With just weeks to go before the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, former President Donald Trump suggested the man behind them, Osama bin Laden, wasn’t that bad and only had “one hit.”
Trump made the callous and false comment during an interview about the crisis in Afghanistan on conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt’s show Thursday morning.
After trashing President Joe Biden’s handling of the U.S. withdrawal from the country, Trump bragged about two terror chiefs killed under his own administration: ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani.
He claimed that both men were much bigger targets than bin Laden, who was killed in 2011 under former President Barack Obama’s leadership.
“Now, just so you understand, Soleimani is bigger by many, many times than Osama bin Laden,” Trump said. “The founder of ISIS is bigger by many, many times, al-Baghdadi, than Osama bin Laden.”
“Osama bin Laden had one hit, and it was a bad one, in New York City, the World Trade Center,” Trump said, ignoring Bin Laden’s other deadly attacks. “But these other two guys were monsters. They were monsters.”
“And I kept saying for years, why aren’t they getting them? For years, I said it,” Trump continued. “I got them. The press doesn’t talk about it. They don’t talk about it because they don’t want to talk about it.”
Bin Laden was a founder of al-Qaeda and the mastermind behind multiple mass-casualty terror attacks, including the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings that killed more than 200 people and the 2000 bombing of the USS Cole, which killed 17 U.S. Navy sailors. He also oversaw the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center towers and Pentagon that killed nearly 3,000 people.
The former president also blustered that he “got 100%” of ISIS.
“ISIS is tougher than the Taliban, and nastier than the Taliban. And ISIS was watching, and then they were, they didn’t exist anymore,” he said.
At least 12 U.S. troops and 60 Afghans are dead after two suicide bombers and gunmen attacked crowds at the Kabul airport on Thursday. The Pentagon believes the attack was carried out by an Islamic State offshoot group, named ISIS-K.
Trump has repeatedly railed against Biden over his handling of Afghanistan since it was overthrown by Taliban insurgents, even though Trump cut a peace deal with the Taliban last year that included a withdrawal of U.S. troops by May 1 and the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.
