Senator puts pause on promotion for general who oversaw disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal: report

A large list of military promotions were approved by the Senate on Thursday, but left off the list was a top general who oversaw the 82nd Airborne Division during the Biden-Harris administration’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal in 2021.

Lt. Gen. Christopher Donahue was nominated by Joe Biden to lead the Army in Europe and Africa and was set to be promoted to four-star general. Politico reported that the delay "suggests a senator is holding the nomination," though it is unclear which senator may be behind this and why.

Donahue’s promotion was one of around 1,000 approved by the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday. According to Stars and Stripes, the timing of Donohue’s promotion is now up in the air, as the Senate is on recess until December. A hold on a nomination by a senator can be bypassed with a vote on the Senate floor that is often time-consuming.

Donohue is known for being the last US service member to leave Afghanistan in August of 2021, a withdrawal that saw the deaths of 13 US service members. At the time, Donohue led the 82nd Airborne Division and was responsible for securing Hamid Karzai International Airport’s airfield.

This comes as Trump’s transition team is reportedly compiling a list of current and former senior US military officials who were directly involved in the Afghanistan withdrawal for possible court martialing, a person familiar with the plan told NBC News. 

The transition team is also reportedly considering creating a commission to investigate the withdrawal, including gathering information on who was directly involved in the decision-making, how it was carried out, and whether these military leaders could be eligible for charges, two sources told the outlet.