President Donald Trump has ordered the Pentagon to launch a new investigation into the chaotic 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, a move set to reignite one of the most contentious episodes of the Biden administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the probe’s findings are expected by mid-2026, strategically positioning their release just months before critical midterm congressional elections.
The decision comes as the nation marks the anniversary of the August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport, an attack that killed 13 U.S. service members and over 100 Afghans during a desperate evacuation. That event became a grim symbol of the U.S. departure, marking a definitive and humiliating end to America’s 20-year war in the country, a defeat widely compared to the fall of Saigon.
While the identity of the bomber remains debated, the central question for many Americans has always been one of accountability. The previous Biden administration was heavily criticized for its handling of the withdrawal, especially after President Biden publicly stated that a Taliban takeover was “highly unlikely” just weeks before Kabul fell. Initial inquiries led to congressional hearings but no significant dismissals, and President Biden preemptively pardoned General Mark Milley, then-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who could have been a central figure in any formal accountability process.
President Trump announced the new directive during a White House meeting with approximately thirty family members of the service members killed in the Kabul airport attack. Flanked by Vice President J.D. Vance and Defense Secretary Hegseth, Trump tasked the Pentagon with a thorough review. “I would expect the investigation to conclude by the middle of 2026,” Hegseth stated. “We will look at everything to understand exactly what happened.”
The choice of investigator has immediately drawn scrutiny. Secretary Hegseth has appointed his assistant for public affairs, Sean Parnell, to lead the sensitive task. Parnell, a six-year Army veteran who served as a paratrooper in Afghanistan, has no legal or investigative background. His primary qualification, aside from his military service, appears to be his unwavering loyalty to the Republican party and President Trump, having made several unsuccessful runs for office in Pennsylvania as a self-proclaimed “Trumpist.”
Commentators aligned with the Republican party make little secret of the investigation’s political purpose: to inflict maximum damage on Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The probe is expected to serve a dual function. Firstly, it will force a national media focus on what is considered the most significant foreign policy failure of the Biden years. Secondly, it aims to scrutinize the Democratic leadership’s role in the aftermath, particularly focusing on the circumstances surrounding General Milley’s pardon and raising questions about former President Biden’s decision-making capacity, suggesting others in the party may have orchestrated a cover-up.