NJ Congressman Calls On Biden To Resign Over Afghanistan Crisis

SOUTH JERSEY — Rep. Jeff Van Drew is calling on President Joe Biden and other Democratic leaders to resign following the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters swiftly seized control of Afghanistan over the weekend, forcing the evacuation of U.S. embassy personnel in Kabul and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee after Biden's withdrawal of troops from the country. The exodus marks the end of a costly two-decade U.S. campaign to remake the nation. Read more: Taliban Sweep Into Afghan Capital After Government Collapses

"One more year, or five more years, of U.S. military presence would not have made a difference if the Afghan military cannot or will not hold its own country," Biden said in a written statement on Saturday. "And an endless American presence in the middle of another country’s civil conflict was not acceptable to me.”

Van Drew joined a chorus of Republicans publicly criticizing Biden’s handling of the situation over the weekend. The politician, who represents New Jersey's second congressional district, called the decision "one of the darkest, most embarrassing days we've had in our country” on Fox News' "Sunday Night in America" during an Aug. 15 appearance.

“My God, it is one of the darkest, most embarrassing days we’ve had in our country, and it’s a tremendous embarrassment for the Biden administration," Van Drew said. "But with this administration it is failure after failure after failure. Honest to God, I cannot believe I'm saying this, it literally is time for this president to resign. It is time for this vice president to resign. It is time for the Senate president and Speaker to resign. We need new people, even new Democrats, hopefully that are moderates. We can’t keep doing this.”

Fox News host Trey Gowdy asked Van Drew how the Republican withdrawal plan would have addressed the situation.

"Believe me, it would have been different," Van Drew said. "The difference is you could withdraw but you have to make sure that you are connected with what is going on the ground, that you have proper intelligence, none of which this administration obviously had. And third of all, you make it extremely clear to the Taliban, that if they do anything, that is in any way going to harm the world around them, basically, the reign of hell will come down on them."

Van Drew is among several officials criticizing the Biden administration over the decision, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who slammed the Biden administration in a statement on Sunday.

“The Biden Administration’s botched exit from Afghanistan including the frantic evacuation of Americans and vulnerable Afghans from Kabul is a shameful failure of American leadership,” McConnell said.

McConnell also criticized the president's foresight over the handling of the planned troop withdrawal.

"Everyone saw this coming except the President, who publicly and confidently dismissed these threats just a few weeks ago,” McConnell wrote.

Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate for New Jersey Governor, released his own statement on Monday:

"To see the Biden Administration and our political leaders so badly mishandle the withdrawal of our troops and leave the country in total chaos is both heartbreaking and maddening. Knowing that our son Jake, a Logistics Officer assigned to the 10th Mountain Division, and his brothers and sisters in arms, may one day be called to help clean up the mess makes it really hit home in a personal way," he said.

In response to a July 8 press question on whether he thought a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was "inevitable," Biden said he did not believe that would happen.

"The Afghan troops have 300,000 well-equipped — as well-equipped as any army in the world — and an air force against something like 75,000 Taliban. It is not inevitable," he said.

Biden, who has been following the crisis overseas from Camp David, is returning to the White House Monday afternoon. He will address the public from the White House at 3:45 p.m.

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