Republicans work to put Afghanistan at center of election cycle

Three years after the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, Democrats and Republicans are launching a fresh wave of attacks and counterattacks on who is to blame for the debacle, all with an eye toward the November ballot.

The battle of the “who screwed up Afghanistan” narrative is playing out across Washington in the form of congressional investigations, cable news hits and statements from campaign proxies.

Republicans released a new investigation over the weekend, particularly well-timed for former President Donald Trump’s campaign ahead of Tuesday’s debate, that puts the blame for the way the U.S. departed Afghanistan squarely on President Joe Biden (and now Kamala Harris).

“The administration’s unconditional surrender and the abandonment of our Afghan allies, who fought alongside the U.S. military against the Taliban — their brothers in arms — is a stain on this administration,” said Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee who led the investigation. “I will use every tool in my belt to compel both men to answer for the catastrophic failure of epic proportions their decisions caused.”