〰 Pete Hegseth, the defense secretary, tried to derail his career because of General Christopher Donahue’s connection to the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021; however, according to a New York Times report, Donahue was not responsible for security at Abbey Gate, where 13 U.S. service members were killed.

In early 2025, Hegseth decided to prevent Donahue from becoming the highest-ranking U.S. military official in Europe.

When Joe Kasper, then his chief of staff, presented evidence to support Donahue—including that marines, not Donahue’s troops, held control of the Abbey Gate during the bombing—Hegseth responded: “It’s none of my business.”

Donahue was the last American soldier to leave Afghanistan and became widely associated with the operation after a famous photo was published showing him boarding the last plane with a night-vision camera. Hegseth mistakenly took this image as a “selfie,” and despite Donahue’s supporters emphasizing that he had in fact tried to close the Abbey Gate before the suicide bombing, Hegseth continued to focus on Donahue’s connection to Kabul.