On Friday’s broadcast of CNN’s “OutFront,” Sen. Ben Cardin (D-MD) said that he “did not hear” that Americans have been beaten by the Taliban in Kabul at a briefing with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley that he took part in earlier that day and “our information is that we’re getting Americans to the airport and out and that they’re not being harmed. So, I have not heard of Americans being harmed.”
Host Kate Bolduan asked, “Defense Secretary Austin told House members on a call this afternoon, Americans have been beaten by the Taliban in Kabul. Did Austin tell you the same?”
Cardin responded, “No. We did not hear that at our briefing. Let me tell you, I agree with you that we should have been able to predict the chaos that is occurring today. We had information about how the Taliban could likely control the country. We should have been prepared to take necessary steps faster. But as far as Americans are concerned, our information is that we’re getting Americans to the airport and out and that they’re not being harmed. So, I have not heard of Americans being harmed.”
He later added, “We asked questions, what happens to someone who’s not in Kabul that we’re trying to get to, how are they going to get that information? How are they safely going to be able to get to the airport? There [are] a lot of questions that went unanswered.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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