Biden's Botched Afghanistan Withdrawal Is About to Get a Full Reckoning, Sean Parnell Reveals

Teri Christoph – RedState

"Department of War spokesperson Sean Parnell issued a rather lengthy social media update Thursday detailing the progress being made by the Afghanistan Withdrawal Special Review Panel, which was formed by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth – at the direction of President Trump – in May of 2025 to study the Biden administration's botched and "chaotic" withdrawal of U.S. military forces on August 26, 2021.

(The entirety of Parnell's tweet is included here.)

"At the time the panel was formed, Secretary Hegseth wrote, "President Trump and I have formally pledged full transparency for what transpired during our military withdrawal from Afghanistan. The Department of Defense has an obligation, both to the American people and to the warfighters who sacrificed their youth in Afghanistan, to get to the facts. This remains an important step toward regaining faith and trust with the American people and all those who wear the uniform and is prudent based on the number of casualties and equipment lost during the execution of this withdrawal operation."

"Parnell revealed Thursday that the panel had interviewed "key figures involved in the planning and execution of the withdrawal," reviewed more than 9 million documents related to the event, and concluded that a previous Department-wide review conducted by former SecDef Lloyd Austin was far too "narrow in scope." 

"He also said that the panel expects to have a final report ready in the coming months as part of the Trump administration's effort to deliver to the American people "a full and unflinching examination of the systemic, institutional, and leadership factors that contributed to the collapse."

"Thirteen U.S. troops were killed during botched withdrawal that occurred under Joe Biden's watch."

This Memorial Day let’s honor the 13 servicemembers who were kiIIed during Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.

Johanny Rosario Pichardo
Nicole L. Gee
Darin T. Hoover
Hunter Lopez
Daegan W. Page
Humberto A. Sanchez
David L. Espinoza
Jared M. Schmitz
Rylee J. McCollum
Dylan… pic.twitter.com/Yo4v1tbqUZ

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) May 27, 2024

READ MORE: Hegseth Wants Answers on Biden's Disastrous Afghanistan Withdrawal, Makes Major Announcement 

Principle over politics.: Justice Thomas Stands Up for the Declaration and Constitution

 The American Spectator | USA News and Politics   

"Yet without question, the Justice is widely admired by millions of his fellow Americans because he is unafraid to stand up for the Declaration and the Constitution  As well he should be admired."

PragerU

"The Fox News headline was straight to the point: “Justice Thomas warns progressivism is threat to America in rare public remarks,” as was the subtitle, “Thomas’s remarks urged young people to have courage and stand up for their ideals.”

"The story focused on the Justice’s recent remarks at the University of Texas at Austin. The Justice was appearing as a guest at a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. It noted that Thomas was the longest-serving Justice on the Court. And the wisdom Justice Thomas displayed in his remarks certainly was a sign of those years of experience and collective wisdom.

"Among other things, saying that the values of the Founders had “fallen out of favor,”  the Justice was calling on his audience to revisit and stand up for the principles that had the Founders writing the Declaration in the first place.

"Said the Justice: “I think if we don’t stand up and take ownership of our country, and take responsibility for it, we are slowly letting others control how we think and what we think.”

"He went on:

Progressivism seeks to replace the basic premises of the Declaration of Independence, and hence our form of government.

It holds that our rights and our dignities come not from God, but from the government. It requires of the people a subservience and a weakness incompatible with a Constitution premised on the transcendent origin of our rights.

"The Justice kept going, noting that there was an increase of “cynicism, rejection, hostility and animus” in America, something that was perpetuated “by Americans” and what he called the alleged “pragmatists” or self-described intellectuals.

They recast themselves as institutionalist, pragmatists or thoughtful moderates, all as a way of justifying their failures to themselves, their consciences, and their country." . . .

. . . "It is precisely because Justice Thomas is such a clear thinker about America, its future, and its past — added to the fact that he is both black and conservative — that caused his lefty opponents of the day, and even now, to go crazy when he expounds at length on America and its governing principles." . . .

Justice Clarence Thomas: Progressivism ‘Incompatible’ With America’s Founding Documents   "U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas spoke at the University of Texas at Austin this week, and while his talk covered a number of topics, the segment on progressivism stands out in an extraordinary way.

"Thomas spoke extensively about the roots of progressivism, especially as it pertains to American politics, and made it clear that he believes it is a philosophy that is fundamentally incompatible with America’s founding documents and principles.

"Fans of history will absolutely love this." . . .

More on California v. Nick Shirley

Bear in mind this is the state that produces Democrats like Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell, Maxine Waters, Sen. Alex Padilla, Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Gavin Newsom, and, well, we could go on and on with this Hollywood cast of a political sitcom. TD 

Thomas Yoderposted to; James Woods Fans

California Targets Nick Shirley - American Thinker   

. . . "The Supreme Court has long held that the First Amendment protects not merely the right to speak but the right to gather news and publish truthful information on matters of public concern, especially when taxpayer dollars are at stake. In New York Times Co. v. Sullivan (1964), the Court established that even harsh criticism of public programs and officials is shielded unless it involves provable falsehoods made with actual malice.  

. . . "This fits a familiar Sacramento pattern. When the ruling class dislikes what citizens discover about failing schools, street chaos, or slush-fund NGOs, it rewrites the rules to make discovery illegal. From campus speech codes to agricultural “ag-gag” laws and now this, the goal is always the same: shield favored constituencies from accountability. If signed by Governor Newsom, AB 2624 will face swift federal-court challenges from journalists, transparency advocates, and civil-liberties organizations. The First Amendment does not and should not permit the state to declare a special class of untouchables whose public activities may no longer be documented by citizens exercising their constitutional rights. Nick Shirley’s investigations and videos do not constitute "harassment"; they are the modern equivalent of the pamphleteers and investigative reporters the Founders sought to protect. California Democrats’ reckless attempt to silence scrutiny of taxpayer-funded programs is not merely bad policy; it is a direct assault on the constitutional foundations of self-government. The voters should remember who tried to ram it through."

Slimy Swalwell and His Slimy Democrat Friends  "The sexual assault allegations against Eric Swalwell have officially ousted him from the California governor’s race and led him to resign from Congress. The feeding frenzy that led Swalwell to his resignation was also fueled by the Democrats, who have left him to be ostracized by the American public.

"The Spectacle Podcast hosts Scott McKay and Melissa Mackenzie criticize Swalwell for his actions and speak on the compromised state of the Democratic Party. Scott and Melissa call out other Democrats for their deviant behavior, such as Adam Schiff and his association with sexual predator Ed Buck, and Gavin Newsom. They also discuss the Democrats who are complicit for their ties with China, such as Joe Biden, Mark Kelly, Barack Obama, and many more. (WATCH: The Spectator P.M. Ep. 205: The Impending Collapse of Eric Swalwell)" 

California Progressives Protect California Progressive Predators   

"Once again, Dems only care about predators when it means political losses for them."

. . . "Sex scandals remain a lone shred of bipartisanship in politics. The ability of California progressives to bottle up sex scandals stems from a very different force. In a one-party state, where Democrats dominate government and media, investigations into sexual predators with a “D” next to their name tend not to go very far.

"Just last month, women accused Cesar Chavez, for whom California celebrated a state holiday until this year, of raping and molesting them during the 1960s and 1970s." . . . 

Argus Hamilton posted:  "Nancy Pelosi led a host of Democrat power players in Washington who denied ever knowing Eric Swalwell had a sexual misconduct problem, when it was common knowledge in D.C. To be fair, I did hear one Democrat concede Eric has a zipper problem. He didn't say if it was his mouth or his pants."

About the Orion Spacecraft

 

Peek Inside NASA's Orion Spacecraft - Exclusive Tour

Beautiful video: ESA - Artemis II    . . . "The European Service Module has 33 thrusters, 11 km of electrical wiring, four propellant and two pressure tanks that all work together to supply propulsion and everything needed to keep astronauts alive far from Earth – there is no room for error." . . .

Artemis II captures breathtaking lunar views. See the photos

By golly, it IS round!

See inside Orion's tight quarters, now home to Artemis II astronauts

HUNDREDS in Iran reportedly executed amid internet blackout [while useful idiots on campus protest "war of choice"]

Fox News  

"Dr. Sheila Nazarian, a plastic surgeon who fled Iran as a child, discusses the regime's crackdown on protesters during 'America's Newsroom.'

California Introduces Stop Nick Shirley Act

Moonbattery

Conservative Tribune

"Nick Shirley is a genuine journalist, in stark contrast to the incurious propagandists comprising the liberal establishment media. To learn what would happen to genuine journalists were Democrats to consolidate power, look to places where leftism has prevailed, like China, Cuba — or California.

"California State Assemblymember Carl DeMaio sounds the alarm:

DeMaio is slamming state Democrats for voting to advance a controversial new law (AB 2624) to silence citizen journalists and shield taxpayer-funded organizations from public scrutiny.

"What DeMaio calls the “Stop Nick Shirley Act,” Democrats bleat is all about protecting the put-upon colonists they have imported from the Third World to displace American voters:

AB 2624 claims to be about protecting immigrant organizations from “threats of violence,” when in fact the legislation would apply to any left-wing group that claims to provide any services to legal or illegal immigrants. For example, under AB 2624 entities like the Somali “Learing” Daycare centers would all be covered if they operated inside California.

"These phony daycare centers set up to facilitate the massive fraud permitted by Democrats like Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison were famously exposed by Shirley.

AB 2624 would allow activists and taxpayer-funded organizations to demand the removal of video evidence — even if it captures misconduct in plain view — and threatens journalists with massive financial penalties. . ..  More...

Reasons to forgive [tone deaf] Trump his trespasses

 Andrea Widburg - American Thinker  

"Democrats have told us what they’re going to do: Pack the court, add two new states, open the borders completely, bow down to the Muslim world, escalate the lawfare they used to destroy their political opponents, double down on “transing our children,” make abortion unlimited, destroy Israel, etc."

"A friend called me today to say she was unhappy about the picture Trump posted and then deleted, in which he was shown ministering to a sick person. Although the image lacks the flowing hair and beard attributed to Christ in European and American religious iconography, it definitely has a Christ-like vibe. It was a tone-deaf thing for Trump to have done.

"Nevertheless, I hope that people, while miffed in the short term, don’t sit out the 2026 and 2028 elections to “punish Trump.” If they’re patriotic Americans, the punishment that they’ll be meting out will be to this country, not to Trump.

"In legal terms, Trump is sui generis, that is, utterly unique. He is a man of extraordinary abilities, and his core values are excellent. He’s also larger than life, blustering, self-aggrandizing, vindictive, and a counterpuncher who doesn’t always stop to think about whether it’s wiser at any given moment to pull his punches. I’m not blind to Trump’s failings, but when I look at his virtues, I still think he’s the best thing to happen to America since George Washington. 

"Big Picture things:

"Trump is a politician who keeps his promises. That’s because he’s not really a politician; he’s a businessman. And in business, especially the rough and tumble world of commercial real estate, your word had better be your bond." . . .

To see the atrocities committed on peaceful Israeli villages that October 7th: families murdered, babies cooked alive in Israeli homes, men, women and children taken away to terror in Hamas tunnels, being starved and raped, toddlers killed by bare hands of men from Gaza while "gaslit" products of Western educator's cheer those same executioners.

Gaslight  “Gaslighting” means “to psychologically manipulate someone over a period of time.” It can cause a person to second-guess their thoughts, memories, and even perception of reality. Say a friend promises to talk about an argument later, but when the time comes, they deny that the conversation or argument ever happened. This is an example of gaslighting; it can make you question your own memory of the event, which can be deeply upsetting if it happens repeatedly.

"In modern slang, people incorrectly apply this term to everyday disagreements, as in, “He said he didn’t like the movie. He’s gaslighting me!” True gaslighting distorts reality; it isn’t about differing opinions. The misuse of this term — and other therapy speak — can make it hard to determine whether the speaker is referring to the clinical or casual definition." . .

In a Democrat college town, voters finally get a taste of their own medicine

 Andrea Widburg - American Thinker   

"As for me, all I could think of is H. L. Mencken’s sardonic take on democracy: “Democracy is the theory that the common people know what they want, and deserve to get it good and hard.'”  . . .

"One of the things that’s so often said about affluent, white Democrat voters is that they’re insulated from the effects of their own policies. When they import illegal aliens, their enclaves don’t see rising rents and crimes, along with lost jobs. (Indeed, as Martha’s Vineyard shows, they make sure it doesn’t happen in their communities.) Likewise, sheltered in their cars and upscale homes, they don’t feel the effect of recidivist crime waves on subways and in home robberies.

"But sometimes, the nasty stuff they sent downhill to “the little people” rolls right back uphill and bites them in the derriere. In South Hadley, Massachusetts, it wasn’t a horrible crime, but it was something just as meaningful: A straight hit to the pocketbook.

"To appreciate what’s going on in South Hadley, located in western Massachusetts. You need to know a few things:

• First, it’s a college town, home to Mount Holyoke College (annual cost of a year’s attendance, including food and housing: $88,427).


• Second, it bills itself as a “gender diverse women’s college,” which means that this women’s college accepts mentally ill men who claim to be women (although I wonder whether it rejects mentally ill women who claim to be men).


• Third, its official faculty policy is to fight Trump.


• Fourth, a cohort of its students strongly supported waging a violent war against Israel.


• Fifth, Mount Holyoke is the town’s biggest employer.

"From these facts, you can probably readily discern a few other pertinent facts about South Hadley:" . . . More...

 

AfterMath - Home

Oddly not unlike this Atlas rocket launch tower at Vandenberg Space Force Base on the Central California coast:

From the UK Daily Mail, Dec 2025: New photos show inside Obama's 'eyesore' presidential library   "The first facility at the Obama Presidential Center opened its doors, giving the public its first look at the controversial library. 

Home Court is a 60,000 square-foot structure that features the same sharp, gray, modern architecture that gave the rest of the Obama library complex viral fame. 

The presidential center invited honored guests to get a glimpse of the newly completed building designed by Black-owned architecture firm Moody Nolan. 

It features an NBA-regulation basketball court, seating, and meeting spaces.

The main court is complete with a signatory 'O' in the center and Obama's campaign slogans 'Hope' and 'Yes we can' are painted on the court.

Even the metal outside is adorned with a basketball net pattern to keep in line with the theme, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. 

According to the website, the 60,000 square-foot-building serves as 'a place for health and wellness activities, events, and a wide range of opportunities for community engagement.'

Outside the building are play areas, a walking trail, and even a hill designated for sledding." . . . 

California exodus strikes again as homebuilding giant pulls out

 NY Post  

"Arizona's income tax is a 2.5% flat tax. Compare that to Mexifornia's top tax rate of 13.3% max tax rate, and just about all deductions have been eliminated, like long-term capital gains (selling stocks, selling your home, etc.)." Reader comment

Another billion-dollar business is ditching California.

KB Home announced it’s packing up its Los Angeles headquarters and heading to Tempe, Arizona — the latest corporate exit from the Golden State.

The move to the Phoenix suburb is set to kick off in spring 2027, with the company planting its flag at Hayden Ferry Lakeside near Tempe Town Lake — just minutes from the airport and smack in the middle of the booming Valley." . . .

. . . "Still, it joins a growing list of companies heading for the exits.

"Realtor.com, Public Storage and Yamaha Motor Corporation have all expressed plans to move operations out of California — a trend that’s raising fresh questions about the state’s business climate." . . .More...

Vindictive, Trump-hating Judge Boasberg gets the judicial beatdown he needed

"The Obama-appointed judge has a pattern of corner-cutting that just happens to support the deep state's power-grabs every time."

Monica Showalter - American Thinker

. . . "Now he has to follow the law same as everyone else, thanks to some better class judges above him who know how to sort out his petty little egotistic games and great desire for power." . . . 

AfterMath - Home

"It's always good to see out-of-control judicial activists get smacked down, especially by their own peers.

"Which brings us to Judge James Boasberg, who's done more than any of them to try to shut down President Trump's legitimate power to govern.

"He's in the donkey seat now, berated by a higher court for his 'abuse of power,' as they put it.

"According to the Washington Times:

A federal appeals court delivered an embarrassing spanking to U.S. District Judge James Boasberg on Tuesday, ordering him to shut down his “intrusive” criminal contempt of court investigation against the Trump administration.

The circuit court of appeals said not only is Judge Boasberg’s continued investigation “improper,” but his reasoning for why Trump officials could be prosecuted for contempt of court is a “dead end” because the judge is misreading his own orders.

Circuit Judge Neomi Rao said Judge Boasberg has crossed too many lines, risking damage to the separation of powers between the president and the courts.

"Boasberg, recall, is the judge who told us what he was about when he gave former FBI attorney probation for literally altering a CIA email in order to obtain a FISA warrant to spy on a Trump campaign operative, claiming that Clinesmith "likely believed" the information was true (true because he made it so?) and simply took 'an inappropriate shortcut.' What kind of ace judicial reasoning is that, in what all the other FBI and federal employees understood very well was a jailtime offense? Anybody believe a request for an FBI FISA warrant is what it says it is after that one?

"By 2025, Boasberg was well on his way to other abuses of power, . . . " More...

Pelosi’s Monster: The Creation and Destruction of Eric Swalwell

 Jonathan Turley  

Mary Shelley made the point most vividly in Frankenstein that there is little difference between the creators and the monsters in such moments: “It is true, we shall be monsters, cut off from all the world; but on that account we shall be more attached to one another.”

. . . "In Mary Shelley’s famous work, Dr. Frankenstein is asked, “Accursed creator! Why did you form a monster so hideous that even you turned from me in disgust?”

"This week, Rep. Eric Swalwell (D. Calif.), the leading Democratic candidate for California governor, may wish he could ask that of former Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.). After sexual assault allegations were raised by former staff members, Pelosi, Sen. Adam Schiff (D., Calif.), and even his close friend (and former campaign chair) Sen. Ruben Gallego (D., Ariz.) have withdrawn their endorsements.

"The fact, however, is that (regardless of the merits of these latest allegations), Swalwell was always a notorious figure in Washington who was constructed by Pelosi and others to serve their interests.

"As Pelosi and his other allies now seek to destroy him, they cannot escape their hand in his creation.

"Multiple women came forward this week to allege sexual assault and other potentially criminal acts by Swalwell. The first allegations came from a former staffer who said that she was raped twice by Swalwell, who had sex with her when she was too drunk to consent. Swalwell is denying the allegations.

"Four women spoke to the Chronicle; one former staffer alleged that she tried to fight off Swalwell who left her bruised and bleeding after a rape. Even CNN, which eagerly featured Swalwell on programs as he attacked the Trump Administration, ran detailed accounts of another alleged assault in a hotel room. One of these accounts is from February of this year.

"The accounts, if true, suggest that Swalwell is not just a sexual harasser but a sexual predator operating in plain view. One woman, Ally Sammarco, alleged that she (like other women) received nude photos of Swalwell as well as inappropriate social media messages.

"Swalwell’s scandal is about as surprising in Washington as the return of the cicadas.

"Swalwell was infamously accused of having an affair with an alleged Chinese spy named Fang Fang. His patron in Congress, then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, immediately moved to protect him, declaring, “I don’t have any concern about Mr. Swalwell.”

"Pelosi even blocked efforts to remove him from the House Intelligence Committee despite obvious concerns that he was susceptible to blackmail over his sexual trysts.  She lashed out at those calling for his removal in the interests of national security, declaring “I do think that it is unfortunate that Mr. McCarthy is trying to make an issue of this.”

After sexual assault allegations were raised by former staff members, Pelosi, Sen. Adam Schiff and even his close friend (and former campaign chair) Sen. Ruben Gallego have withdrawn their endorsements." . . . The most obvious beneficiary of the scandal, Katie Porter, has denied any involvement with the woman who organized the disclosures against Swalwell. The irony is that Swalwell’s scandal will remove a candidate who has allegedly physically assaulted staffers in favor of a candidate who has verbally assaulted staffers.

More...

Jonathan Turley is a law professor and the best-selling author of “Rage and the Republic: The Unfinished Story of the American Revolution.”

What’s Different This Time? - Whitson G. Waldo, III   

"Swallwell's(sp) relentless hounding of Pres. Trump washed away all his sins, and he was the only Democrat with name recognition in the California gubernatorial race."

UPDATE:

Presumptuous Politics