Rep. Ronny Jackson: Constituents Stranded in Kabul After U.S. Evacuation

Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) said Monday his Texas constituents are stranded in Afghanistan while the State Department is not working to help them.

“I have U.S. citizens from my district that are stuck in Kabul right now,” said Jackson, who was the physician to the president during the Obama and Trump administrations. “They have tried numerous times to make it through the checkpoints and get to the gate. They have been at the airport and the U.S. State Department has done absolutely nothing to help them.”

“They went this last time at 5am this morning, Kabul time, to try one last time to get out. The 15-year-old son was beaten and the mother had a gun put to her head,” Jackson continued. “The Taliban told her that they did not care who she was and that they did not care about her passport and that if she came back, they would kill her.”

“We are in an intense national security crisis right now overseas. Congress needs to be involved in what is happening,” Jackson added. Jackson’s account of his stranded constituents come as the U.S. military completed their evacuation and flew away Monday afternoon, leaving American citizens, military gear, and U.S. military working dogs to the Taliban.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie announced in a Pentagon press conference America’s departure Monday afternoon but acknowledged that “We did not get everyone out that we wanted to get out.” Shortly after McKenzie’s comments, Secretary State Department Blinken attempted to assure Americans diplomatic efforts will continue without any diplomats in Afghanistan.

“We will continue our relentless efforts to help Americans, foreign nationals, and Afghans leave Afghanistan if they choose,” Blinken said. “Our commitment to them holds no deadline.”

Blinken’s assurances that the State Department would continue to rescue Americans contrasted reports on the ground. Monday evening, CNN confirmed Jackson’s constituents are still in Afghanistan.

“They had been going to the airport for two weeks trying desperately to get out. They all have American passports,” CNN’s Clarissa Ward reported. “They couldn’t get past the Taliban.”

Americans stranded in Afghanistan run counter to what President Joe Biden told George Stephanopoulos on August 19.

“Cause we’ve got, like, 10,000 to 15,000 Americans in the country right now, right?” Stephanopoulos pressed. “And are you committed to making sure that the troops stay until every American who wants to be out–”

“Yes,” Biden said, interrupting.

CNN’s Kaitlan Collins reflected on Biden’s answer Monday by acknowledging the president broke his promise. “U.S. troops would remain on the ground until every single American who wanted to leave Afghanistan had left Afghanistan,” Collins said. But “the bottom line is there are still Americans in Afghanistan who want to leave.”

Meanwhile, a top Taliban official celebrated America’s deadly evacuation as winning their freedom back.

“Afghanistan is finally free,” Hekmatullah Wasiq told the Associated Press. “The military and civilian side (of the airport) are with us and in control. Hopefully, we will be announcing our Cabinet. Everything is peaceful. Everything is safe.”

Follow Wendell Husebø on Twitter @WendellHusebø.