In a recent video released by former President Donald Trump's campaign, he once again claimed that there are American citizens being held as hostages in Afghanistan under Taliban rule, criticizing President Joe Biden for the botched 2021 American withdrawal from the country. However, senior Biden administration national security officials have refuted these claims, stating that only two Americans are currently being held by the Taliban while the rest are in Afghanistan by choice.

Trump's campaign has consistently highlighted the loss of American lives during the chaotic withdrawal, with Trump himself stating, "For 18 months, we lost nobody in Afghanistan. And then we had that horrible, horrible withdrawal where we lost 13 soldiers, 38 horribly wounded, left Americans behind." He referred to the remaining Americans as "hostages" in his remarks after his Super Tuesday victories.

According to two senior Biden administration officials who spoke to NBC News, the U.S. government is indeed seeking the release of two Americans being held by the Taliban. They clarified that these individuals had entered Afghanistan after the U.S. evacuation in 2021. One of them, Ryan Corbett, had previously fled with U.S. government assistance but returned to the country in 2022. The officials did not disclose the identity of the second person.

Countering Trump's claims, the officials emphasized that every American who wished to leave Afghanistan had already been evacuated, and no individuals were intentionally left behind. They added that efforts to bring out Afghan allies are ongoing, with Afghan evacuations taking place every month.

The exact number of U.S. citizens currently in Afghanistan remains uncertain, as State Department officials stated that it is impossible to provide an accurate figure. They explained that since the U.S. embassy closed 30 months ago, many U.S. citizens have left the country, returned, and left again.

While the focus on Americans in Afghanistan continues, there are also concerns for Afghan women and individuals who supported the U.S. mission in the country. At least 67,000 Afghans have applied for special immigrant visas, designed for local nationals who aided the U.S., with 20,000 found eligible and progressing through the process. Reports have indicated that the Taliban has killed over 200 members of the Afghan security forces since regaining power and has imposed a ban on girls over the age of 11 attending school, making Afghanistan the only country with such a prohibition.

Karoline Leavitt, a spokeswoman for Trump, defended his claims and criticized Biden's handling of the withdrawal, stating, "President Trump is absolutely right to call out Joe Biden for his betrayal of Americans in Afghanistan." She further expressed concern about the Taliban's control and the potential threat posed by radical terrorists in the region.

As the debate over the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan continues, the Biden administration stands firm in denying Trump's claims of Americans being held hostage, reiterating that those remaining in the country have made their own choices. The focus now shifts to efforts to evacuate Afghan allies and address the concerning human rights situation under the Taliban's rule.