Secretary of State Antony Blinken finally appeared in a long-awaited congressional hearing surrounding the Biden administration’s disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
Earlier this year, Blinken no-showed at this hearing.
During Blinken’s testimony, he was heckled by protesters who appear to be pro-Palestine. They called him the “secretary of genocide.”
At the hearing, there were some family members of the 13 fallen service members who were killed during the Afghanistan withdrawal.
“I think today especially of the 13 heroes we lost at Abbey Gate and I deeply regret that we did not do more and could not do more to protect them." Blinken said during the hearing before he turned and faced the families.
“To those families who are here with us today, you’re in my thoughts and my prayers…I wish that [Marine Corps Sgt. Nicole L. Gee] was here with us today. I’m deeply sorry that she’s not,” he said.
“I deeply regret that we did not do more and could not do more to protect them."
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) December 11, 2024
Secretary of State Antony Blinken testifies before a House committee on the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, apologizes to families of 13 service members killed. https://t.co/5WI0jopUWR pic.twitter.com/9dmEfDYxv3
Florida Rep. Brian Mast attacked Blinken for sending billions of dollars to the Taliban.
NEW: Rep. Brian Mast just ripped Tony Blinken over the BILLIONS in cash that we have sent to the Taliban since the botched withdrawal in 2021:
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) December 11, 2024
“The United States right now is literally sending tens of millions of dollars to the Taliban, $14.9 million to teach Afghans how to do… pic.twitter.com/gJpZM1Vcq7
In September, Townhall covered how House Republicans announced that they would move forward with holding Blinked in contempt of Congress for no-showing at a previous congressional hearing on the Afghanistan withdrawal.
In remarks, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) explained, “After months of the secretary ignoring countless requests for his testimony, I was forced to subpoena him to discuss the findings of my report into the catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan.”
“Secretary Blinken violated that subpoena and refused to appear. And now, I have no choice but to move forward with holding him in contempt of Congress,” he added.
“But instead of working with me, Secretary Blinken made false promises and accused me of politicizing this important issue,” he said. “By failing to appear before the committee to discuss this serious event, he is politicizing the Afghanistan withdrawal.”