This website collects cookies to deliver better user experience. Cookie Policy
Accept
Sign In
The Wall Street Publication
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: Jake Sullivan under fire amid John Durham indictments, botched Afghanistan exit
Share
The Wall Street PublicationThe Wall Street Publication
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.
The Wall Street Publication > Blog > Trending > Jake Sullivan under fire amid John Durham indictments, botched Afghanistan exit
Trending

Jake Sullivan under fire amid John Durham indictments, botched Afghanistan exit

Editorial Board Published November 17, 2021
Share
Jake Sullivan under fire amid John Durham indictments, botched Afghanistan exit
SHARE

White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, already under fire for his role in the disastrous U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, is facing growing calls to resign amid questions about a suspected connection to debunked claims of collusion between Russia and Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Multiple reports surfaced last week that Mr. Sullivan, a longtime confidant of former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a two-time presidential hopeful, is the “foreign policy adviser” named in special counsel John Durham’s indictment last week of Democratic lawyer Michael Sussmann, charged with lying to the FBI about what he knew about Mr. Trump and Russia.

Citing “well-placed sources,” Fox News first reported that Mr. Sullivan is the adviser in question. The news report appeared to tie Mr. Sullivan to Clinton campaign efforts to amplify the Russian collusion narrative during the height of the 2016 race.

Mr. Trump has fiercely denounced those charges, and Mr. Durham’s work suggests that some of the key sources who helped spread the stories in the first place are not credible.

If the suspicions are accurate, the Sullivan revelation would link the 2016 effort directly to the White House, where Mr. Sullivan is President Biden’s top security adviser and frequent spokesman for administration policy in the media. It also would seem to contradict Mr. Sullivan’s claim to Congress in 2017 that he was unaware of the source of one of the most explosive accusations about Mr. Trump involving collusion between his Trump Organization business empire and Russia’s Alfa Bank.

The White House has tried to brush aside questions about Mr. Sullivan’s involvement in the ordeal. Democratic insiders say privately that there is no evidence Mr. Durham’s probe is targeting Mr. Sullivan. They say Republicans are using the issue in a purely partisan effort to discredit the administration’s national security team.

Still, questions about Mr. Sullivan’s credibility were swirling long before the indictment last week of Mr. Sussmann. 

Mr. Sullivan, the youngest national security adviser in six decades, also was deeply involved in the administration’s handling of the U.S. military withdrawal from Afghanistan this summer. The hasty withdrawal paved the way for a rapid Taliban takeover of the country and left American citizens and Afghan allies stranded inside the country despite Mr. Biden’s repeated assurances to the contrary.

Republican leaders, citing the misreading of the Afghanistan situation and mishandling of the final pullout, say Mr. Sullivan is not fit to serve as national security adviser.

“Jake Sullivan led the interagency process that resulted in the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Sen. Josh Hawley, Missouri Republican, told The Washington Times, echoing his past calls for Mr. Sullivan to either step down or be fired.

“Now more than ever, our nation needs leaders who are competent and who are trustworthy. Sullivan has shown himself to be neither, so it is time for him to resign,” Mr. Hawley said.

Other Republicans point to the growing list of controversies involving Mr. Sullivan dating back to the attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, in 2012. Mr. Sullivan was a top aide to Mrs. Clinton, then serving as secretary of state, during the terrorist assault that led to the deaths of the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans.

“From Benghazi to the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Jake Sullivan has been at the epicenter of the worst foreign policy crises and decisions over the past decade,” Rep. James Comer of Kentucky, the ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Reform Committee, told Fox News recently. “Given this administration’s tendency to create self-inflicted crises, it’s no surprise Jake Sullivan has been given a top post at the Biden White House.”

‘Hold everyone accountable’

White House officials have said little publicly about suspicions of Mr. Sullivan’s connection to the Trump-Russia collusion story. But top administration officials have made clear repeatedly that the decisions of Mr. Sullivan and other key advisers during the Afghanistan withdrawal did not shake the president’s faith in his team.

On Aug. 17, at the height of the frantic U.S.-led airlift from the Kabul airport in Afghanistan, White House press secretary Jen Psaki acknowledged that the mission had resulted in “some chaotic scenes.”

“But the president is confident in his national security team and their ability to get the mission done and get the mission accomplished,” she said at the time. 

That same day, Mr. Sullivan appeared before reporters and faced withering questions about the administration’s handling of Afghanistan as the U.S.-backed Kabul government was crumbling in the face of an offensive by the Taliban insurgency. He defended Mr. Biden’s calculation that a withdrawal was better for the U.S. in the long run.

“When you work on any policy issue — domestic policy, foreign policy, any policy issue — the human costs and consequences loom large,” he said. “But President Biden had to think about the human costs of the alternative path as well, which was to stay in the middle of a civil conflict in Afghanistan.”

Along with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and a host of other officials, Mr. Sullivan has become a top target for Republicans who say someone must be held publicly accountable for the Afghanistan exit and the damage it did to America’s reputation abroad. Congress held another hearing Wednesday of analysts and former commanders about what went wrong in Afghanistan.

Even those not explicitly calling for Mr. Sullivan’s firing say the White House decision-making process on Afghanistan, of which the national security adviser was a key part, needs to be more thoroughly investigated.

“In order to be able to hold anyone accountable for the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, Congress must conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation, which should include looking at decisions made at the White House, the State Department, the intelligence community” and the Pentagon, Rep. Michael T. McCaul of Texas, the ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told The Times.

“We owe it to the American people, especially to every single veteran and current service member or diplomat who have been negatively impacted by this, to ensure this never happens again — and hold everyone accountable who was responsible,” he said.

Meanwhile, the indictment of Mr. Sussmann seems to suggest that Mr. Sullivan may have had at least some knowledge that the Clinton campaign was deeply involved in pushing the Trump-Russia collusion story. The indictment said an unnamed Clinton campaign attorney exchanged emails with the campaign’s manager, communications director and “foreign policy adviser” about sharing the Alfa Bank accusations with an unidentified reporter. The indictment also said Mr. Sussmann told FBI General Counsel James Baker that he was not representing a client during the meeting but was there on behalf of the Clinton campaign. 

In October 2016, Mrs. Clinton tweeted a statement from Mr. Sullivan promoting a since-debunked claim about a secret computer server connecting the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank.

“This could be the most direct link yet between Donald Trump and Moscow,” Mr. Sullivan wrote in that statement. “Computer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump Organization to a Russian-based bank. This secret hotline may be the key to unlocking the mystery of Trump’s ties to Russia. … This line of communication may help explain Trump’s bizarre adoration of Vladimir Putin.”

• Jeff Mordock contributed to this report.

TAGGED:TrendingWall Street Publication
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Crypto Group’s Bid for Constitution Faces Real-World Snags—Who Picks It Up? Crypto Group’s Bid for Constitution Faces Real-World Snags—Who Picks It Up?
Next Article Biden’s push for electric vehicles includes tax credit favoring union factories over non-union plant Biden’s push for electric vehicles includes tax credit favoring union factories over non-union plant

Editor's Pick

Alyssa Farah Griffin: ‘The View’ Co-Host is Pregnant With Child #1!

Alyssa Farah Griffin: ‘The View’ Co-Host is Pregnant With Child #1!

Studying Time: 3 minutes The View co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin is pregnant! On ‘The View,’ Alyssa Farah Griffin breaks the…

By Editorial Board 3 Min Read
Amy Duggar Describes Studying Grandfather Was a ‘Predator’
Amy Duggar Describes Studying Grandfather Was a ‘Predator’

Studying Time: 4 minutes Amy Duggar King grew up figuring out and…

6 Min Read
Mandy Moore ‘Unrecognizable’ to Followers After Debuting New Face
Mandy Moore ‘Unrecognizable’ to Followers After Debuting New Face

Studying Time: 4 minutes Mandy Moore has followers scratching their heads. This…

6 Min Read

Oponion

Trump sells rights to Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

Trump sells rights to Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

The Trump family has reportedly reached a deal to sell…

November 15, 2021

SEC Seeks More Disclosures From Private-Equity and Hedge Funds

WASHINGTON—Federal regulators proposed measures that would…

January 26, 2022

Zayn Reunites With One Course at Liam Payne’s Painful Funeral

Liam Payne has been laid to…

November 20, 2024

Sydney Sweeney’s New Film Flopped on the Field Workplace: American Eagle Controversy to Blame?

Studying Time: 3 minutes Sydney’s American…

August 18, 2025

SF Giants trip bats, Birdsong to second straight win over Orioles

Apparently all of the San Francisco…

September 19, 2024

You Might Also Like

Seniiors Unveils AI-Enhanced Senior-Care Platform Amid Rapidly Growing AgeTech Market
TechTrending

Seniiors Unveils AI-Enhanced Senior-Care Platform Amid Rapidly Growing AgeTech Market

Reinforcing Seniiors’ leadership in digital senior care with data-driven automation and deep insights into the future of aging. NEW YORK…

5 Min Read
FundRelis Restora Brings Accountability to the Wild West of Online Scams
BusinessTrending

FundRelis Restora Brings Accountability to the Wild West of Online Scams

Zurich, Switzerland — In a financial era defined by digital innovation and unregulated trading, a quiet revolution is taking shape inside…

5 Min Read
We Ordered Dandy Worldwide Hoodies – Here’s Why They’re Our New Favorite Hoodies
LifestyleTrending

We Ordered Dandy Worldwide Hoodies – Here’s Why They’re Our New Favorite Hoodies

By, Dianne J. Lucas As a mom, I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been asked to finally…

5 Min Read
Inside the ,890 Carolina Herrera Gown Scandal: Hollywood Hills Wife Exposes
LifestyleTrending

Inside the $4,890 Carolina Herrera Gown Scandal: Hollywood Hills Wife Exposes

From a distance, the $4,890 Carolina Herrera gown glimmers like old money incarnate—the kind of dress worn by women who…

5 Min Read
The Wall Street Publication

About Us

The Wall Street Publication, a distinguished part of the Enspirers News Group, stands as a beacon of excellence in journalism. Committed to delivering unfiltered global news, we pride ourselves on our trusted coverage of Politics, Business, Technology, and more.

Company

  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability

Term of Use

  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices

© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?