The Biden administration continues to evacuate Americans from Afghanistan after the Taliban retook the region at a breakneck speed following the withdrawal of American troops.
The White House has faced widespread criticism for the chaos of the withdrawal—chaos that only escalated after the Taliban overtook the presidential palace in Kabul, leading thousands of Afghan allies to the Kabul International Airport in a frenzied effort to escape the country.
Former President Donald Trump, who freed around five thousand Taliban prisoners during his time in office, leapt to slam the Biden administration.
In his latest statement criticizing the withdrawal, the former President warned the withdrawal could be "another Dunkirk situation!"
NEW!\n\n"This could be\u2014Afghanistan\u2014another Dunkirk situation!" - President Donald J. Trumppic.twitter.com/zTCo8SpB4a— Liz Harrington (@Liz Harrington) 1629325407
Trump was alluding to the 1940 evacuation of Allied troops in Dunkirk, France during World War II.
The result of miscalculations and misfortunes, advancing Nazis cornered hundreds of thousands of Allied troops in the small French commune, with precious little time for the Allies to evacuate. Under constant attacks, civilians with "little ships" capable of navigating the shallow shore managed to rescue nearly 400 thousand troops in just a few days. The audacious rescue mission is credited today as one of the defining events of the Second World War.
To this day, "Dunkirk Spirit" is a British term used to describe the principle of unity and bravery in the strength of adversity.
Trump didn't seem to grasp this.
You'd think that Trump would have been clued in by the fact that it's literally nicknamed the "Miracle of Dunkirk".https://twitter.com/AndrewFeinberg/status/1428121031462510594\u00a0\u2026— Kendall Brown (@Kendall Brown) 1629326700
I think Trump comparing #Afghanistan to Dunkirk just congratulated Biden on the Afghanistan evacuationpic.twitter.com/bOIy6V4HsE— redwhiskeypete (@redwhiskeypete) 1629330189
I'm speechless. I accept Trump is an unlearned idiot, but does he have NO ONE near him who has read a book or knows anything about history? Dunkirk was one of the greatest rescue missions of all time. Or...is that what he meant? Couldn't be. What an idiot. You too, @realLizUSAhttps://twitter.com/realLizUSA/status/1428120384818319362\u00a0\u2026— Kurt Eichenwald (@Kurt Eichenwald) 1629331033
What an idiothttps://twitter.com/andrewfeinberg/status/1428121031462510594\u00a0\u2026— Joe Lockhart (@Joe Lockhart) 1629327837
It was called "The Miracle of Dunkirk" for a reason. Without the rescue of those military personnel from the area's Channel beaches, largely by civilians, Britain may well have lost the Second World War.https://twitter.com/AndrewFeinberg/status/1428121031462510594\u00a0\u2026— Peter Jackson II (@Peter Jackson II) 1629345523
It\u2019s remarkable that no one in his orbit knows anything other than how to grift.https://twitter.com/AndrewFeinberg/status/1428121031462510594\u00a0\u2026— Tim Fullerton (@Tim Fullerton) 1629328007
Some could think of reasons Trump would consider Dunkirk a failure.
You\u2019re assuming Trump is looking at it from the allies\u2019 point of view.https://twitter.com/andrewfeinberg/status/1428121031462510594\u00a0\u2026— Tyler Hansen (@Tyler Hansen) 1629348509
For similar reasons, he considers the end of The Sound of Music to be a complete disaster.https://twitter.com/andrewfeinberg/status/1428121031462510594\u00a0\u2026— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) 1629347636
The Dunkirk rescue operation was a failure, provided you were pullin\u2019 for the other teamhttps://www.rawstory.com/trump-afghanistan-2654715180/\u00a0\u2026— Tea Pain (@Tea Pain) 1629334929
Biden has sent additional troops to Afghanistan to assist in evacuations, and has said they won't leave until all Americans are out.
@realDonaldTrump/Truth Social