Congressman and veteran Adam Kinzinger blames Afghanistan’s collapse on Biden and Trump

Brian Niemietz

As one of only two Republicans on the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan. 6 uprising at the U.S. Capitol, Illinois representative Adam Kinzinger has proven his bipartisan bona fides. The congressman and Afghanistan war veteran said Monday that the 45th and 46th presidents are both to blame for the United States’ shambolic withdrawal from the nation where he participated in aerial missions after joining the service in 2003.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger
Rep. Adam Kinzinger


Rep. Adam Kinzinger (JIM BOURG/)

“I blame both Trump for this moment coming, and Biden for this botched ending,” he tweeted Monday. “I’m not picking sides, because both sides have failed you. It’s the truth about Afghanistan.”

The Lieutenant colonel also did interviews with CNN and the Associated Press Monday where he shared those sentiments. Kinzinger continues to serve in the Air National Guard.

He revealed in February that several family members wrote him a letter complaining that he had disappointed them as well as numerous Fox News hosts and God for his condemnation of former President Donald Trump’s actions leading up to the violent attack on the U.S. Capital earlier this year. They accused him of joining “The Devil’s Army.”

Kinzinger, along with Liz Cheney, are the only GOP members on the House Select Committee to investigate that uprising.

GOP representative Dan Crenshaw of Texas lost an eye fighting in Afghanistan in 2012 as a Navy SEAL. He said Monday that Biden botched both the U.S. withdrawal from the war the U.S. has been fighting for nearly 20 years, as well as the explanation for why the commander-in-chief made the decision to take troops out of Afghanistan.

Rep. Dan Crenshaw
Rep. Dan Crenshaw


Rep. Dan Crenshaw (Chip Somodevilla/)

“One cannot overstate the extent to which Biden has screwed things up,” Crenshaw tweeted Sunday as things were unravelling. “And all he had to do to succeed was nothing.”

On Monday, Crenshaw tweeted in the moments leading up to Biden’s afternoon comments from Camp David that he didn’t think any words could “restore confidence” or justify what was happening in Afghanistan.

In his 18-minute speech, Biden said he was “deeply saddened” by how things were playing out, but he didn’t regret ending the war in Afghanistan. He also blamed former president Trump for his part in negotiating a U.S. withdrawal with the Taliban.

Donald Trump calls for President Biden to resign

“Well, this aged well,” Crenshaw later said of his re-posted tweet. “Biden took zero responsibility in his brief remarks before he returned to vacation. He will forever be known for this failure.”

Crenshaw drew the ire of GOP loyalists in Illinois last week when he told donors the 2020 election was not stolen from Trump.

Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint that was previously manned by American troops near the US embassy, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.
Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint that was previously manned by American troops near the US embassy, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.
People near the Taliban's signature white flags wait for the arrival of their relatives, who were reportedly released from prison by the Taliban in Afghanistan, at a border crossing point, in Chaman, Pakistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.
People near the Taliban's signature white flags wait for the arrival of their relatives, who were reportedly released from prison by the Taliban in Afghanistan, at a border crossing point, in Chaman, Pakistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.
Hundreds of people gather outside the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee the country.
Hundreds of people gather outside the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee the country.
Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint near the US embassy that was previously manned by American troops, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.
Taliban fighters stand guard at a checkpoint near the US embassy that was previously manned by American troops, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.
Afghan security guards stand on a wall as hundreds of people gather outside the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021. The Taliban declared an “amnesty” across Afghanistan and urged women to join their government Tuesday, seeking to convince a wary population that they have changed a day after deadly chaos gripped the main airport as desperate crowds tried to flee the country.
Afghan security guards try and maintain order as hundreds of people gather outside the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.
Afghan security guards try and maintain order as hundreds of people gather outside the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021.
U.S soldiers stand guard along a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
U.S soldiers stand guard along a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
Hundreds of people gather near a U.S. Air Force C-17 transport plane at a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. On Monday, the U.S. military and official's focus was on Kabul’s airport, where thousands of Afghans trapped by the sudden Taliban takeover rushed the tarmac and clung to U.S. military planes deployed to fly out staffers of the U.S. Embassy, which shut down Sunday, and others.
U.S soldiers take a position to guard along a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
U.S soldiers take a position to guard along a perimeter at the international airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
A Taliban fighter sits on the back of a vehicle with a machine gun in front of the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military has taken over Afghanistan's airspace as it struggles to manage a chaotic evacuation after the Taliban rolled into the capital.
A Taliban fighter sits on the back of a vehicle with a machine gun in front of the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military has taken over Afghanistan's airspace as it struggles to manage a chaotic evacuation after the Taliban rolled into the capital.
This satellite photo from Planet Labs Inc. shows swarms of people on the tarmac at Kabul International Airport, also known as Hamid Karzai International Airport, on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Afghans rushed onto the tarmac of the capital's airport on Monday as thousands tried to flee the country after the Taliban seized power with stunning speed. Some clung to the side of a U.S. military transport plane before takeoff, in a widely shared video that captured the sense of desperation as America's 20-year war comes to a chaotic end.
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Thousands of people packed into the Afghan capital's airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Thousands of people packed into the Afghan capital's airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard in the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military struggled to manage a chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan on Monday as the Taliban patrolled the capital and tried to project calm after toppling the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard in the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military struggled to manage a chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan on Monday as the Taliban patrolled the capital and tried to project calm after toppling the Western-backed government.
Planes stand after the arrival of the first flight of people evacuated from Kabul at RAF Brize Norton, England on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. International nations have scrambled to evacuate their diplomats, local allies and their families from Kabul, following the fall of the Western-backed Afghanistan government to the Taliban.
Planes stand after the arrival of the first flight of people evacuated from Kabul at RAF Brize Norton, England on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. International nations have scrambled to evacuate their diplomats, local allies and their families from Kabul, following the fall of the Western-backed Afghanistan government to the Taliban.
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Thousands of people packed into the Afghan capital's airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Thousands of people packed into the Afghan capital's airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard on the back of a vehicle with a machine gun in front of the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
Taliban fighters stand guard on the back of a vehicle with a machine gun in front of the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
Taliban fighters stand guard on the road to the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
Taliban fighters stand guard on the road to the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Thousands of people packed into the Afghan capital's airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. Thousands of people packed into the Afghan capital's airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military struggled to manage a chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan on Monday as the Taliban patrolled the capital and tried to project calm after toppling the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard in front of the main gate leading to the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. The U.S. military struggled to manage a chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan on Monday as the Taliban patrolled the capital and tried to project calm after toppling the Western-backed government.
Taliban fighters stand guard on the road leading to the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
Taliban fighters stand guard on the road leading to the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Monday, Aug. 16, 2021.
Travelers enter Pakistan through a border crossing point in Chaman, Pakistan, Monday, Aug. 16, 2021. A special flight of Pakistan’s national airline PIA has arrived in Islamabad carrying 329 passengers from Kabul, and another carrying 170 people will arrive later today. A spokesman for the airline said Saturday that the airline will operate three flights tomorrow to transport Pakistanis and other nationalities looking to leave Kabul.
Afghan citizens pack inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III as they are transported from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. The Taliban on Sunday swept into Kabul, the Afghan capital, after capturing most of Afghanistan.
Afghan citizens pack inside a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III as they are transported from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. The Taliban on Sunday swept into Kabul, the Afghan capital, after capturing most of Afghanistan.
Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. The person second from left is a former bodyguard for Ghani.
Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. The person second from left is a former bodyguard for Ghani.
Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Taliban fighters take control of the Afghan presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Anti-missile decoy flares are deployed as U.S. Black Hawk military helicopters and a dirigible balloon fly over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Taliban fighters entered the outskirts of the Afghan capital on Sunday and said they were awaiting a "peaceful transfer" of the city after promising not to take it by force, but amid the uncertainty, panicked workers fled government offices and helicopters landed at the U.S. Embassy.
A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies near the U.S. Embassy as smoke rises in Kabul, Afghanistan, late Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies near the U.S. Embassy as smoke rises in Kabul, Afghanistan, late Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
In this photo provided by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, members of the 16 Air Assault Brigade arrive in Kabul as part of a 600-strong UK force sent to assist with Operation PITTING to rescue British nationals in Afghanistan amidst the worsening security situation there.
In this photo provided by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, members of the 16 Air Assault Brigade arrive in Kabul as part of a 600-strong UK force sent to assist with Operation PITTING to rescue British nationals in Afghanistan amidst the worsening security situation there.
A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Helicopters are landing at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles leave the compound amid the Taliban advanced on the Afghan capital.
A U.S. Chinook helicopter flies near the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Helicopters are landing at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles leave the compound amid the Taliban advanced on the Afghan capital.
In this photo provided by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, members of the 16 Air Assault Brigade arrive in Kabul as part of a 600-strong UK force sent to assist with Operation PITTING to rescue British nationals in Afghanistan amidst the worsening security situation there.
In this photo provided by the Ministry of Defence on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021, members of the 16 Air Assault Brigade arrive in Kabul as part of a 600-strong UK force sent to assist with Operation PITTING to rescue British nationals in Afghanistan amidst the worsening security situation there.
Taliban fighters patrol inside the city of Kandahar, southwest Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Taliban fighters patrol inside the city of Kandahar, southwest Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Smoke rises next to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Taliban fighters entered the outskirts of the Afghan capital on Sunday, further tightening their grip on the country as panicked workers fled government offices and helicopters landed at the embassy. Wisps of smoke could be seen near the embassy's roof as diplomats urgently destroyed sensitive documents, according to two American military officials.
U.S. Chinook helicopters fly over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Helicopters are landing at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles leave the compound amid the Taliban advanced on the Afghan capital.
U.S. Chinook helicopters fly over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Helicopters are landing at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles leave the compound amid the Taliban advanced on the Afghan capital.
Taliban fighters pray while raising their flag at the Ghazni provincial governor's house in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Taliban fighters pray while raising their flag at the Ghazni provincial governor's house in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Taliban fighters pose for a photograph while Taliban fighters raise their flag at the Ghazni provincial governor's house, in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Taliban fighters pose for a photograph while Taliban fighters raise their flag at the Ghazni provincial governor's house, in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
The Taliban flag flies at the Ghazni provincial governor's house in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
The Taliban flag flies at the Ghazni provincial governor's house in Ghazni, southeastern, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021.
Afghans wait in long lines for hours to try to withdraw money in front of Kabul Bank in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Officials say Taliban fighters have entered Kabul and are seeking the unconditional surrender of the central government.
Afghans wait in long lines for hours to try to withdraw money in front of Kabul Bank in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday, Aug. 15, 2021. Officials say Taliban fighters have entered Kabul and are seeking the unconditional surrender of the central government.
Taliban flags fly at a square in the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021.
Taliban flags fly at a square in the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021.
Taliban fighters pose on the back of a vehicle in the city of Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, after they took this province from the Afghan government. The Taliban seized two more provinces and approached the outskirts of Afghanistan’s capital.
Taliban fighters pose on the back of a vehicle in the city of Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan on Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, after they took this province from the Afghan government. The Taliban seized two more provinces and approached the outskirts of Afghanistan’s capital.
In the photo provided by the Ministry of Defence, UK military personnel board an RAF Voyager aircraft at RAF Brize Norton, England on Aug. 14, 2021, to travel to Afghanistan. Additional UK military personnel will deploy to Afghanistan on a short-term basis to provide support to British nationals leaving the country, the Defence Secretary has announced.
Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021. The Taliban have completed their sweep of the country's south on Friday, as they took four more provincial capitals in a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling Kabul, just weeks before the U.S. is set to officially end its two-decade war.
Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021.
Internally displaced Afghans from northern provinces, who fled their home due to fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, take refuge in a public park in Kabul, Afghanistan, Friday, Aug. 13, 2021.

“Don’t kid yourself into believing that’s why we lost,” Crenshaw told one conspiracy theorist seeking office in the Land of Lincoln. “It’s not.”

President Biden tweeted Monday that the purpose of the war in Afghanistan was to strike back at Al Qaeda for the attacks on 9/11 and make sure they could never again use Afghanistan to launch further aggression against the U.S.

“Our mission was never supposed to be nation-building,” Biden said.

Concerns remain that Afghanistan could again become a haven for terrorists.

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