Trump says Taliban feared him; blasts Biden's 'tremendous disrespect' for troops
The former president said the Taliban took advantage of Biden being in the White House
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Former President Trump lambasted President Biden over his chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying the Taliban's stark change in behavior with the change in administrations proves the issue was with the person not the plan.
"It would've been the exact opposite," Trump told Premiere Networks hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton earlier this week.
"We were in perfect shape. Abdul – he's now the head guy – he was the one I was dealing with [when] I said there would be hell to pay if you touch any American soldiers or Americans," Trump said, referring to Taliban leader and now de facto Afghan leader Abdul Ghani-Baradar.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump said Biden incidentally let that idea slip from his tongue when he noted during public remarks that there hadn't been any U.S. service members killed in 18 months because of the deal struck between the two sides.
"They didn't meet some of them (conditions) so we bombed the hell out of them," Trump said about the Taliban reportedly violating parts of the deal.
When it came to the withdrawal, which left 13 U.S. service members and dozens of Afghan civilians dead from a bomb blast, as well as untold numbers of stranded U.S. citizens, Trump told the radio hosts that the U.S. would've been out in an orderly manner and – unlike the current president – either destroyed or took with them the billions of taxpayer-funded armaments that are now in the hands of the Taliban.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I said I want every nail, every screw, every tank, every plane – those planes are in very good working order – you look at Apaches they coast a fortune – tens of millions," Trump said, adding that he was embarrassed to see Taliban militants riding in American military vehicles and aircraft.
"It's just disgraceful – I think its the greatest embarrassment in the history of our country," Trump said.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Later in the interview, Trump ripped Biden for showing disrespect to families of the 13 fallen service members.
"Tremendous disrespect was paid by Biden when he kept looking at his watch over and over again--- every time a coffin came off the plane, he was looking at his watch," Trump said, echoing the sentiments of several Gold Star parents, including two who offered similar remarks to Fox News' Sean Hannity on Monday.
"The parents are angry, as they should be," he said. "Nobody should've been killed [but] after I got out, Abdul and his group went wild."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Trump castigated stateside military brass he referred to as "television generals", telling the hosts the generals on the ground are valiant but those back home are "terrible."