In a speech marking his first joint campaign with his running mate, J.D. Vance, Donald Trump asserted that the Afghanistan crisis would never have happened if he had been president.
He also stated that he would have retained control of Bagram Air Base, which he claims is now under China's control.
Trump reminded the audience that in August 2021, 13 American soldiers were killed at Kabul Airport. He made these remarks on Saturday, 20 July, during a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Trump has repeatedly criticised Joe Biden for the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling it "shameful."
Two days prior, on the final day of the Republican National Convention, Trump reiterated his criticism of Biden for evacuating Bagram Air Base and leaving military equipment worth $85 billion in Afghanistan. He emphasised that Bagram's significance is not due to Afghanistan but because it is located an hour from China's border.
On Saturday, he also criticised Biden's policies toward China, stressing that if he becomes president, he will revive his previous administration's policies against Beijing, including imposing tariffs on Chinese goods to counter China's influence in the US market. He mentioned having a good relationship with the Chinese President and knowing how to deal with him.
Trump referred to his administration's policies regarding North Korea, claiming that his direct engagement with Kim Jong-un had brought the country's behaviour under control. He also mentioned Iran, adding that during his tenure, the Islamic Republic was bankrupt and had no money, but now it has acquired $250 billion. Trump noted that his administration would handle Iran and any other necessary situations.
Regarding Elon Musk's support, Trump expressed his opposition to the expansion of electric vehicles but noted that he has a good relationship with Musk, the CEO of Tesla, and has his support in the election. Trump mentioned that Musk has contributed $45 million monthly to his campaign, despite never questioning Trump's opposition to electric vehicles. He believes that while he does not want to harm the electric vehicle industry, these vehicles should not dominate the entire market.
Trump also warned about possible election fraud, emphasising that according to polls, he is leading by a significant margin in most US states. He repeated allegations of fraud in the 2020 election, warning that the only thing that could prevent his victory in the 2024 election is interference with the actual results of the votes. He pointed out that Democrats are confused about their candidate, suggesting that they have no idea who their candidate is.
Trump said, "The Democrats say I'm a threat to democracy. But I'll tell you what I've done for democracy. Last week, I took a bullet for democracy."