- The nation's leading generalsfaced tough questioning

by lawmakers on Capitol Hill Tuesday,

saying they believed US forces

should remain in Afghanistan,

and implying they communicated that advice

to the president.

The Chairman of the JointChiefs of Staff testifying

that he believed it necessaryto maintain US troop presence

ahead of the withdrawal,

offering a differing account

from President Biden's statements.

- My assessment was,back in the fall of '20,

and it remained consistent throughout

that we should keep asteady state of 2,500,

and it could bounce up to 3,500,maybe something like that.

In order move toward anegotiated gated solution.

- Did you ever presentthat assessment personally

to President Biden?

- I don't discuss exactlywhat my conversations are

with the sitting presidentin the Oval Office

but I can tell you whatmy personal opinion was,

and I'm always candid.

- [Charlene] General Frank McKenzie saying

he had warned what would happen

if we didn't leave 2,500 troops behind.

- And my view is that 2,500

was an appropriate number to remain,

and that if we went below that number,

in fact, we would probablywitness a collapse

of the Afghan government,and the Afghan military.

- General McKenzie, may I just,

I guess my question is would it be fair

for the Committee to assumethat both President Trump

and President Biden receivedthat specific information?

- I believe it would bereasonable for the Committee

to assume that.

- [Charlene] That contradictsPresident Biden's statements

in an interview with ABC News last month.

- Your military advisorsdid not tell you no,

we should just keep 2,500 troops.

It's been a stable situation

for the last several years?

We can do that, we cancontinue to do that.

- No, no one said thatto me that I can recall.

- [Charlene] White HousePress Secretary Jen Psaki

pushed back against suggestions

that the president misled the public

on recommendations fromhis military advisors.

- The president made clearthat the advice was split.

He didn't outline what everyindividual conveyed to him

and private advice.

- [Charlene] Michael O'Hanlonof The Brookings Institution

weighed in on the issueon CBN's Faith Nation.

- The central reality

is we didn't have to loseAfghanistan in the first place.

We didn't have to decideto leave in April,

and Mr. Biden's team did not recommend

that we depart when hemade that decision back

in the spring.

- [Charlene] GeneralMilley was also questioned

about his calls withhis counterpart in China

during the final monthsof the Trump presidency

in an effort to reassure China

that President Trump and the US

were not planning any kind of attack.

- I know, I am certainthat President Trump

did not intend to attack the Chinese.

And it is my directed responsibility,

and it was my directed responsibility

by the secretary to conveythat intent to the Chinese.

- [Charlene] He also said hereassured Speaker Nancy Pelosi

that the president couldnot launch an attack

on his own, and went overprotocols with his staff.

- At no time was I attempting to change

or influence the process,

usurp authority, or insert myself

in the chain of command.

- [Charlene] Charlene Aaron, CBN News.