Former York County state Senator Scott Wagner, never gentle about his politics, is getting some national attention for his latest visual haymaker: A set of highway billboards showing a gun-toting President Joe Biden dressed as an Afghan fighter, beside the slogan “Making the Taliban Great Again!”
The billboards, Wagner told WGAL News 8 and the York Daily Record this week, are his way of expressing frustration and anger at America’s rushed withdrawal from its 20-year invasion and occupation of Afghanistan, with the forces of the reactionary Islamic Taliban -whom American-led coalition forces pushed out of power in 2001 – rushing in to fill the power vacuum.
Wagner, Pennsylvania’s Republican nominee for governor in 2018, told the York newspaper he spent about $15,000 to lease a dozen billboards for two months to call attention to what he saw as Biden’s failed ending to the mission, which has been roundly criticized for leaving thousands of Afghans who supported American nation-building efforts through the last 20 years vulnerable to harsh retaliation by the new regime.
The Biden Administration has defended its work, contending that the evacuations of more than 79,000 civilians over 18 days was one of the largest airlifts ever conducted, and that it is continuing to work through diplomatic channels to help its allies that remain in the country.
The Biden billboards – dotted along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 83, and Routes 322, 11-15, and 15 – are attracting a lot of attention on social media and from passersby, and are now starting to get notice on national news outlets.
All of which was precisely Wagner’s goal.
Wagner told The York Daily Record in an interview this week he felt the need to express his opinion because he considered the pullout in Afghanistan “an absolute mess and a tragedy,” and an insult to the American troops who served there.
Wagner told the York paper he squarely blames Biden for the chaos, saying that the withdrawal had been poorly planned. While acknowledging former President Donald Trump made the decision to leave, Wagner contended that Biden, once things began going poorly, should have changed course and kept the military there.
That kind of adjustment of course when things go awry is a matter of leadership, Wagner said, and Biden failed the test..
Biden’s job approval rating has taken a big hit in the wake of the Afghan government’s sudden collapse, with a new Quinnipiac University poll released this week showing more respondents disapproving of his performance (50%) the approving (42%) for the first time since he took office in January.
Asked specifically about Afghanistan, majorities in the Quinnipiac Poll said they still support the decision to end the war and get U.S. troops out, but they disapprove of Biden’s handling of the execution of that withdrawal by a two-to-one margin.
PennLive reached out to the Biden Administration Thursday to see if the billboards have crossed the president’s radar, but had not received a response as of this writing.
©2021 Advance Local Media LLC. Visit pennlive.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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““Making the Taliban Great Again” describes traitor Joe to a tee!
General Abbot and General Milly’s faces, ALSO need to be up there.
Keep in mind that the traitorous Muslim Barack Obama is one of the puppet president’s handlers/puppeteers.
That’s right Scruff…. along with his anti- American wife… valerie jarret… axelrod… susan rice… and that socialist john brennan
They should all be put up on Crucifixes, and LEFT HANGING THERE for the buzzards.
So few words so much truth.
I’m sure they will be forced to take down.
Thank You Mr.Wagner!!
What’s the bet it will get Vandalized by the leftists, AND NO ONE will even bother going looking for the perpetrator..
I agree! DemoRATS are vicious & sneaky!!!!!
Awesome! So glad I got to see this!
The $85 B in US arms, helicopters, planes etc. that Biden gifted to the Taliban made them better armed than many of America’s allies. Who does that? Only a traitor or demented idiot.
Keep in mind that the traitorous Muslim Barack Obama is one of the puppet president’s handlers/puppeteers.
Oh yes, Barack H. Obama is a Gift to the democrat Marxist, Party of America that keeps on giving aid and his assistence to ” never Trumpers, ” of the democrat party, Obama, ” A Community Organizer, is Following ” Rules For Radicals . ” Having a hate Americans, in his sights, Obama will always be front and center to show his disdain for the Country that made him Its President.. How dare those American citizens make him the President!!