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Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy blasted President Joe Biden for leaving "hundreds" of Americans in Afghanistan. The last U.S. military plane withdrawing U.S. troops from the region departed earlier today.
McCarthy made his comments in a Monday evening press conference speaking alongside Republican congressional representatives, all military veterans.
"There are still hundreds of Americans left in Afghanistan," McCarthy said, including "college kids trying to get out...and a mother and her children." He didn't elaborate as to the other Americans remaining in the country.
McCarthy slammed "the decision by this administration to leave Americans." He then said that Americans left behind are now asking U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, "What is the plan? What is the plan now to get Americans out?"
Last Sunday, a senior State Department official told reporters that less than 250 U.S. citizens who wanted to get out were still in Afghanistan. Despite their presence, the last U.S. military planes left Afghanistan on Monday morning, according to General Frank McKenzie, the commander of U.S. Central Command.
Austin told legislators earlier this month that some Americans and Afghans trying to get to the Kabul airport had been harassed and beaten by Taliban forces.
At McCarthy's Monday conference, Florida Representative Mike Waltz said that some Americans in Afghanistan will have to be smuggled out of the country with the help of veterans, Republican and Democrat congressional offices, and nonprofit organizations.
Wisconsin Representative Michael Gallagher also spoke at the conference, stating that his fellow Republicans in the House had introduced legislation that would require the Biden Administration to report on the number of Americans "left behind enemy lines." Gallagher said that Democrats voted against the bill, but that Republicans plan on re-introducing the bill soon.
California Representative Darrell Issa rhetorically asked at the press conference whether all U.S. lawmakers support doing "whatever means it takes to get our Americans out without paying tribute" to the Taliban or other terrorist forces.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said on August 26 that even though the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will officially end on August 31, the U.S. would stay past that deadline to continue helping American and Afghan allies outside of the country.
"We will need to coordinate with the Taliban in order to do that," she added. "I'm not going to label it as a friendship or anything other than continued coordination. And we again believe we have a great deal of leverage in order to implement that commitment."
Psaki mentioned that Biden meets daily with top leaders from the U.S. Department of Defense to understand the changing situation on the ground and to ask if the military needs additional troops or resources.
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment but did not hear back in time for publication.
