During the CNN Presidential Debate Simulcast, President Biden made a claim that he is the only president this century and this decade who did not have any troops dying anywhere in the world. However, he failed to mention the 13 fallen service members who were killed during the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal that took place under his administration. This was in response to a question about the economy that was posed by CNN debate moderators Jake Tapper and Dana Bash.
Biden compared his economic policies to those of former President Trump, criticizing the tax cuts and deficit increase that occurred during the previous administration. He then shifted the conversation to Afghanistan, claiming that Trump did not take any action regarding the situation there. Despite Biden’s assertion about troops not dying, 13 U.S. service members lost their lives outside of Hamid Karzai International Airport during the withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.
The suicide bombing that resulted in these casualties also left 18 other service members wounded and more than 150 civilians dead. It was revealed that the bomber was a member of ISIS-K who had been held as a prisoner at Bagram Air Base and was released when the Taliban took control of the facility. All U.S. forces were removed from Bagram in July 2021. This incident shed light on the flaws in the withdrawal process and the tragic consequences that followed.