Rep. Liz Cheney was met with a swift backlash after she blamed the “calamity” unfolding in Afghanistan on President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump.
“The Trump/Biden calamity unfolding in Afghanistan began with the Trump administration negotiating with terrorists and pretending they were partners for peace, and is ending with American surrender as Biden abandons the country to our terrorist enemies,” the Republican lawmaker wrote in a tweet on Saturday.
The Trump/Biden calamity unfolding in Afghanistan began with the Trump administration negotiating with terrorists and pretending they were partners for peace, and is ending with American surrender as Biden abandons the country to our terrorist enemies. https://t.co/PQ1i5W6zZt
— Liz Cheney (@Liz_Cheney) August 14, 2021
But Twitter users promptly criticized Cheney for failing to acknowledge her father Dick Cheney’s role in starting the war in Afghanistan. Dick Cheney was vice president to George W. Bush, whose administration initiated the invasion of Afghanistan following the September 11 attacks in 2001.
“Have you not met George W. Bush or Dick Cheney?” Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie replied to her tweet.
Journalist Michael Tracey noted: “It would never occur to Liz Cheney that if making any attempt to extract the US from a 20-year-long conflict is necessarily ‘calamitous,’ then maybe the true ‘calamity’ was the mission itself.”
“The Cheney Calamity,” actor Paul Telfer responded to the tweet. “Hell of a family biz, liz.”
Have you not met George W. Bush or Dick Cheney?
— Rev. Dr. Chuck Currie (@RevChuckCurrie) August 15, 2021
The Cheney Calamity
Hell of a family biz, liz
— Paul Telfer (@PaulTelfer) August 14, 2021
It would never occur to Liz Cheney that if making any attempt to extract the US from a 20-year-long conflict is necessarily “calamitous,” then maybe the true “calamity” was the mission itself https://t.co/xY9pzMDtEg
— Michael Tracey (@mtracey) August 15, 2021
And Bob Clendenin simply replied: “With all due respect, you’ve got a lot of f**king nerve.”
Will Bunch, an opinion columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer, joked: “When you’re not yet aware that Darth Vader is your father.”
However, some defended Liz Cheney’s take.
“There is plenty of blame to go around,” tweeted former Vermont governor Howard Dean. “I would argue that the initial invasion was necessary and justified to protect US security. Then Four consecutive administrations did what we always do. Make deals with corrupt Afghan politicians who we thought would serve us and the Afghan people.”
There is plenty of blame to go around. I would argue that the initial invasion was necessary and justified to protect US security. Then Four consecutive administrations did what we always do. Make deals with corrupt Afghan politicians who we thought would serve us https://t.co/Qre5gzVHxo
— Howard Dean (@GovHowardDean) August 14, 2021
Biden had set an August 31 deadline to fully withdraw combat forces from Afghanistan ahead of the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
But on Saturday, the president said he had authorized an additional 1,000 U.S. troops for deployment to Afghanistan, bringing the total number to 5,000, to ensure what he called “an orderly and safe drawdown” of American and allied personnel.
The decision came as the Taliban seized control of several Afghan cities in a few days.
In a statement on Saturday, Biden attributed much of the unfolding chaos in Afghanistan to Trump for signing a deal with the Taliban that left them “in the strongest position militarily since 2001.”
“I was the fourth president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan—two Republicans, two Democrats. I would not, and will not, pass this war onto a fifth,” Biden added.
Trump responded hours later, claiming Biden “ran out of Afghanistan instead of following the plan our Administration left for him.” He didn’t elaborate on details about the plan.
Liz Cheney’s office has been contacted for comment.
Jim Bourg/Pool/Getty Images
