Ep. 1329 - The Americans Who Get Left Behind

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on Ben Shapiro’s sustained attack on the Biden administration’s Afghanistan withdrawal, arguing it abandoned Americans, green card holders, and Afghan allies while falsely claiming unanimous military support. He also briefly covers Hurricane Ida’s damage and federal response, but the dominant theme is the collapse of Kabul, reliance on the Taliban, the evacuation crisis, and the aftermath of the ISIS-K attack.

Main Topics: Afghanistan withdrawal and abandonment claims (Priority: 5/5): The host argues the U.S. is leaving behind Americans, green card holders, and Afghan allies, calling the withdrawal a catastrophic failure that will cause deaths and hostage situations. Biden’s refusal to answer and public image of incompetence (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro highlights Biden’s evasiveness with reporters and criticizes his behavior at Dover Air Force Base as evidence of incompetence and callousness. Taliban cooperation and diplomatic dependence (Priority: 5/5): The administration is portrayed as relying on the Taliban to control Kabul and allow departures after the military leaves, which Shapiro argues amounts to trusting terrorists and becoming their propaganda arm. Military equipment left behind (Priority: 4/5): The transcript emphasizes the scale of U.S.-supplied hardware left in Taliban hands, framing it as an enormous gift of military power to the enemy. ISIS-K attack and U.S. retaliation (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro discusses the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and the subsequent U.S. drone strikes, while questioning the effectiveness and certainty of those counterstrikes. Civilian casualty concerns and operational uncertainty (Priority: 3/5): A CNN-reported drone strike in Kabul is described as possibly killing civilians, including children, with Shapiro noting that facts are still uncertain but the situation is alarming. Hurricane Ida response (Priority: 2/5): The episode briefly shifts to Hurricane Ida, noting widespread power outages in New Orleans and the federal government’s pre-positioned relief resources.

Key Arguments: Biden’s withdrawal has left hundreds or thousands of Americans and green card holders stranded in Afghanistan. The White House is shifting responsibility to the Taliban, which Shapiro says is absurd given its terrorist history. Biden’s refusal to answer Afghanistan questions and apparent behavior at Dover demonstrate incompetence and disrespect. The administration misrepresented military consensus by claiming unanimity where there was disagreement about withdrawal options. The Taliban reportedly offered to help secure Kabul, but Biden chose to rely on them rather than maintain order with U.S. forces present. The U.S. left behind an enormous arsenal, which Shapiro says dramatically strengthened the Taliban. Public assurances that the Taliban will let people leave are portrayed as meaningless because they are only backed by vague international letters, not force. Private veterans and special operators, not the U.S. government, are depicted as doing the hardest evacuation work. Retaliatory drone strikes are presented as insufficient to offset the strategic disaster of the withdrawal. The administration’s communications are framed as propaganda for the Taliban, similar to how Shapiro characterizes past diplomacy with hostile regimes.

Data Points: Power outages in Jefferson Parish: More than 199,000 customers - Reported after Hurricane Ida hit the New Orleans area. Power outages in Orleans County: More than 193,000 customers - Reported after Hurricane Ida hit the New Orleans area. Power outages in Plaquemines Parish: About 11,000 customers - Reported after Hurricane Ida hit the New Orleans area. Potential outage duration: Up to three weeks - Entergy’s historical restoration estimate for some areas of New Orleans. Ida wind speed at landfall to later speed: Reduced to about 60 mph from 150 mph - Shapiro notes the storm weakened after landfall. Meals pre-positioned by Biden administration: 2.5 million meals - White House response resources for Hurricane Ida. Water pre-positioned by Biden administration: 3 million liters - White House response resources for Hurricane Ida. Americans evacuated from Kabul: Nearly 5,500 - Jake Sullivan’s estimate of Americans evacuated at the time of the transcript. Possible Americans still in Afghanistan: 300 or fewer - Sullivan’s estimate of remaining American citizens, though he says the count is imprecise. Total evacuees reported: More than 117,000 - General Hank Taylor’s evacuation update. American citizens among evacuees: Approximately 5,400 - General Hank Taylor’s evacuation update. Service members killed in Kabul bombing: 13 - ISIS-K suicide bombing at Kabul airport. U.S. troops in proposed alternative force: 3,000 to 4,500 - Cited as a modest force level some leaders believed could have sustained Afghan defenses. Military hardware left behind: 22,000 Humvees - Examples of equipment the transcript says the Taliban inherited. Military hardware left behind: 360,000 assault rifles - Equipment reportedly left for Taliban use. Military hardware left behind: 33 helicopters plus additional aircraft - Examples include Blackhawks, Mi-17s, Cessnas, and transport aircraft. Estimated value of arsenal left behind: $85 billion - Shapiro’s estimate of the total equipment value left to the Taliban. Countries signing Taliban travel statement: 114 countries - International statement urging the Taliban to allow departures after Aug. 31.

Pivotal Quotes: "We have two options to deal with it. You, the United States military, take responsibility for securing Kabul, or you have to allow us to do it." — Abdul Ghani Baradar (as reported by the Washington Post): Taliban offer to let U.S. forces secure Kabul during the collapse of the Afghan government. "The international community expects the Taliban to make good on a commitment to let people continue to leave the country after August 31st." — Antony Blinken: Blinken describing the U.S. strategy of relying on international pressure and Taliban assurances. "It is so disgusting that these people cannot even acknowledge the fact that they just killed my son for nothing." — Riley McCollum’s mother: Mother of a fallen Marine condemning Biden over the Afghanistan withdrawal and Kabul bombing.

Implications: The episode argues the withdrawal damaged U.S. credibility, endangered Americans and allies, empowered the Taliban, and exposed severe leadership failures. It suggests future evacuations and counterterrorism efforts will depend on unstable Taliban promises and limited leverage.