Psaki Will Testify
Big news has just come in: former White House press secretary Jen Psaki has agreed to be interviewed by the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This decision ends months of back-and-forth and is a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021.
Republican Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, the committee's chairman, has been persistent in seeking Psaki’s testimony. According to Axios, the committee is keen on understanding the discrepancies between Psaki’s public statements as President Biden’s spokeswoman and what the White House actually knew during the rapid collapse of Afghanistan, which left thousands stranded in Kabul and led to the tragic deaths of 13 American service members in a terrorist attack.
Initially, Psaki resisted McCaul’s request, which he first made in September. However, the pressure mounted when McCaul wrote to Psaki’s lawyers on June 5, emphasizing her duty to appear before Congress, especially since she had already shared her insights into the Afghanistan withdrawal in public forums for personal profit. McCaul even threatened to subpoena her if necessary.
On June 24, the White House counsel's office acknowledged the committee’s request, citing serious separation-of-powers and Executive Branch confidentiality issues. However, they made an extraordinary accommodation, allowing Psaki to participate in a voluntary transcribed interview, accompanied by personal counsel and representatives from the White House counsel's office, under specific terms and conditions.
This interview is part of a broader effort by the House Foreign Affairs Committee to investigate the Biden administration's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. An interim report published before the 2022 elections, which saw Republicans take control of Congress, was highly critical of the administration.
The report highlighted delays in critical actions necessary to mitigate the consequences of the withdrawal decision, resulting in a chaotic evacuation where 13 U.S. service members lost their lives, and more than 800 Americans were left behind.
The interim report also pointed out that President Biden made several claims about the withdrawal in April 2021, which the committee now believes were inaccurate. It suggested that Biden was likely aware of the inaccuracies when he addressed the American people.
The report stated that the Biden administration’s internal assessments understood that the Afghan military could not defend the country without American support, and the president was repeatedly warned that the Taliban’s return was inevitable.
Furthermore, the report accused the administration of making little effort to evacuate Afghan partners who had fought alongside U.S. forces. It condemned the administration for misleading the American people about the true situation on the ground in Kabul, issuing public statements that contradicted internal reports from the State Department and U.S. military.
As Psaki prepares for her interview with the committee, this investigation continues to shed light on the decisions and actions taken by the Biden administration during the Afghanistan withdrawal. The final report, expected before the November election, will undoubtedly have significant political implications. Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.