Former President Donald Trump commemorated the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by sharply criticizing President Joe Biden for his withdrawal from Afghanistan and assuring that “America will be made great again.”
Trump’s political action committee released a video Saturday morning in which he hailed the bravery of the police officers and firefighters who responded to the attacks before slamming an “inept” Biden administration for how it concluded the 20-year war.
“For the great people of our country, this is a very sad day. Sept. 11th represents great sorrow for our country,” said Trump, a native New Yorker. “Many things were displayed that day, including, most importantly, the bravery of our police, fire, and first responders of every kind.”
“It is also a sad time for the way our war on those that did such harm to our country ended last week,” he continued. “The loss of 13 great warriors and the many more who were wounded should never have happened.”
BIDEN SAYS UNITY IS COUNTRY’S ‘GREATEST STRENGTH’ IN SPEECH MARKING 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11
The former president hit Biden later again Saturday night, slamming his successor for causing the United States to suffer a “great, great embarrassment over the last week.”
“A terrible thing has happened. Terrible decisions were made by this administration,” he said in prerecorded marks screened on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., as part of a Let Us Worship service. “But you are brave, you are incredible, and it will be made up.”
Thirteen service members were killed in a terrorist attack outside the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Aug. 26, for which the Islamic State claimed responsibility, as U.S. forces worked to evacuate Americans, Afghan allies, and other nationals out of the country following the Taliban’s takeover. The attack exacerbated already fierce criticism by Trump and Republican lawmakers of the administration’s handling of the U.S. drawdown.
20th Anniversary of September 11th Address from President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/u9IVTMTI5b
— Taylor Budowich (@TayFromCA) September 11, 2021
“The leader of our country was made to look like a fool, and that can never be allowed to happen,” Trump said in the video.
“This is the 20th year of this war and should have been a year of victory and honor and strength. Instead, Joe Biden and his inept administration surrendered in defeat,” he said. “We will live on, but sadly, our country will be wounded for a long period of time. We will struggle to recover from the embarrassment this incompetence has caused.”
“Do not fear, however. America will be made great again,” the former president said.
Trump has not disclosed whether he plans to run for president in 2024 but has remained vocal since leaving office in January, often hinting at another bid for the White House. Trump told Sean Hannity last month that the Fox News host and other “friends” will be “happy” about what he has decided regarding 2024.
He has been especially critical of the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan ahead of the president’s Aug. 31 deadline. Though he supported a similar strategy as president, he has recently insisted the drawdown could have been handled better.
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“They never would have come anywhere near us. It wouldn’t have happened. They wouldn’t have taken over anything,” Trump said of the Taliban in a Fox News interview published Friday. “They knew that if they did, they would be bombed into hell.”
Trump said he plans to travel to New York City to mark the 20th anniversary of 9/11.
