Foreign policy · 2024-09-10
The U.S. left $85 billion in brand-new military equipment in Afghanistan
False
The U.S. left $85 billion in brand-new military equipment in Afghanistan.
What the evidence shows
The number conflates broader spending on Afghan security forces with the value of equipment left behind.
What happened next
Assessment describes the statement in its original dated context; later developments are not automatically incorporated.
Assessment notes
Claim wording is an editorial paraphrase, NOT a verbatim quotation. The linked contemporaneous fact-check documents the original statement and evaluates the evidence available at that time.