JUST IN: Trump-Vance Campaign Holds Press Conference On The 'Disastrous' 2021 Afghanistan Withdrawal

of us and the people of the United States they stand in front of us as a shield so that we can continue to enjoy the freedoms that God bestowed upon us um today is a uh what do I say it's a sad day um there is in the anniversary of today uh a certain I I don't know how to describe it but there's a certain sense of um Joy is not the word I know left likes to use that word but it's it's the anniversary of a completely avoidable tragic event where 13 of the best of us men and women who were stationed in Afghanistan because they believe in this country who love this country who love the world right you know we've talked before In This Very office about chesterton's quote about how the people who fight for us do not fight because they hate what is in front of them they fight because they love what they are shielding what stands behind them right um but that was completely avoidable but the fact that we are standing here you know there there is a a sense of Love of um Fellowship that is born out of the battle when you go I I am not one who can't speak to that I have observed that I am incredibly proud of of the people who protect our country I am honored by them uh but the people that we lost on this anniversary of the catastrophic abject failure of leadership in the Afghanistan withdrawal and for anyone who wants to talk about President Trump authorizing this and president Trump authorize that okay president Trump wanted to draw down to bring people home to stop an endless useless never ending war that feeds a machine that has completely lost track of the entire purpose of the milit of the United States of America which is last time I check to protect the United States of America and our interests here and abroad uh you know he was advised like to to hold off does anyone think he would have given up that uh that position uh no you know does anyone think that President Trump had had stayed in office that we would be watching gigantic parades of the Taliban marching around with you know hundreds of millions of dollars of American military equipment that is allowing them to suppress their own people no it's shocking to me that people would purport to uh think such a thing we honor the families uh and the people that we lost the 13 brave men and women that we lost on the anniversary of the fall of Afghanistan where uh the people around the world were were forced to watch as people tried to fling themselves upon departing aircraft I haven't seen such a thing uh in my lifetime I'm honored Again by everybody that is with us and I want to just take a minut minute to note something something that Camala Harris said okay so when you're talking about a person who needs to be the commanderin-chief what does it mean to be the commander-in-chief we have civilian Le military in this country because President Washington laid down um his role as the commander of the forces uh of the colonial army because I in and again that's why we honor uh President Washington but we have civilian leadership and with that comes a duty and a responsibility so Camala Harris is very proud to say she was the last one in the room I was the last one in the room I fully support this plan to just leave billions of dollars of military equipment and all of our allies behind and withdraw with no support for the men and women on the ground so people need to hold or to account for that and everyone needs to remember the world is a dangerous place it is more dangerous now than it ever has been in my lifetime and that is because of the complete abject failure of leadership at the top of our chain of command no one knows who's leading this country I can assure everyone who's listening Camala Harris is has not demonstrated the ability to lead she can't do an interview much less face leaders on the world stage who would like nothing better than to tople the greatest nation that has ever lived God bless all the families and everybody who gives up everything for us I would like to introduce the amazing Congressman Eli crane um Congressman crane enlisted after 911 he served as a Navy SE own special operations he understands what it's like to be in the heat of the battle he understands what leadership is and he understands what leadership isn't please join me in welcoming El yeah thank [Applause] you thank you guys for coming out today I want to say thanks to uh my brothers all the veterans and their families who are showed up today and supporting this press conference and just the message that we have to send thank you guys for your service and sisters that's right brothers and sisters thank you um I also do want to take time to honor um the men that we lost um at Abby gate the 13 service members and also uh I believe Tyler Vargas is his name the uh Marine who's missing his arm and his leg who came home um but what this press conference to me is really about is what I think it they would want it to be about and making sure that this never happens again and for that to be possible we actually have to have strong leadership and I think we have to delineate between the strong leadership that we had in the past with President Trump who didn't get us into any Foreign Wars though everybody in the media um and all of his haters and detractors said that he would he didn't get us into any Foreign Wars and he was actually great for veterans uh he signed the mission act which would allow veterans to go out into the private sector and get Healthcare and when I talk to Veterans I'm on the Veteran affair um committee up in Washington DC when I talk to Veterans it's one of the things that they're the most appreciative of but I want to talk a little bit about Camala Harris and what uh Miss woa just said um about how she did confirm that she was the last person in that room and she did sign off of and I want to go through what she signed off on all right she signed off on leaving $7 billion of US taxpayer funded equipment behind that's now being used to oppress some of our allies around the world kill some of our allies in that region it's also being sold and being those profits are being used to fund terrorism around the world and when I saw the report of what was being left behind the thing that actually concerned me the most was the night vision equipment a lot of people don't understand uh Modern Warfare and how important that is and I can tell you as somebody who participated in three wartime deployments in Iraq um what a foolish maneuver that was because we own the night our enemies they don't like to fight us at night because we have night vision capability and so by leaving that equipment behind you're ensuring that our allies and our sons and daughters who have to go back into that region and fight some of our adversaries are going to be killed and come home in boxes because we left much of this equipment behind that's exactly what Kamala Harris signed off on I also want to talk about the Allies that we left behind that fought alongside us for 20 years men and women who gave up their lives who sacrificed their families fighting alongside us that we just left there many of them are still in hiding today many of them have been killed many of them have seen their family members their daughters their wives raped tortured and murdered in front of us Cala Harris signed off on that we also left behind intelligence very crucial intelligence like Biometrics that are now being used to hunt down those very allies that we left behind we also evacuated 120,000 Afghans without vetting them though we were told they were being vetted who now came into this country we don't know who they are we don't know where they're going and we don't know what their intentions are does that remind you of something else maybe our wide open Southern border because that's what I think about and Americans are a lot less safe because of that foolish decision the foolish decision to pull out the men and women with Firearms our service members before the evacuation and I want to reiterate something that Miss wadz said president Trump like myself and like many other Americans wanted to leave Afghanistan we wanted to leave Afghanistan it's not a question of if we wanted to leave Afghanistan it's a question of how we were going to do it and I want to remind you again that Kamala haris signed off on this plan I don't know if you guys know this but we're also this Administration is also sending between 40 and 8 $7 million a week to the Taliban the very terrorist organization that our service members were fighting for 20 years we are funding terrorism this Administration is funding terrorism all right we also left behind bogram Air Base that the taxpayers paid for why is that a problem because of its strategic location to Iran China and Russia some of our most deadly aders Aries around the world we had an air base there that we could have conducted operations and continued to conduct operations and we just left it behind like all of that equipment goes to show once again how foolish this Administration is the last thing I want to talk about before I turn the mic over is how completely unable and unqualified Cala Harris is to have this job do you know why I know she's unqualified and incapable to hold this position because she can't even do the very thing that I'm doing right now she cannot talk to the Press she's incapable of talking to you guys the Press how does that make you guys feel as you sit there and look at me behind your cameras she won't even talk to you you know why she won't talk to you because her team is terrified at what she might say her team is terrified that if she opens her mouth it will ruin this false phony narrative that she's some moderate problemsolving change agent is that the type of person that we want in charge of the most powerful country in the history of the world in charge of the most powerful military in the history of the world who's going to have to go talk to President Vladimir Putin she from China the Ayatollah in Iran is that who we want somebody who can't even talk to journalists it's not who I want as the commander-in-chief so I'll I'll ask you guys again what's it going to take for you guys in the media to quit covering for these people what's it going to take for those of you guys that are getting ready to cast your vote for somebody who at at best case scenario is a socialist worst case scenario is a communist is are you going to have to stand in a bread line and wait to get food for your family is that what it's going to take huh maybe it's your private property that they're going to steal from you and then give it to somebody who didn't work for it is that what what it's going to take God I hope not I hope we never get the chance to find out what this vice president is capable of because and I know some of you guys poo poo that and you say oh Eli what are you talking about she's not a socialist she's not a communist really then why does she talk about equal outcomes why does the vice president candidate that she picked to run alongside her on the ticket why did he say that one man's socialism is another man's neighborliness huh tell me that these are the most debunked ideologies in the history of the world and if you want to go look at a couple experiments same people same time same ethnicity same religions go look at go look at Germany East and West Germany go look at Korea North South Korea one side was capitalistic the other side totalitarian in nature how did that work out where would you rather live so for all of you folks out there that haven't figured it out government increased government is never the solution It's usually the problem and these people are going to continue is even ones that have been in power for four years are going to try and convince you that they're going to make your lives better and she's so phony that she's now trying to tell you that this very border that she was tasked to secure she's going to fix it right she's going to fix it the borders are right no she's not and so that's why this election is so important and that's why it's so important that we cast our vote be behind somebody who's already shown us that he can do it not only that showed us that he can bring back prosperity to this country but showed us that he could secure that southern border that he could make us safer again that's why this election is so important and at this point I want to turn it over to whoever you guys have next thank you guys for coming thank you Congressman so I want to tag on to something that um Eli said there's been a a little bit of talk in the media about President Trump's appearance at Arlington National Cemetery does anyone in the media think that they are qualified to lecture a family member who has lost their loved one fighting for this country because that's what some people in the media are doing right now president Trump loves our people he loves our military and he loves their families and he recognizes the pain that they are going through and if a member member of a military family that lost their loved one asks president Trump to come and be with them and asks for him to take a photo with them because all that they have left is a headstone of their loved one who gave everything for this country how dare you lecture them please look within I am honored to bring to you Janette Garcia Janette served in the Army for 5 years in Afghanistan when she was overseas she served in the female engagement team she is an actual combat veteran unlike Tim wal who apparently had a grammatical issue I'm from Queens I sometimes don't use the proper grammar despite the fact that my mother was for a Time an English teacher I have never accidentally said that I served overseas these are not grammatical errors these are lies we call them Stolen Valor when you talk about females in leadership there are many women that would be an outstanding commander-in-chief Camala Harris is not one of them we are funding the Taliban every week and they have forbidden women from singing their voices should not be heard it's a disgrace Janette is now serving on the Avendale city council she is here to share with us what it is like to be a veteran on the BR because she has lived it and she has seen it and we are honored to be here with her Janette please thank [Applause] you um elect I will start in January but thank you very much um I think a great point that Gina just made at the moment is the way that women are silenced in Afghanistan that people don't speak of as she mentioned I'm a combat veteran but most importantly my job in Afghanistan was part of a female engagement team I saw how oppressed women were they actually were not allowed out of their homes that is why they had to come up with a special team of females to go in there and to speak to them these women have not seen the outside of their four walls that theyve lived in their entire lives I don't want that here in the United States um I'm here speaking today because as someone who served in Afghanistan it is troubling to witness the horrific withdrawal that happened 3 years ago when I saw the women that passed away they happened to be the same age I was when I was deployed it was heartbreaking cuz I thought man that could have been me you know it's it's really sad that they don't take accountability for their actions this Administration does not realize what they did in doing that leaving all of that equipment the way they hurt the veteran the military Community they don't apologize for it they just make excuses and I'm tired of it and the fact that the media lets them continue the lies lets them continue the propaganda that they do is is disgusting to be honest with you and as a combat veteran as a woman who knows what's real and what what can happen here in the United States I don't understand how you as a media personnel or whatever you guys call yourselves because I don't know if you guys are doing news anymore it's just like you guys are pushing a specific narrative that's not true anymore I'm actually a little shaky because I'm like so mad but as a woman seeing vice president Camala Harris being the female choice of candidate as to be the first president of the United States is not something I want to see I will fight every day to ensure that people know the truth about what she said about her laughing about having an open border that open border is not only catastrophic for us here in Arizona but all of the United States the amount of fentanyl coming through there affects the families here in my own community in Avendale in our communities here in Phoenix it's all it's going all the way up to New York up to Washington and I'm tired of seeing it I'm tired of hearing stories of families that have lost their loved ones due to the fentom as a first generation American and a daughter of immigrants I don't want to see people from my country I'm from my parents are from Guatemala being lied to told they're going to get something and being raped and murdered on their way here like that is just very sad to see and this is due to the Biden and Camala Administration if that doesn't ter your break your heart to know that people are being used for personal gain for financial gain then you really don't have a heart and you don't see what is actually happen happening at the border now here in the United States as many as 9,000 American citizens and 150 Afghans who assisted the United States have been left behind in Afghanistan and I bring this up I know Congressman uh crane also brought it up but I worked alongside some of those men who were my interpreters I had a call that very next day is how can you help me get out of here can you send somebody to save me me and my family are hiding in a cave at the moment I couldn't do anything about it here in the United States but they risk their lives for me and now they're left out there and now I don't know what what has happened to them due to that disgusting withdraw Harris made no mention of the 13 US service members during the DC acceptance speech I don't think she's ever mentioned their names I don't think Tim Walls has either and that should really resonate with you as a US citizen that we have left behind and forgotten those 13 we haven't not these people behind me these are my brothers and sisters who speak out every day because we know what is but they don't and they continuously try to silence it and try to make it as if that was not as important as whatever they decided to do I'll I'll leave you guys with this as someone who loves my country Who has fought for it beside brave men and wom who has had to perform life-saving measures to one of my sisters the way that we left Afghanistan the way that Camala Harris does not want to acknowledge this the way that the lying Tim Walls thinks that it's a joke that a grammar error makes it okay for it to call himself a combat veteran I want you guys to know that your support for Donald J Trump one of the best is the best president in my lifetime will ensure that he protects US service members that he honors us and he does remember us and he will stand for us thank you Stolen Valor um it's my honor to introduce BJ Celly BJ joined the Air National Guard in 1988 he proudly served for 34 years thank you thank you BJ um he was part of Desert Shield desert storm he served under multiple administrations he's now a retired Master Sergeant someone who's actually qualified to wear that label um he's going to share more with us right now about why we need to send president Trump back there is no security coming our allies will not be our allies because we have a abandon them repeatedly in the field under the Biden Harris Administration Camala Harris will be more of the same we can't expect people to stand up under pain of persecution and death to stand by our side when we're in other countries and then abandon them and walk away and bring people here who we did not bet who we did not know who they are but we're going to leave behind our our proudest allies people all over the world that have stood with this country are wondering what in the heck is going on and I can tell you this ladies and gentlemen if we don't put Donald J Trump back in the White House to stand strong to assure our allies that we are by their side and that we're not going anywhere uh and that when we do get engaged it's only to protect the interest of the United States of America we're going to continue to be in a very bad place please join me in honoring BJ [Applause] Kelly hello um I just came up to say a few words about you know looking back on the three years after U the tragedy of Afghanistan um I was a crew chief so I took care of airplanes dealt with a lot of air Crews traveled the world and I think all service members would agree that uh you know your ideals are built on things like Integrity you know service before self um excellence in all we do um there are some other words I would use that uh a lot of service members count on um that have to do with trust and uh things like that honorable activities and and a lot of that um is built into the military from the bottom up and and the top down you know the top is setting out policies and the troops are following out those policies and it's kind of like an unsaid thing that you trust in the people that are sending you to war are sending you to an area and like uh the congressman spoke of before uh it's it's not the matter of pulling out it's the matter of how you do it and the way that was done it was tragic and pathetic and uh you know there's a there's an old saying that a lot of people have heard normally during like Memorial Day or whatever where it says that uh you know all gave some some and some gave all and makes me think of that because there are people that give that ultimate sacrifice and they're trusting in the people that set out those policies and not just the service members but the civilians um like was said before uh about interpreters and people that that Afghan group of people were counting on us and now they're being chased down uh their lives are at stake it's just uh something that's uh so serious it's hard to talk about um under my time in service I served under seven different administrations and some of the policies didn't change some of them were put down by our uh unit commanders and whatnot but this one came from a very high level and a lot of people signed off on it and if you look at the tragedy uh it just hard to believe it even happened U but with that you know I think we need strong leadership I know when I was in and Trump was in charge throughout everywhere I went uh around the world our military felt secure they felt taken care of they felt like somebody had their back and that they would never put down a policy such in such a way like this where lives were just lost so um we need to get somebody like Trump back in and he's already shown what he can do this isn't a matter of I promised to do this I promised to do that he can say I've already done it I've already secured our country built up our military there are a lot of adversaries out there that want to take us down and we should be on the side of defending our nation and making it strong and as president Trump has said this isn't just about Republicans Or democrats or Independents or people from different states it's about the whole United States it's about all of us so I'll just leave it at that um Never Surrender and never forget thank you so much BJ so you know as as we're wrapping up again president Trump uh loves this country he loves our men and women who serve in uniform he understands the sacrifices that their families make he would never let us down JD Vance has stepped up to serve he understands what it means to sacrifice the men and women standing behind me the families who lost 13 people at aby's gate because of the disastrous withdrawal of the Harris Biden Administration understand what sacrifice is we're not only supposed to provide for the common defense we're supposed to protect the blessings of liberty for ourselves and our posterity yes we're not going to do that under a Harris Biden Administration please remember the people who sacrifice everything please remember their families please do the right thing look at your fellow men and women who have served take politics out of it just long enough to remember that these are human beings that give up everything for us God bless them God bless all of you God Bless America thank you for coming today [Applause] than [Applause] have I ever told you how I so when I was a I had