Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki has agreed to sit down with the House Foreign Affairs Committee this month to discuss the Biden administration’s tumultuous withdrawal from Afghanistan.
This interview, set for July 26, follows nearly a year of negotiations and is a critical component of the committee’s extensive investigation into the events of August 2021.
Psaki, who currently hosts a show on MSNBC, will provide a transcribed interview as part of the investigation led by Committee Chairman Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX).
The agreement to participate comes just before McCaul plans to release a detailed report on the withdrawal, scheduled for publication ahead of the upcoming November elections.
The committee’s primary focus will be on the inconsistencies between the information Psaki received from National Security Council adviser Jake Sullivan and what was communicated to the public.
As press secretary, Psaki’s role was to inform the public about the administration’s actions, making her testimony pivotal to understanding potential miscommunications or deliberate misinformation.
The withdrawal from Afghanistan, initially set by the Trump administration for May 2021, was extended by President Biden to September 11, 2021. However, the situation deteriorated rapidly by mid-August, leading to a hasty evacuation and the tragic suicide bombing at Hamid Karzai International Airport, which resulted in the deaths of 13 American service members and 170 Afghan civilians.
In correspondence with the committee, White House Deputy Counsel Rachel Cotton pointed to the need to balance executive branch confidentiality with the committee’s investigative needs.
Cotton’s letter, which was acquired by Fox News Digital, acknowledged the complexity of the situation but expressed a willingness to facilitate Psaki’s participation under agreed terms.
Republican investigators are particularly interested in understanding whether Psaki knowingly disseminated false information or if she was misled by senior administration officials.
This investigation aims to clarify whether the Biden administration prioritized political considerations over accurate public communication.
Rep. McCaul has been a vocal critic of President Biden’s handling of the withdrawal. In response to Biden’s omission of the 13 service members’ deaths during a recent debate, McCaul strongly condemned the president on the House floor, reciting the names of the fallen soldiers and accusing Biden of misrepresenting the facts.
The upcoming report from McCaul’s committee is expected to provide a thorough examination of the administration’s decisions and actions leading up to and during the withdrawal.
The report aims to highlight the failures that resulted in a chaotic evacuation, the Taliban’s swift takeover, and the broader implications for U.S. foreign policy and national security.
As the date of Psaki’s interview approaches, the political ramifications of her testimony are becoming increasingly significant. The findings from this investigation could influence public opinion and have a substantial impact on the forthcoming elections.