Trump says clash with Milley over abandoned Afghanistan equipment marked “most embarrassing” U.S. moment.

Trump Details Tense Cabinet Clash

President Donald Trump disclosed Tuesday that he and former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley sharply disagreed over whether to leave U.S. military equipment behind during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021. Trump, speaking at a Cabinet meeting, described his clash with Milley as a defining moment, stating, “That’s when I knew he was an idiot. Didn’t take long to figure that one out. But they left all that equipment. But they left their dignity behind.”

Trump has long criticized the handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal, arguing that billions of dollars’ worth of equipment should have been recovered rather than abandoned. According to a 2022 Department of Defense report, the Taliban seized nearly all of the more than $7 billion in U.S. equipment left behind, including aircraft, ground vehicles, and various weapons. While most major equipment was destroyed or removed, significant assets remained, with Pentagon officials noting that much would likely become inoperable without U.S. maintenance.

Withdrawal Decisions and Fallout

The 2021 withdrawal, executed under President Joe Biden, built on plans first developed during Trump’s administration, which had negotiated with Taliban leaders to end the conflict. The final exit was marked by the rapid Taliban takeover of Afghanistan and the tragic loss of thirteen U.S. service members in a suicide bombing outside Kabul’s airport during evacuation efforts.

While Biden faced heavy criticism for the chaotic scenes and deadly consequences, Trump contends that the process and decisions leading to the withdrawal were fundamentally flawed. “It was the most embarrassing moment, in my opinion, in the history of our country. Not that we got out. We should have not been there, but that we got out the way we got out with great embarrassment and death,” Trump told his Cabinet.

In response to public scrutiny and loss of life, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth directed the Pentagon in May to conduct a comprehensive review of the withdrawal. Hegseth emphasized the need to “get to the facts” and restore faith among the public and military personnel, calling the review “an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform.”

Testifying before the House Foreign Affairs Committee in March 2024, Milley acknowledged the complexity of the situation and noted that he and then-CENTCOM commander Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. had advised Biden to keep some troops in Afghanistan. “The outcome in Afghanistan was the result of many decisions from many years of war. Like any complex phenomena, there was no single causal factor that determined the outcome,” Milley said.

As the Pentagon’s review continues, debate persists in Washington over responsibility for the withdrawal’s failures and the fate of the equipment left behind. The issue remains a point of contention for both current and former officials, with calls for accountability and lessons learned for future military operations.