Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told members of Congress on a conference call Friday that Americans attempting to evacuate Afghanistan have been beaten by the Taliban, directly contradicting President Biden’s assertion that U.S. citizens were not being blocked from the airport, two lawmakers told The Post.
Striking a decidedly more concerned tone than the commander in chief, Austin called the abuse of Americans at the hands of the Taliban “unacceptable” as lawmakers sought answers on how the Biden Administration is attempting to get U.S. citizens and allies out of the country.
“Within 30 minutes of Biden saying it publicly, the Secretary of Defense directly contradicted him,” one senior GOP lawmaker told The Post.
Kabul airport today. Rumors that the Americans will take anyone that gets through so tens of thousands have arrived. pic.twitter.com/n9yKaf98TJ
— ian bremmer (@ianbremmer) August 20, 2021
