Former President Donald Trump reignited controversy this week over the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling out retired Gen. Mark Milley for pushing to leave behind military equipment during the 2021 exit. Trump recounted the disagreement during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, where he said Milley defended the decision to abandon equipment for cost reasons. “That’s when I knew he was an idiot,” Trump said, describing the exit as the most “embarrassing moment” in U.S. history.
Trump’s criticism focuses on the roughly $7 billion worth of military equipment that was left behind and subsequently seized by the Taliban. While the Pentagon claimed much of it would be inoperable without maintenance, the symbolism of the loss and the images of Taliban fighters parading U.S. gear through the streets fueled outrage and concerns over national security.
Although the Biden administration executed the final stages of the withdrawal, the exit plan was originally laid during Trump’s presidency. In 2020, the Trump administration reached a deal with the Taliban to end America’s longest war. But when the Taliban rapidly overran Afghanistan in 2021, criticism overwhelmingly fell on President Joe Biden for the chaotic execution of the withdrawal and the deaths of 13 American service members in a suicide bombing at Abbey Gate.
A 2022 report by the Department of Defense confirmed that while many critical systems were destroyed or evacuated, large quantities of aircraft, vehicles, and weapons were left behind. The Pentagon suggested most would become non-functional without U.S. contractor support, though their precise condition remains unknown. The optics, however, were clear: a strategic and public relations victory for the Taliban.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth recently launched a full review of the withdrawal to uncover what went wrong and ensure accountability. In a May memo, he stressed the importance of regaining the trust of the American people and honoring the sacrifices of service members. “This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people,” Hegseth wrote.
In testimony earlier this year, Milley acknowledged advising President Biden to retain a U.S. military footprint in the country after the bulk of the withdrawal. He said the ultimate outcome stemmed from many years of decisions rather than a single moment. “There was no single causal factor that determined the outcome,” he told Congress in March.
Still, the public debate remains focused on who bears responsibility for the losses—both human and material. For many, it is not only about the equipment left behind, but also the message it sends to allies and adversaries alike about American resolve, preparedness, and judgment.
When leadership allows political timelines to outweigh strategic planning, the cost is often measured in blood and trust. The mishandled withdrawal from Afghanistan revealed a troubling pattern: decisions made far from the battlefield that ignore the warnings of those with operational insight. No nation can afford to forget the lessons learned in Kabul—not if it hopes to avoid repeating them.
