Singapore PM Says US Image in Question During Press Conference With Kamala Harris
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said during a Sunday press conference with Vice President Kamala Harris that he believed after America’s “awry” withdrawal of troops led to the fall of Afghanistan, global perceptions of our image would be determined in the days ahead.
“What will influence perceptions of U.S. resolve and commitment to the region will be what the U.S. does going forward: how it repositions itself in the region, how it engages its broad range of friends and partners and allies in the region, and how it continues the fight against terrorism,” Lee said. “Countries make calculations and take positions, and they have to make recalculations and adjust their positions from time to time. Sometimes it can be done smoothly. Sometimes there are hiccups. Sometimes things go awry and take time to put right.”
He made the comment in response to a reporter’s question about how Singapore would “work with the United States as it completes its mission in Afghanistan.”
The reporter also asked Harris what the U.S. message was to its partners. Harris spoke directly after Lee, but didn’t directly address the question. “The reason I am here is because the United States is a global leader, and we take that role seriously,” Harris said.
“This visit, combined with the agreements we have made and the work we continue to do as a nation to reinforce our commitment to these relationships, I believe, speak volumes to the integrity of the relationships the United States has around the world,” she added.
Harris departed the U.S. for Singapore on Friday as part of a trip to Southeast Asia. She’s scheduled to leave for Vietnam on Tuesday before returning to the U.S. on Thursday.
The remark made for an awkward moment during Harris’ visit to the region after President Joe Biden told reporters last week he had heard “no question of our credibility” from world leaders on the issue. Former United Kingdom Prime Minister Tony Blair took an even more acerbic tone toward the U.S. withdrawal in a Monday op-ed, writing that he found the justification for it “imbecilic.”
WATCH: Kamala Harris laughs when a reporter starts to ask her about Americans trapped in Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/7863Seq36C
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 22, 2021
The issue already drew attention for Harris once over the weekend when, as she stepped off her flight to Singapore, a reporter began asking her about Afghanistan, and Harris cut her off while laughing loudly. “Hold on!” she said, before saying Afghanistan couldn’t be a “higher priority.”
Watch above via YouTube around the 18:00 mark.
