Republican State Senator Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) is criticizing his political opponent, Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly), for failing to hold President Joe Biden accountable for American deaths during the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Barrett and Slotkin are vying to represent Michigan's new 7th Congressional District.
Barrett campaigned alongside veterans in Howell Tuesday just hours before Slotkin’s event with Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) in East Lansing.
Both women serve on the House Armed Services Committee.
Barrett accused each of not holding the administration in check after the August 2021 terrorist attack that killed U.S. troops at the Kabul airport.
“Our president allowed the Taliban to be placed in charge of their security, directly resulting in 13 American lives lost and dozens more that were injured,” Barrett said. “Elissa Slotkin and Liz Cheney have done nothing to hold them accountable.”
Barrett says the Biden administration touted the mission as a success.
“And I can’t think of a worse system of failure than what we witnessed, and if Elissa Slotkin and Liz Cheney want to stand together and hang their hat on that achievement, we’re running a campaign to counter that,” he said.
Cheney gained high visibility for her role on the January 6 select committee. She will lose her seat in Congress at the end of this year.
Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet), who also serves on the House Armed Services Committee, stumped with Barrett in Howell.