Rep. Hunt: Trump Warned Taliban Leader Not to Harm ‘a Hair’ on Any American, Showed Him Photo of His Home
by Kristina Wong
Army veteran Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-TX) in a recent interview revealed then-President Donald Trump during Afghanistan withdrawal negotiations had warned the leader of the Taliban not to harm “a hair” on “a single American,” otherwise he would kill him.
Hunt, a West Point graduate, shared the story during a recent interview on the podcast The Sage Steele Show. He recalled:
I’ll give you one of my favorite [President] Trump story. This is my number one favorite of all time. When we were negotiating with the Taliban when President Trump was still the president, President Trump wanted to get out of Afghanistan but he wanted a conditions-based withdrawal — meaning that you do what we tell you to do, and we’ll start pulling troops back slowly, as long as you abide by our rules.
It’s President Trump and Mike Pompeo, and they are talking to the Taliban leadership in the room. And they had one translator in the room. President Trump looked at the Taliban leader and said this, ‘I want to leave Afghanistan, but it’s going to be a conditions-based withdrawal.’ And the translator translated. And he said, ‘If you harm a hair on a single American, I’m going to kill you.’ And the translator goes (Hunt mimics the translator), and Trump goes … ‘Tell him what I said.’ Reached in his pocket, pulled out a satellite photo of the leader of the Taliban’s home, and handed it to him. Got up, and walked out the room.
Do you know that for 18 months not a single American was killed in Afghanistan? That’s the definition of strength. … That’s how President Trump rolls.