Trump criticizes abandonment of military equipment in Afghanistan after Venezuela attack

U.S. President Donald Trump has again criticized the U.S. abandonment of military equipment in Afghanistan, saying the decision damaged America’s global standing, while claiming the country is now regaining respect on the world stage.

Speaking in an interview with Fox News following a recent attack in Venezuela that led to the arrest of President Nicolas Maduro, Trump contrasted the current state of U.S. military power with what he described as the situation after the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“We have a country now that is respected,” Trump said. “I rebuilt the military in my first term, and they gave a little chunk of it away — but it was a lot. They gave it to Afghanistan so stupidly.”

Trump argued that the pullout made the United States appear weak internationally, saying, “Compare this to Afghanistan, where we were a laughingstock all over the world. We are not a laughingstock anymore.”

He went on to assert that the U.S. military is now stronger than ever, claiming it possesses unmatched capabilities and equipment. “Now we have the greatest military in the world by far. We have the greatest military equipment in the world by far,” he said.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the manner of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, which occurred under President Joe Biden’s administration.

The Biden administration has defended the decision, arguing that the withdrawal ended a two-decade-long war and followed an agreement negotiated during Trump’s presidency.