Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary, will sit down with House GOP investigators scrutinizing the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. This comes after a letter from White House deputy counsel Rachel Cotton confirmed Psaki’s participation in a closed-door transcribed interview with the House Foreign Affairs Committee on July 26.
The committee’s investigation is centered on potential inaccuracies in Psaki’s statements regarding the withdrawal, with Republicans aiming to determine if she intentionally made misleading claims or was misinformed. They are also interested in comparing Psaki’s public statements with information provided by other individuals involved in the withdrawal process.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee, led by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), has been actively investigating the chaotic August 2021 withdrawal, with a focus on understanding the Biden administration’s decisions and actions leading up to the event. Their investigation includes assessing the accuracy of information provided to Psaki by various agencies, particularly the State Department and the Department of Defense. Republicans are also looking into the role of national security advisor Jake Sullivan, questioning whether he may have misrepresented agency inputs to Psaki.
The investigation stems from concerns about potential political motivations influencing the administration’s actions, raising questions about whether the truth was withheld from the American public. The controversy gained further attention following President Biden’s omission of the 13 U.S. service members killed during the withdrawal during the recent presidential debate.
While Democrats view this investigation as less partisan than others launched by the House GOP majority, Republicans continue to highlight the chaotic nature of the withdrawal, citing the loss of 13 U.S. service members and the abandonment of over 800 Americans. The committee’s report emphasizes the administration’s delays in taking crucial actions to mitigate the risks associated with the withdrawal, which ultimately led to a chaotic evacuation and significant consequences for the United States and its allies.
