'unbelievably bad'
42 percent of Republican voters support the U.S.' withdrawal from Afghanistan. George W. Bush is not one of them.
A new poll revealed that 59 percent of registered voters "support the plan to withdraw all troops" from Afghanistan by the end of August, Politico reports via a survey with Morning Consult. Only 25 percent of respondents said they were opposed.
The support more specifically includes 76 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents and 42 percent of Republicans. However, "more than seven in 10" respondents were nonetheless "concerned that the country will become a safe haven for violence and terrorism" following a U.S. withdrawal, Politico writes.
Among those distressed is former President George W. Bush, who, separately, called plans to end the military operations he launched 20 years ago a "mistake" that's sure to have "unbelievably bad" consequences for Afghanistan's most vulnerable, CNN reports.
"I am afraid Afghan women and girls are going to suffer unspeakable harm," Bush told German news outlet Deutsche Welle. "They are scared." It feels like "all the interpreters and people that helped not only U.S. troops, but NATO troops" are being "left behind to be slaughtered by these very brutal people, and it breaks my heart," he added.
On Wednesday, President Biden directed evacuation flights for Afghan interpreters to begin in late July.
Politico and Morning Consult polled 1,996 registered voters from July 9-12, 2021. Results have a margin of error of 2 percentage points. See more results at Politico.