Imagine standing in the White House Situation Room as one of America’s most devastating military failures unfolds. Cait Conley was there. Now she’s asking voters to send her to Congress—but she won’t talk about what happened.
Conley, a Democrat challenging Republican Rep. Mike Lawler in a nail-biter of a district, served on Biden’s National Security Council during the chaotic Afghanistan evacuation. She highlights her national security credentials—Russia even banned her for her work. But on the withdrawal that left 13 U.S. service members dead and hundreds of Americans stranded, she’s been silent.
The Abbey Gate suicide bombing outside Kabul airport took 13 American lives. The Taliban seized control. And Conley, whose NSC role almost certainly put her in key planning meetings, refuses to discuss her part in the debacle.
Republicans are pouncing. Lawler’s campaign calls the withdrawal one of the “worst national security failures in modern history.” They demand Conley apologize and explain why Hudson Valley families should trust her judgment now.
Conley’s campaign dodged multiple requests for comment. Instead, she leans into her experience as a 16-year Army combat veteran and former counterterrorism director. But the NRCC says her ties to Afghanistan are disqualifying: “She can’t be trusted to keep New Yorkers safe either.”
The Biden administration’s evacuation plan failed to predict the Afghan government’s swift collapse or secure adequate protection from terror threats. Conley hasn’t uttered a word about it since launching her bid.
She’s one of several Democrats fighting in a June primary to flip this toss-up seat. The district, north of New York City, voted for Kamala Harris in 2024. But for Conley, the biggest question remains unanswered: What did she know, and when did she know it?
