EXCLUSIVE: House Republicans Demand Full, Unedited Transcript From Biden-Ghani Phone Call
A group of House Republicans sent a Thursday letter to President Joe Biden demanding a full unedited transcript from his phone call with then Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, where he reportedly encouraged him to convince the world that his government was holding its own against the Taliban.
The letter was spearheaded by New York Rep. Claudia Tenney and was signed by 26 other House Republicans. In it, the lawmakers blasted Biden’s handling of the withdrawal from Afghanistan after 13 U.S. service members were killed in a terror attack at the Kabul airport and call and demand Biden release the full, unedited and unredacted transcripts of his July 23 conversation with Ghani to the public.
Biden urged Ghani to convince the world they had the Taliban under control, mentioning the importance of “perception” when it came to the Afghan Security Forces and the government’s ability to prevent the Taliban from overthrowing the country, Reuters reported. (RELATED: Group Of House Republicans Demand Pelosi ‘Immediately’ Begin Impeachment Proceedings Against Biden)
A transcript of the call released by Reuters outlined the July 23 phone call during which Biden pressured Ghani to “change perception” by adopting a new military strategy to the public.
“In the period leading up to the withdrawal, your administration made a series of false assurances to the American people and our allies regarding the situation on the ground. The contrast between your Administration’s official spin and the reality on the ground revealed a bewildering lack of coherence, strategy, and fundamental transparency. It appeared repeatedly as if your Administration was engaging in a deliberate effort to conceal the truth and mislead the American public. On August 31, new evidence emerged that suggests this is exactly what you have been doing since the start of this operation,” the letter reads.
“A troubling new revelation arose that demands immediate explanation. Reuters released excerpts from a July 23 conversation between yourself and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in which you reportedly pressure Ghani to ‘project a different picture’ than the reality on the ground ‘whether it is true or not.’ The transcripts also indicate that you promised to provide air support to the Afghan military, a vow you never fulfilled,” the lawmakers continued.
“This damning phone call further erodes your credibility and the confidence of the American people in your ability to lead. Your disturbing emphasis on ‘perception,’ a term you used four times in the Reuters excerpts of the call with Ghani, over substance and truth demands scrutiny and accountability,” they added. (RELATED: ‘Whether It Is True Or Not’: Biden Reportedly Urged Afghan President To Convince The World They Had Taliban Under Control)
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“We hereby request that you make the full, unedited and unredacted transcripts of your July 23 conversation with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani public so Congress can determine the degree to which you may have deliberately misled the American people leading up to and during this disastrously executed operation. You must provide a more fulsome picture of the events that led to the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Congress has a duty to oversee the Executive. The American people deserve answers and clarity. We urge that your administration expeditiously releases the full transcripts of the call,” the lawmakers concluded. (RELATED: Biden White House Spins, Dodges And Stops Short On Questions About What Went Wrong In Afghanistan)
The Daily Caller contacted the White House about the letter to which they did not immediately respond.