CNN national security analyst embarrasses herself trying to dunk on Trump over Taliban comment



CNN national security analyst Juliette Kayyem, a lecturer at the Harvard Kennedy School, was among the droves of liberals who rushed to social media this week to ridicule former President Donald Trump over factual claims he made in Tuesday's debate.

Kayyem's experience working in the Obama administration and serving as a member of the National Commission on Terrorism failed to prepare her for the task of dunking on Trump. She suggested that Trump's accurate identification of a founding member of the Taliban present for the U.S.-Taliban peace talks in Doha was a clear indication of his "racism and senility."

Having taken her shot and missed, the CNN analyst is now facing widespread ridicule.

What Kayyem said

The CNN analyst wrote on X, "It's such a minor point but I cannot stop thinking that Trump casually calling the head of Taliban 'Abdul' is a perfect mix of his ignorance, racism and senility in just a single word."

'You cannot be this stupid.'

It appears Kayyem suffered the same short-term memory loss as MSNBC's Chris Hayes, who concluded that Trump "invented a head of the Taliban named Abdul."

"It's not the name of the head of the Taliban," continued Hayes. "Just to be clear, he just like randomly named him."

What Kayyem (and Hayes) failed to understand

During the debate Tuesday, Kamala Harris was asked whether she bears any blame for her administration's disastrous and deadly Afghanistan withdrawal, which she previously boasted signing off on.

Harris once again displaced accountability, intimating the withdrawal was ill-fated on account of Trump's previous negotiations with the Taliban.

Trump said in response:

I got involved with the Taliban because the Taliban was doing the killing. That's the fighting force within Afghanistan. They don't bother doing that because you know, they deal with the wrong people all the time. But I got involved. And Abdul is the head of the Taliban. He is still the head of the Taliban. And I told Abdul don't do it anymore, you do it anymore you're going to have problems. And he said why do you send me a picture of my house? I said you're going to have to figure that out, Abdul. And for 18 months we had nobody killed. We did have an agreement negotiated by Mike Pompeo. It was a very good agreement.

The 2020 deal in Doha was signed by U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Taliban political chief Abdul Ghani Baradar, reported the BBC.

Abdul Ghani Baradar is a founding member of the Taliban. Once the Taliban took over Afghanistan, Baradar became deputy prime minister. He remains among the top four leaders in the Taliban.

Trump made clear at the time of the deal with Baradar, "If bad things happen, we'll go back with a force like no one's ever seen."

The Biden-Harris administration dropped the ball on the talks initiated by Trump officials and let the Taliban overwhelm friendly Afghan forces in the late phases of American withdrawal.

What people are saying

Critics seized upon Kayyem's tweet, questioning the value of the education that Harvard Kennedy School students might receive in her classes as well as the CNN analyst's ability to run a simple Google search.

Australian political commentator Rita Panahi responded to Kayyeem, tweeting, "You cannot be this stupid."

American country musician John Rich wrote, "A 'national security analyst' as it says in her profile, doesn't realize that the founder of the Taliban, is in fact named, 'Abdul.' Full name is Abdul Ghani Baradar. Hard to believe the complete ignorance of the people in 'control' right now. Wow."

"The co-founder of the Taliban is Abdul Ghani Baradar, you emotionally stunted, Cluster B trainwreck," tweeted the Redheaded Libertarian.

Entrepreneur Nate Fischer, the CEO of New Founding, said, "The Harvard Kennedy School attracts an exceptional combo of stupid + arrogant. Some of the most insufferable people I have encountered in my life."

This is not the first time that Kayyem has given critics cause to doubt her stability or the value of her insights.

She told the Advocate last year that Chaya Raichik's use of her Libs of TikTok account on X was a prime example of "stochastic terrorism."

Kayyem suggested in 2022 that the Biden-Harris administration should halt immigration enforcement in the region of Texas where the Uvalde school shooting took place because of its large Hispanic population.

During the Freedom Convoy in Canada, when truckers were protesting the Canadian government's draconian COVID-19 vaccine mandates and travel restrictions, Kayyem recommended that authorities "slash the tires, empty gas tanks, arrest the drivers and move the trucks." The CNN analyst got her way when the Trudeau regime unconstitutionally invoked martial law to crush the protests.

In 2021, Kayyem melted down over a Southwest pilot saying, "Let's go Brandon," over a plane intercom. She demanded the pilot be fired and that every passenger file a complaint with the FAA.

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Active-duty US Air Force officer crowned 2024 Miss America



Madison Marsh of Colorado defeated 50 other Miss America contestants representing the 50 states and the District of Columbia on Sunday, thereby taking the crown. The 22-year-old, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, is the first active-duty service member to win.

Ahead of her decisive victory, Marsh, an Arkansas native, told the Harvard Crimson that pageantry "really relates to the military a lot because you're serving but in a different way."

"When I put on my uniform, I serve and I represent our country," said Marsh. "When I put on the crown and sash, I'm serving, representing my community."

The USAF was quick to congratulate its own, noting that "Marsh is currently pursuing her master's degree in public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School through the Air Force Institute of Technology's Civilian Institution Program, which falls under Air University."

The Air Force added the hashtag, "AimHigh."

Marsh is attending the Harvard Kennedy School on a Harry S. Truman Scholarship. She credits the Air Force Academy, where she earned a degree in physics, with helping to shape her into a prime candidate.

"I don't think I ever would have gotten into Harvard if I wouldn't have gone to the Air Force Academy," Marsh told the Crimson. "I don't think I ever would have become Miss Colorado without the Air Force Academy because they have trained me and honed in on my leadership."

Earlier this month, the Air Force Academy shared photos of Marsh, who earned her pilot's license at the age of 16, beside a glider plane, captioned, "From the flight line to the spotlight." During the talent portion of the Sunday finals, Marsh recalled the exhilaration and suspense of her first solo flight.

Prior to studying at the Harvard Kennedy School, Marsh served both as a graduate intern at Harvard Medical School, looking at ways of using artificial intelligence to detect pancreatic cancer, and as an intern at NASA, researching gamma-ray bursts, according to the Miss Colorado website.

In addition to her academics, Marsh also holds a black belt in taekwondo.

Following her win, Marsh wrote in an Instagram post, "My momma — this one is all for you."

Marsh started the Whitney Marsh Foundation after her mother succumbed to pancreatic cancer in 2018. As president of the foundation, she has raised over $250,000 for cancer research.

Marsh, previously crowned Miss Colorado in 2023, indicated that she intends to apply her insights into cancer research and apply them to her policy degree, "trying to translate it to make sure that we're enacting policy that's equitable for all patients."

The crown comes with a $60,000 scholarship award and an opportunity to travel the U.S. as Miss America's ambassador.

Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade noted on X, "Madison, the @CityofCOS wishes you great success. You have inspired countless young girls to dream big and reach for the stars. Congratulations!"

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