NASHVILLE, TN—United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today criticized President Joe Biden for leaving American citizens and U.S. legal permanent residents behind in Afghanistan after the U.S. military completed the execution of the President’s order to withdraw from the country.
“President Joe Biden will forever be remembered for leaving American citizens and U.S. legal permanent residents behind and in harm’s way in Afghanistan,” Senator Hagerty said. “Instead of listening to voices on the ground and planning ahead to ensure the safety of all Americans, President Biden stuck with his self-imposed arbitrary deadline to retreat, and may create the greatest international hostage crisis in history. I pray this does not manifest itself. Afghanistan has become a cauldron of terror because of this Administration’s failed leadership and lack of adequate planning. The President has not closed the book on the conflict in Afghanistan, but rather opened a dangerous new chapter in which terrorists will pose new threats to stranded Americans, our allies, and the U.S. homeland.”