GOP Targets Democrat Cait Conley Over Biden Afghanistan Withdrawal Role

A Biden administration alum running for Congress faces sharp Republican criticism over her role in the botched U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Cait Conley, a Democrat seeking to unseat Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., in a battleground district, previously served in a senior position on former President Joe Biden's National Security Council focusing on counterterrorism in the Middle East.

Conley has sought to elevate her profile in a crowded Democratic primary by highlighting how Russia banned her from the country for her work under Biden. She has used campaign materials to emphasize how she operated from the White House Situation Room.

But she has been largely silent on Biden’s controversial evacuation of troops from Afghanistan in August 2021, which coincided with her time on the NSC.

The chaotic and violent exit led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and more than 160 Afghans in a terrorist attack outside the Kabul airport during the final days of the military departure. Hundreds of American citizens were left behind as the Taliban returned to power.

Though Conley’s responsibilities at the NSC have not been publicly detailed, her position would have likely landed her in meetings about the planning and execution of the evacuation. Several Biden administration officials testified during the House Foreign Affairs Committee's probe that the NSC and then-National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan played an outsized role in the decision-making process leading up to the withdrawal.

The Lawler campaign said Conley should level with voters about the hurried departure and the horrific Abbey Gate suicide bombing, which it characterized as one of the "worst national security failures in modern history."

“That’s her record and if she wants to run on it, she should have to answer for it and apologize for it," Lawler campaign spokesman Ciro Riccardi said in a statement. "Why should Hudson Valley families trust her judgment on national security now?"

A spokesperson for the Conley campaign did not respond to multiple requests for comment seeking clarification on her involvement in, and view of, the withdrawal decision and plans.

Still, her team has leaned into Conley's national security experience as a cornerstone of her campaign platform.

The National Republican Congressional Committee, House Republicans’ campaign arm, argued that Conley's ties to the withdrawal are disqualifying.

"She can’t be trusted to keep New Yorkers safe either," NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole said in a statement. "It’s just that simple."

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee did not respond to a request for comment, and the DNC did not reply by time of publication.

The Biden administration’s evacuation plan has been faulted for failing to anticipate the swift collapse of Afghanistan’s government and for not ensuring adequate security precautions for U.S. service members and citizens against terror threats.

Conley has not commented publicly on the withdrawal since launching her bid for the Hudson Valley seat.

Conley is among several Democrats vying in a June primary to flip Lawler's seat blue. Rockland County legislator Beth Davidson and progressive Effie Phillips-Staley are also seeking the Democratic nomination.

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the contest as a "toss-up" after downgrading the race in favor of Democrats in January.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris narrowly won the swing district north of New York City in 2024.

Conley is a combat veteran who served for 16 years as an active-duty Army officer. Following her stint as Director for Counterterrorism on the NSC, she served as a senior advisor at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency until January 2025.