPLETELY CONTRADICTS THIS
CONVERSATION THAT HE HAD WITH
PRESIDENT GHAANI.
I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT, LISTEN, THERE’S SO MUCH
MORE.
IT’S NOT JUST THAT CONVERSATION,
BUT I WANT TO UNDERSTAND OTHER
CONVERSATIONS.
I WANT TO UNDERSTAND WHY DID WE
HAVE NO PLAN TO GET U.S.
CITIZENS OUT OR AFGHANS WHO
HELPED US OUT?
WHY DID WE LEAVE BEHIND $83
BILLION WORTH OF EQUIPMENT?
I WANT TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY THE
TYPE OF EQUIPMENT THAT’S THERE.
MUCH OF THAT EQUIPMENT, I
BELIEVE, IS ADVANCED EQUIPMENT,
EQUIPMENT THAT WILL FALL INTO
THE HANDS OF NOT ONLY THE
TALIBAN, BUT OTHERS.
IT WILL BE USED AGAINST THE
UNITED STATES.
THERE’S A WHOLE LITANY OF
QUESTIONS THAT NEED TO BE
ANSWERED --
ELIZABETH: YEAH, RIGHT.
>> ESPECIALLY --
ELIZABETH: BUT THIS PHONE CALL
JUST FEELS LIKE A MANIPULATIVE
BREACH OF TRUST.
WE KNOW HE’S RISK-AVERSE.
WE KNOW HE TOLD OBAMA DON’T --
HOLD OFF GOING AFTER OSAMA A
bin LADEN.
WE KNOW THAT HE WAS TALKING
ABOUT SEPTEMBER 11 ARETH TO MAKE
LIKE IT WAS A VICTORY THAT WE’RE
PULLING OUT OF AFGHANISTAN ON
SEPTEMBER 11TH.
THEN THAT CA DATE GOT MOVED.
SO HE DIDN’T -- LISTEN, HE
INHERITED A PRETTY SOLID DEAL
FROM TRUMP WHERE IT WAS
CONDITIONS-BASED, BUT THEN HE
JUST THREW IT ALL OUT.
AND AT THAT POINT IN JULY, HE
WAS TALKING ABOUT OPTICS INSTEAD
OF GOING IN AND SAYING, YOU
KNOW, LET’S STOP THIS DOWN.
WE’RE GOING TO RESCUE AMERICANS
RIGHT NOW.
THE TIMETABLE WILL BE DRIVEN BY
RESCUING AMERICANS.
INSTEAD, HE’S TALKING ABOUT
MEDIA PERCEPTION ISES.
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN?
IT’S OPTICS, WHICH IS SO WEIRD.
>> LIZ, IT IS.
I BELIEVE THAT THIS DECISION WAS
100 PERCENT POLITICAL.
IT’S OBVIOUS HE DIDN’T LISTEN TO
MILITARY LEADERS.
IF HE DID, HELD HAVE BEEN DONE
MUCH DIFFERENTLY.
THINK ABOUT THIS, IT SHOULD BE
THE MILITARY LAST TO LEAVE.
INSTEAD, THE MILITARY WAS OUT,
AGAIN FOR OPTICS REASONS, AND
THEN YOU WITH HAD TO SEND IS
THEM BACK IN TO BE ABLE TO
EVACUATE AMERICANS.
THAT JUST DOESN’T MAKE SENSE.
AT EVERY TURN IF YOU UNDERSTAND
THESE DECISIONS, IT LEADS YOU TO
BELIEVE THEY’RE ALL POLITICAL
DECISIONS.
THAT’S WHY IT’S SO INCREDIBLY
IMPORTANT WE GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF THIS.
ELIZABETH YEAH.
RIGHT, CONGRESSMAN?
HE’S BEEN AROUND SINCE THE NIXON
ADMINISTRATION.
HE WAS THERE DURING THE VIETNAM
DRAWDOWN IN SIGH BEGAN.
HOW COULD YOU GET IT SO WRONG,
AND NOW YOU’VE GOT 13 TROOPS
DEAD AND OUR AMERICANS ABANDONED
BEHIND TERROR LINES?
THE MEDIA IS NOW CRITICIZING
PRESS SECRETARY JEN PSAKI FOR
GIVING COVER TO THE PRESIDENT.
SHE’S SAYING I’M NOT GOING TO
ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS, BUT
NOW SHE’S TOPSPINNING SAYING
NOBODY KNEW THE TALIBAN WOULD SO
RAPIDLY TAKE OVER THE COUNTRY
WHEN THE CIA AND INTELLIGENCE
WAS SAYING IT WOULD.
WHEN THE UNITED NATIONS WAS
WARNING THE IT WOULD, WHEN NATO
WAS WARNING IT WOULD, WHEN U.K.
SAID, YEAH, IT’S GOING TO
COLLAPSE RAPIDLY.
NOBODY BELIEVES THIS WHITE HOUSE
ANYMORE.
WE HAVE A WHITE HOUSE THAT HAS A
SEVERE CREDIBILITY CRISIS,
CONGRESSMAN, AND THAT IS SO BAD
REPUTATIONAL WISE FOR HOW WE
STAND IN THE STATUS WE ARE IN
AROUND THE WORLD.
>> IT IS, LIZ.
WE ARE IN A TERRIBLE POSITION
WITH OUR ALLIES.
I HAVE HEARD FROM A NUMBER OF
AMBASSADORS FROM AROUND THE
WORLD THAT ARE ASKING THE
QUESTION WHAT IN THE WORLD IS
GOING ON.
THIS ADMINISTRATION DOES NOT
WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT.
THEY DO NOT WANT TO ANSWER
QUESTIONS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE
ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION WILL NOT
REFLECT WELL UPON THEM.
AGAIN, THIS IS ALL ABOUT OPTICS,
IT’S ALL ABOUT POLITICS.
THIS SHOULD BE ABOUT WHAT’S BEST
FOR THE NATION, ABOUT A WHAT’S
DOING RIGHT FOR THE NATION, AND
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT’S NOT JOB
ONE FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION.
THIS ADMINISTRATION IS NOW ABOUT
TRYING TO PUT A LID ON ANY
INFORMATION COMING OUT ABOUT
WHAT HAPPENED IN AFGHANISTAN
BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE --
ELIZABETH: AND IT’S ABOUT
STUBBORN VANITY.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
IT IS ABOUT STUBBORNNESS.
IT’S ABOUT VANITY.
IT’S ABOUT THESE GUYS THINKING
THEY’RE ALWAYS THE SMARTEST GUYS
IN THE ROOM WHEN THEY’RE NOT.
YOU KNOW, LET’S LISTEN TO WHAT
LEVERAGE WE HAVE -- WHICH WE
DON’T -- WITH THE TALIBAN.
FORGIVE ME, LET’S LISTEN TO
FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE -- I
JUST CAN’T BELIEVE 13 TROOPS ARE
DEAD AND AMERICANS ARE STRANDED
BEHIND TALIBAN LINES.
LET’S LISTEN TO MIKE POMPEO AND
KASH PATEL.
WATCH.
>> I’M VERY CONCERNED.
I DON’T SEE THAT WE HAVE ANY
LEVERAGE.
I THINK THAT’S ACTUALLY, WHEN
YOU HEAR A SPOKESPERSON OR THE
PRESIDENT TALK ABOUT LEVERAGE, I
THINK THAT’S CODE WORDS FOR
MONEY, AMERICAN MONEY GOING TO
THESE BUTCHERS, THESE MEN WHO
ARE DOING THESE HORRIFIC THINGS
TODAY IN AFGHANISTAN.
IF I THINK THE PRESIDENT IS
SIGNALING TO THE WORLD HE’S
WILLING TO BUY THESE AMERICANS
BACK WHEN IT DIDN’T HAVE TO BE
THE CASE.
>> UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP THAT
WAS PART OF OUR CONDITIONS-BASED
WITHDRAWAL.
ANYTHING WE COULDN’T CAN REMOVE,
WE WERE GOING TO BLOW UP IN
COUNTRY.
PRESIDENT BIDEN HAD NO PLAN, HE
HAD A REACTIONARY EVACUATION
THAT’S FAILED THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND IS HAS LEFT A
DISASTROUS AMOUNT OF EQUIPMENT
IN THE HANDS OF OUR ENEMIES
THAT’S GOING TO HURT US FOR
YEARS TO COME.
ELIZABETH: SIR, WE’RE IN THE
MIDDLE OF HISTORY.
WE’VE NEVER BEEN IN A
GEOPOLITICAL CRISIS LIKE THIS
BEFORE.
THIS IS WORSE THAN THE FALL OF
SAIGON.
MILITARY EXPERTS KEEP TELLING US
THAT.
CONGRESSMAN, YOUR FINAL WORLD.
>> YES.
I THINK SECRETARY POMPEO IS
EXACTLY RIGHT.
WE ARE MANY A TERRIBLE POSITION
WITH THE TALIBAN ESPECIALLY
TRYING TO GET THE REMAINING
AMERICANS AND AFGHANS THAT HAVE
HELPED US.
AND THE POINT ABOUT MILITARY
EQUIPMENT THERE, THAT MILITARY
EQUIPMENT, I BELIEVE, IS GOING
TO FALL INTO THE HANDS OF THE
WRONG PEOPLE.
IT WILL BE USED AGAINST THE
UNITED STATES9 AND OUR
INTERESTS.
WE WILL REGRET THE DAY THAT WE
LEFT BEHIND THAT EQUIPMENT FOR
OTHERS TO USE.
ELIZABETH: WELL, IT’S BASICALLY
FUNDING A TERROR STATE, AND I