GOP Rep. Byron Donalds calls on Biden to resign after Afghanistan crisis

close

Video

Byron Donalds: 'The White House doesn't care about inflation'

Florida GOP Rep. Byron Donalds slams White House for massive spending push, Republican senators join with Dems on infrastructure package

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., on Monday demanded that President Biden resign immediately over his "botched" withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, which led to a complete Taliban-takeover of the country within days. 

"President Joseph R. Biden has abdicated his responsibility and duties entrusted to him as President of the United States. This blatant abdication of his office is grounds for President Biden to resign immediately," Donalds, who represents Florida's 19th congressional district, including Cape Coral and Fort Myers, said in a statement.

INTEL ASSESSMENT SAID TALIBAN COULD TAKE OVER IN MONTHS, DEFENSE SECRETARY AUSTIN ACKNOWLEDGES

"It has become clear that President Biden has lost complete and total confidence of the American people through his haphazard decision to withdraw from Afghanistan," he continued. "This botched withdrawal is currently threatening the lives of our servicemen and women, the stability in the region, and our integrity on the global stage."

Donalds said Biden failed in his duties to command the U.S. military with a "coherent, strategically intelligent, and sound operation" and thus left it in harm’s way.

"As an elected member of the United States House of Representatives, I swore an oath to protect our Constitution, and I take that solemn responsibility with the utmost seriousness," Donalds’ statement read. "In good faith, I cannot look my constituents in the eye, many of whom are veterans, and tell them that the President of the United States can perform the duties entrusted to him by the Constitution. Calling on the leader of the free world to resign his office immediately weighs heavy on my heart, but this must happen to restore American’s safety both at home and abroad, our honor, and faith in the Chief Executive to faithfully execute the duties of the Presidency. 

"President Joseph R. Biden must resign immediately."

Biden is facing international scorn for his handling of the U.S. military drawdown in Afghanistan, which saw Taliban insurgents retake the country in a matter of 11 days, 20 years after their ouster by U.S.-led forces. The president has repeatedly defended pulling troops out of the country, while tens of thousands of U.S. citizens, Afghan allies and other Afghans vulnerable to Taliban reprisal are desperately trying to flee through Kabul's airport, which has been surrounded by insurgents.

Biden assured Americans just last month that a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan was not likely and that he trusted "the capacity of the Afghan military." The president largely avoided cameras during the debacle, watching it unfold from the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland.

Biden was fiercely criticized Wednesday, three days after the collapse of Kabul, after he gave public remarks about COVID-19 and failed to address the situation in Afghanistan or take any questions.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Meanwhile, Vice President Kamala Harris, who previously said she had a key role in Biden’s decision to withdraw from Afghanistan, arrived in Singapore on Sunday and has been notably silent on the developments in Afghanistan except for a few tweets defending the pullout. A video showing her laughing with reporters before briefly discussing the crisis surfaced on social media Monday.

Donalds shared the video Monday morning and criticized Harris, who would replace Biden in the event of his resignation, for her "lack of leadership."