COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina's senior U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham said President Joe Biden should be impeached over his efforts to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, an exit that has left many Afghans who assisted American soldiers stranded in the country.
Graham said he supported impeachment during a Tuesday night interview with Rob Schmitt on Newsmax.
"This is the most dishonorable thing the commander-in-chief has done maybe in modern times," Graham said. "Joe Biden, for political reasons, wanted to pull all of our troops out because of the polling numbers, and what has he done? He's created the conditions for another 9/11, he's abandoned thousands of people who honorably and bravely fought along with us."
Graham, a constant critic of the Biden administration's withdrawal efforts who also urged former President Donald Trump to keep troops in the country, called the move a "dereliction of duty at the highest level." He said Biden should be impeached because he "abandoned" Afghans who fought alongside American troops during the 20-year incursion in the Middle Eastern country.
News outlets have reported that U.S. allies, including Afghan military interpreters, have tried to flee the country as the Taliban cemented its control. Those allies are at risk for retribution because they assisted the American government during the war. The New York Times reported Tuesday that some of those allies have been turned away at the Kabul airport in favor of evacuating U.S. citizens and green card holders.
Biden has set an Aug. 31 deadline to complete the evacuation of U.S. citizens and American allies, but some fear it isn't enough time. On Sunday, the Pentagon ordered U.S. commercial airline companies to assist with the evacuation efforts by transporting already evacuated individuals to military bases or other transit points.
During a meeting with G-7 leaders Tuesday, Biden said the withdrawal efforts are set to be completed by the deadline, though he had the Pentagon and the State Department create contingency plans.
Graham expressed doubts in his Tuesday interview that all Americans would be evacuated by the deadline, saying Biden "capitulated" to the Taliban by setting that deadline.
"If I was the president of the United States, I'd have told the Taliban to, 'Go to hell. We're going to stay here as long as it takes to get out people out,'" Graham said. "And if I were president of the United States, we'd of had soldiers in Afghanistan as long as it takes to keep America safe."
