Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel will release an interview with Texas Sen. Ted Cruz Wednesday where the two discuss President Biden’s handling of the withdrawal after 13 U.S. service members were killed in one of the deadliest days for the U.S. in Afghanistan in over a decade.
The Daily Caller first obtained the interview, which is a part of McDaniel’s podcast “Real America.” Throughout the episode, McDaniel asked Cruz both heavily criticize its decision-making in the Afghanistan withdrawal. Cruz also explained what he has seen and heard about the decision to abandon Bagram Air Base.
McDaniel said, “It’s shameful to me that the Biden administration is patting themselves on the back saying this is the largest evacuation in history, because they failed. We had to evacuate in a dangerous circumstance and we just lost 13 military servicemen and Biden must be held accountable for this disastrous failure.”
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Cruz said, “It’s been horrifying to watch what’s unfolded in Afghanistan, and I think what has happened there is a combination of two things. Number one, it is the radical ideological extremism of Joe Biden and the Biden administration, [and number two, is that] they are unable to recognize that the Taliban are terrorists.”
Cruz mentioned a phone call he was one with all 100 senators with the State Department, Defense Department and the White House. He said one of the questions that asked was about who made the decision to abandon Bagram. (RELATED: ‘Impeach Biden, Impeach Kamala Harris’ — Rep. Lauren Boebert Goes Off On Administration At House Freedom Caucus Press Conference)
“Nobody would answer,” Cruz said. “If you look Gen. [Mark] Milley, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he made a statement, a couple of weeks ago, and he used the passive voice. The decision was made.” (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Ted Cruz Urged Members To Pause Additional Spending In Senate GOP Phone Call)
McDaniel also asked Cruz who should be held accountable.
“Should [Secretary of State Antony] Blinken resign, should [Defense Secretary Lloyd] Austin? I mean, I know there needs to be an investigation first but right now, we can’t look at this as anything other than a catastrophe,” McDaniel asked.
Cruz responded by saying it all goes back to Biden.
“The president is always responsible. There was a second decision that is every bit as inexplicable as giving up Bagram. and that is it’s been reported this week in multiple news outlets that the U.S. military gave the Taliban a list of Americans and of Afghans, they wanted out,” Cruz said.
The question comes after Republican South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham has called for Biden to be impeached, saying he signed a “death warrant for thousands” who were at the time stranded in Afghanistan. (RELATED: ‘Biden Has Signed Death Warrant For Thousands’: Lindsey Graham Goes Off On Biden Over Afghanistan Withdrawal Debacle)
Republican Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley called for Biden to resign Thursday, saying, “Our nation is forever indebted to the brave Marines who made the ultimate sacrifice today.”
Tennesee Sen. Marsha Blackburn has also called for Biden to resign.
The episode will release Wednesday morning.