Gutfeld: Calling Biden's withdrawal from Afghanistan a success is like 'polishing a turd'
Comment came after the Pentagon announced all US troops have departed Afghanistan
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News host Greg Gutfeld said that calling President Biden's Afghanistan withdrawal a success would be like "polishing a turd" in an appearance on "The Five" Monday.
Gutfeld made the comment moments after Marine Corps Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr. announced that the last of the U.S. troops stationed at the Kabul airport had left, completing the military’s drawdown in the country, even though hundreds of Americans likely remain.
LAST US TROOPS HAVE DEPARTED AFGHANISTAN
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fox News foreign correspondent Trey Yingst joined the segment from Qatar and described the sentiment among the Americans and Afghan allies left behind under Taliban control.
"The United States doesn’t have much leverage over the Taliban for negotiating the safe passage of the Americans and estimated 10,000 special immigrant visa holders, Afghans helping the U.S. over 20 years," Yingst said "It’s a dire situation on the ground."
"This was not a successful airlift. I’m sorry. It wasn’t," Gutfeld interjected.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"This is the worst military operation I’ve ever seen," he continued. "And it had nothing to do with the military. It had to do with a government that let them down. We are the greatest military on Earth, and we have to rely on the Taliban. Just putting that sentence together makes you sad."
Gutfeld emphasized that while he is "happy we're getting out of there," viewers must not forget how "awful this was, how it let down a lot of people."
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"There are a lot of veterans looking at this and they’re sick to their stomach," the host said. "I think the idea of saying ‘how successful this is,’ we're polishing a turd."
President Biden told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos during an interview on Aug. 18 that the U.S. military objective in Afghanistan was to get "everyone" out, including Americans and Afghan allies and their families.
A senior State Department official told Fox News on Monday that there is still a "small number" of Americans who are in Afghanistan.