Federalist Publisher Ben Domenech filled in for host Jimmy Failla on the Fox News podcast, “Fox Across America” Monday where he discussed the ensuing crisis in Afghanistan with Republican Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher, Fox Nation host Lara Logan, and Hudson Institute Senior Fellow Rebeccah L. Heinrichs.
“To me, a big part of this goes back to the question of what we ultimately wanted to achieve in Afghanistan,” Domenech said. “Obviously, the ground on that shifted. We originally went in thanks to George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfield and others. We had a mindset of a light campaign.”
However, the publisher described how this is a now moment of reckoning for America and the state of foreign policy.
“We have to recognize that in this instance that this is a perfect example of what happens when you have a foreign policy that is run by bureaucrats and not by commanders-in-chief,” Domenech said.
Gallagher joined the show to discuss his reaction to the withdrawal and why people on both sides of the political aisle ought to be able to agree that the Biden administration handled matters in an inefficient way.
“Reasonable people can disagree about whether we should have continued our presence or sought to responsibly reduce that presence down, potentially to zero. …I’m not sure how anyone watching what’s happening can defend the way in which the Biden administration has gone about it,” Gallagher said.
Domenech asked Gallagher if there “should be consequences” for those in government that participated in the poorly executed withdrawal, to which the Republican said yes.
“I do,” Gallagher said. “What I’m seeing right now is that it’s really just an operational fiasco that astounds me. So, someone needs to be held accountable.”
Listen to the full episode here.
