Afghanistan criticism, Taiwan, Wyoming primary: 3 things to watch in D.C. this week

Yahoo Finance Contributor Kevin Cirilli joins Yahoo Finance Live to discuss top political stories such as the Afghanistan withdrawal one year later, a delegation visiting Taiwan, and Liz Cheney's campaign ahead of the Wyoming primary election.

Video Transcript

- The US is coming up on the anniversary of the Afghanistan withdrawal. For more on why this is significant for the Biden administration and what the situation is one year later, let's bring in Yahoo Finance contributor Kevin Cirilli. Kevin, help us break this down.

KEVIN CIRILLI: Yeah, it's the one-year anniversary following the United States withdrawal from Afghanistan. And quite frankly, the Biden administration is getting bipartisan criticism, something that's pretty rare. Now, the top Republican on the House Foreign Relations Committee, Mike McCaul, a Republican from Texas, he was on the Sunday shows over the weekend, "Face the Nation" on CBS.

And he said, quote, "There are many sins, if you will. There was a complete lack and failure to plan. There was no plan. And there was no plan executed." Now, this is important, because he just came out with a report in which he found that 70,000-- let that sink in for a second-- 70,000 Afghanis are still in Afghanistan and have applied for a visa, US visa to get out of the country.

Now, Adam Schiff. He's a Democrat from California, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He has also said that there are questions that need to be answered regarding the withdrawal from Afghanistan. However, he did point to some of the success that the Biden administration has had, particularly for the killing of the terrorist Zawahiri, in terms of getting that executed. And it shows really the precise ability for the US military to take a target out.

- And Kevin, you're also still watching Taiwan.

KEVIN CIRILLI: Yes. And just over the weekend, we got news that another group, a bipartisan group of lawmakers has touched down in Taiwan. This, of course, after Speaker Pelosi's historic visit, and as the Chinese Communist Party continues to hold military exercises in the Taiwan Strait. This was led by Senator Ed Markey, a Democrat of Massachusetts. He was accompanied by Congressman John Garamendi, as well as Don Beyer, as well as another group, a handful of other lawmakers.

But it also comes following the news over the weekend that five Chinese companies are going to delist from the New York Stock Exchange and as reportedly President Xi of China wants to hold, get this, a face-to-face meeting with President Biden sometime in November. Now, Xi Jinping hasn't traveled in nearly three years as a result of those zero-COVID lockdown policies in China. Obviously, Xi and Biden have a lot to talk about in November. And that's going to be carefully watched.

Now, the Biden administration has said that this did come up in their last phone call. But so far, no official concrete plans for the two leaders to meet. But they're talking about meetings. So I guess that's a step forward.

- Yeah, it'll be interesting to see where they choose to do so, to your point about travel. From China to Wyoming, where tomorrow incumbent Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney is going to defend her seat against a Trump-backed opponent in the Wyoming primaries. Why is there so much attention being paid to this race? Why is it so significant?

KEVIN CIRILLI: Well, this is, I mean, it's like "Yellowstone" meets "House of Cards." No one really expects for Congresswoman Liz Cheney to defeat MAGA-backed candidate Hageman. But it does set up the contours of the next two and a half years, especially in the 2024 presidential primary.

Now, I did speak with a prominent Republican bundler just the other week who said essentially to me, Liz Cheney inherits those independent voters who left the Republican Party, who are deeply, deeply skeptical of what the Trump base, so to speak, has done to the Republican Party. These are fiscally conservative voters. These are voters who are very worried about America's standing in the world on relations, on geopolitical issues. And they are folks who really want to see the Republican Party get out from under the grip of the fringe movement, as they would describe it, of conservatives.

But regardless of what happens in Wyoming, don't forget about Alaska, because Kelly Tshibaka, who is another MAGA-backed candidate, she's running against Senator Lisa Murkowski, perhaps one of the most influential Republican moderates in the Senate. But this is where it gets really interesting, Julie, is because Alaska has those ranked-choice voting. So even if Murkowski finishes second behind Tshibaka, she would still be able to get to a primary, and honestly would have a much better chance because they've changed their primary rules.

This is an interesting bellwether and a case study, so to speak, because the way that Alaska has modeled their primaries could actually end up being how other states follow. So keep an eye on Alaska as well. So I got to say, I do kind of miss these primaries and the campaign trail a little bit. So Tuesday's a big day.

- It'd be fun to visit Wyoming and Alaska as well if you were doing it for coverage, doing the coverage in-person.

KEVIN CIRILLI: [INAUDIBLE] to roll out there. And I'm like, you know, I'm starting to feel a little like I'm missing out a little bit.

- Aw, nostalgia for the campaign trail, never thought I would hear it from you, Kevin. Thanks so much. Good to see you Kevin Cirilli, Yahoo Finance contributor.