Trump exaggerates claim that many Americans are 'hostages' in Afghanistan
Trump says many Americans are living in the country "probably as hostages." U.S. officials say they're trying to free two U.S. citizens currently jailed there.
WASHINGTON — When former President Donald Trump argues that President Joe Biden botched the 2021 American withdrawal from Afghanistan — a broad point that even some of Biden’s fellow Democrats will concede — he often laments what his campaign says are hundreds or thousands of U.S. citizens trapped in a country ruled by the Taliban.
“For 18 months, we lost nobody in Afghanistan. And then we had that horrible, horrible withdrawal where we lost 13 soldiers, 38 horribly wounded, left Americans behind,” Trump said in remarks after his Super Tuesday victories earlier this month.
“You have Americans right now still behind,” he continued. “Call them hostages, if you like.”
In a video his campaign released last week, Trump repeated the charge.
“We have many American people still living in Afghanistan, probably as hostages,” he said.
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