Dem Rep Debbie Dingell Calls Afghanistan Exit ‘Saddest’ Biden Admin Moment on Fox, But Refuses to Blame President Multiple Times

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) was pressed during a Fox News appearance on whether President Joe Biden deserved blame for the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal, something the congresswoman refused to acknowledge despite calling it the “saddest moment” of the president’s administration so far.

Fox News host Griff Jenkins spoke to Dingell on Saturday and brought up a recent report on the 2021 exit from Afghanistan, in which 13 service members lost their lives in the chaotic dash and the Taliban quickly retook power. A recent report found officials placing blame for the chaotic exit on the previous administration, which negotiated the original terms for an exit out of the country after two decades.

“How much blame does President Biden, the commander in chief during that withdrawal, how much blame does he own for the disaster?” Jenkins asked Dengell, noting the report blamed former President Donald Trump and his officials for the “disastrous” withdrawal.

“Look, I think that was a moment that was one of the saddest moments of this administration’s – as long as they’ve been there,” Dingell said.

She mentioned that the “policy” of a withdrawal began with Trump, though the lawmaker claimed she did not want to blame anyone.

“The policy to begin withdrawal was begun under President Trump. Both presidents thought that was what we needed to do. I don’t think anybody can feel good about what they saw that day,” Dingell said.

Jenkins tried pressing one more time, asking if the “buck should stop” with Biden.

“Does the buck stop with Biden on this disaster?” he asked.

“I believe the way that it happened and the 13 soldiers’ lives that were lost was one of the saddest moments for me of his administration,” she said. “He was the commander in chief then, but let’s be really clear, that policy did begin under the previous administration and instead of pointing fingers, which I don’t want to do, I want to say what are we going to do to keep ourselves strong?”

Though she mentioned Trump’s administration multiple times, Dingell insisted she didn’t want to shift blame and said there’s “too much division, too much finger pointing, [and] too much this person, that person” currently happening.