FactCheck.org: ‘Schumer Falsely Claims ‘All’ Americans Got Out of Afghanistan’

FactCheck.org reported on Sept. 7 that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.) had falsely claimed in an interview with NewsChannel 9 (based in Syracuse, New York) that “all” Americans who wanted to get out of Afghanistan did get out.

FactCheck.org also noted that a Schumer spokesperson had admitted that the senator’s statement had been false.

In an interview at the New York State Fair, Andrew Donovan of NewsChannel 9 asked Schumer: “We’ve heard a lot of the pull out of Afghanistan would have gone somewhat poorly no matter who did it. But it’s on Joe Biden’s watch as president. How will what happened effect Democrats’ chances going into the midterms?”

Schumer said in the beginning of his response: “They’ll be a job for congressional oversight. There always is. But at the moment, actually, I’m still focused on trying to get some of those brave Afghans out. The Americans, all of whom wanted to come out, have come out. Praise God. But there are a lot of Afghans who risked their lives for our soldiers and others. Many got out, some didn’t. And I’m still working on trying to get some of them out.”

“A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has conceded that the New York Democrat falsely claimed that ‘all’ Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan ‘have come out,’” FactCheck,org said in its analysis of Schumer’s statement. “Government officials say that fewer than 100 U.S. citizens, and an unknown number of U.S. legal permanent residents, who want to leave Afghanistan are still in the country.”

FactCheck.org further stated: “But the U.S. military did not evacuate all Americans who wanted to leave before the last soldier departed Afghanistan. In his Aug. 31 speech on ending the 20-year war in Afghanistan, President Joe Biden said that the vast majority of Americans who wanted to get out had already been evacuated, with about ‘100 to 200 Americans’ who intend to leave still in the country. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in an Aug. 30 speech that the figure of Americans remaining was ‘likely closer to 100.”

Here is a transcript of the exchange on the Afghanistan withdrawal between Andrew Donovan of NewsChannel 9 and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D.-N.Y.):

Andrew Donovan of NewsChannel 9: “Well, you bring up veterans and why it’s such a poignant time. We’ve heard a lot of the pull out of Afghanistan would have gone somewhat poorly no matter who did it. But it’s on Joe Biden’s watch as president. How will what happened effect Democrats’ chances going into the midterms?”

Sen. Chuck Schumer: “They’ll be a job for congressional oversight. There always is. But at the moment, actually, I’m still focused on trying to get some of those brave Afghans out. The Americans, all of whom wanted to come out, have come out. Praise God. But there are a lot of Afghans who risked their lives for our soldiers and others. Many got out, some didn’t. And I’m still working on trying to get some of them out.

“A particularly poignant story: There’s a orchestra of young people, co-ed, the Taliban hates them. They hate music, and they hate boys and girls performing. We tried to get them out. I spoke to Gen. [Mark] Milley about a number of different cases, including that one. They got up to the gate and the Taliban checkpoint turned them back.

“So, now the hope is we can figure out a way. The State Department has worked out the borders are going to be safe to cross for three or four countries, and maybe they can get out that way. But, so right now, the focus is still on trying to get some of these folks out, and then there’ll be time for oversight.”

Article originally appeared on CNS News –> Read More