CBS journalist Margaret Brennan faced sharp criticism from Vice President JD Vance during a recent interview regarding the suspension of the Afghan Refugee Program.
In his first post-inauguration interview, the 40-year-old Vance discussed President Donald Trump’s series of executive orders, including halting the refugee program, with ‘Face the Nation’ host Brennan.
During the televised discussion, Vance vigorously supported Trump’s choice to terminate the program, pushing back against Brennan’s suggestion that the individual who planned a terrorist attack on election day in Oklahoma was an isolated case.
‘I don’t really care, Margaret. I don’t want that person in my country and I think most Americans agree with me,’ Vance said as he honed in on refugees not being ‘properly vetted’ before they touch down on American soil.
When Brennan asked the VP if he stood by a statement he made to the outlet in August stating that he doesn’t think ‘we should abandon anybody who’s been properly vetted and actually helped us,’ Vance immediately clarified his stance.
‘Well, Margaret I don’t agree that all these immigrants or all these refugees have been properly vetted. In fact, we know that there are cases of people who allegedly were properly vetted and then were literally planning terrorist attacks on our country,’ he said.
‘That happened during the campaign if you remember, so clearly not all these foreign nationals have been properly vetted,’ he added, referring to Afghan national Nasir Ahmad Tawhedi, 27, of Oklahoma City, who confessed to investigators that he had planned his attack to coincide with election day.
‘No, but there are 30,000 people in the pipeline – Afghan refugees. Do you stand by it?,’ Brennan responded.
‘But my primary concern as vice president, Margaret, is to look after the American people, and now that we know we have vetting problems with a lot of these refugee programs, we absolutely cannot unleash thousands of unvetted people into our country,’ Vance said.
‘These people are vetted. These people are vetted,’ the reporter added.
‘Just like the guy who planned a terrorist attack in Oklahoma a few months ago? He was allegedly properly vetted,’ Vance said, adding that ‘many people in the media and the Democratic party said he was properly vetted’, but ‘clearly he wasn’t.’
While Brennan tried to get some words in, Vance continued: ‘I don’t want my children to share a neighborhood with people who are not properly vetted, and because I don’t want it for my kids, I’m not gonna force any other American citizens’ kids to that either.’
Brennan immediately responded to Vance’s mention of the planned attack, stating ‘No, that was a very particular case – it wasn’t clear if he was radicalized when he got here or while he was living here.’
On inauguration day the 47th president signed the order, effectively stranding refugees who had flights booked to the U.S.
Trump said that due to the country being ‘inundated with record levels of migration’ the order is necessary to ‘manage the burden’ of more migrant arrivals.
The refugee program is an 18-24 month process that sees refugees go through medical screenings, security vetting and interviews. They must also prove that they are fleeing Afghanistan from persecution before being allowed in.
According to Trump’s order, the U.S. ‘lacks the ability to absorb large numbers of migrants’ in a manner that won’t compromise resources for Americans and that ‘protects their safety and security, and that ensures the appropriate assimilation of refugees.’
The move immediately paused all refugee processing, leaving tens of thousands of Afghan refugees who have already been vetted with uncertain futures including individuals still in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Qatar.
DailyMail.com obtained a memo sent from the State Department to U.S. partners saying that the suspension of flights takes place immediately, five days earlier than outlined in the executive order.
There was immediate confusion among the U.S. partners the memo was directed toward.
Lawmakers also lamented to DailyMail.com they don’t have many details and are worried that it could impact Afghan allies.
Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) was among those who expressed concerns and signaled it would be discussed with the Trump administration.
‘If you’re associated with helping us, I want you to be liberated from the Taliban,’ Graham said.
When asked about the concerns over Afghan refugees being in limbo, Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), who has worked on legislation to support Afghans who aided the U.S., said he would make calls, but DailyMail.com was the first to bring the issue to his attention.
‘Afghans who supported the U.S. and saved the lives of American troops are still in danger in Afghanistan,’ wrote Congressman Jason Crow (D-CO) on X.
‘We must keep our promise to bring them and their families to safety. Keeping our word matters. We won’t have partners unless our word means something,’ he posted on Wednesday.
Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) responded to a report that 1,600 Afghans had flights canceled on Tuesday.
He said he was ‘incredibly disheartened’ that the Trump administration was canceling flights for those who were allies to U.S. troops in Afghanistan facing a dire risk.
‘Our nation has a sacred promise that we’ve made to do right by the men and women who risk their lives for our freedoms and democracy and do right for their families,’ he said.
The State Department memo stated that ‘all previously scheduled travel of refugees to the United States is being canceled, and no new travel bookings will be made.’
‘Additionally, all refugee case processing and pre-departure activities are also suspended,’ it continues.
They were also directed not to move any refugees to transit centers in anticipation of travel.
The memo indicated that Special Immigration Visa (SIV) holders would not be impacted, but other U.S. partners were still waiting for guidance on the matter.
It remains unclear just how many refugees are impacted by the move, but all refugee bookings have been cancelled regardless of nationality.
Among those impacted by the pause are at least 200 service member families who have been waiting to be reunited with Afghan allies.
The pause puts at risk thousands who stood up for America warned AfghanEvac – a non-profit committed to ‘fulfilling the United States’ duty to Afghan allies and friends.’
Among them are Afghan partner forces and women pilots who trained alongside the U.S. troops; prosecutors, judges and human rights advocates and the families of U.S. service members and interpreters.
‘These are family in many cases. These are family of U.S. service members. These are our partner forces who fought, trained, fought and bled, alongside our service members,’ said Shawn VanDiver, the founder of AfghanEvac.
