Trump as president praised the Taliban as a future counterterrorism partner: 'They'll be killing some very bad people'

In February of 2020 then-President Donald Trump stood at the podium of the White House press briefing room, announced the U.S. would be withdrawing all troops from Afghanistan, and praised the Taliban – whom he infamously also had invited months earlier to meet with him on Sept. 11 at Camp David – as a future counterterrorism partner. That meeting was scrapped given the historic significance of the date and the invited guests.

On Tuesday Mediaite reported how Trump had "gushed about the prospect of a Taliban-led Afghanistan last year, predicting that once they took over the country, they would devote themselves to killing terrorists."

The liberal activist group MeidasTouch also made the same point, posting this video on Monday:

"I'll be meeting personally with Taliban leaders in the not-too-distant future. And will be very much hoping that they will be doing what they say they are going to be doing. They will be killing terrorists. They will be killing some very bad people. They will keep that fight going," Trump announced Feb. 29, as Task & Purpose reported that day.

"Now it's time for somebody else to do that work, and that'll be the Taliban," Trump said. "I really believe the Taliban wants to do something to show that we're not all wasting time."

"If bad things happen we'll go back."

"I'll say this for the Taliban," Trump said later that afternoon, The New York Times reported. "They're great fighters. You know that obviously. They're great fighters. All you have to do is ask the Soviet Union. Are they great fighters? They are great fighters.

Here's the full video: