Is he telling the truth?
In a recent post-presidency interview, former President Donald Trump discussed Afghanistan-related matters despite no longer having foreign policy authority, according to exclusive audio obtained by NBC News.
“I’m focused on this because I’m dealing with the whole Afghanistan thing,” Trump conveyed to author Ramin Setoodeh during the interview for Setoodeh’s book “Apprentice in Wonderland.” Setoodeh had previously noted Trump’s perception that he retained some foreign policy influence, a view Setoodeh discussed in a CNN interview.
President Joe Biden had earlier restricted Trump’s access to intelligence briefings typically available to former presidents. When questioned about Trump’s comments on Afghanistan, Steven Cheung, communications director for the Trump campaign, criticized Biden’s handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal as “botched,” citing the loss of 13 service members and asserting that Biden would face lasting consequences for this decision.
However, Cheung did not address why Trump was discussing foreign policy matters despite no longer holding office.
Setoodeh, in an MSNBC interview, raised doubts about Trump’s recollection, highlighting inconsistencies in Trump’s memory regarding recent events and their conversations. Setoodeh noted Trump’s sharper recall of details from his reality TV show compared to his White House tenure, describing Trump’s short-term memory as foggy and prone to confusion.
Both Biden and Trump, at 81 and 78 years old respectively, have faced scrutiny over their cognitive fitness for office. Cheung’s statement to NBC News criticized Setoodeh’s portrayal of Trump’s memory, accusing him of bias and dismissing his observations as symptomatic of anti-Trump sentiment.
Polling indicates that concerns about the candidates’ ages and mental acuity are prominent among voters, with Biden facing greater scrutiny in this regard compared to Trump.
