Shortly after his phone interview with CBS News, in which he allegedly voiced the Taliban's endorsement for US President Donald Trump, Taliban* spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid stepped forward to criticise the media outlet's interpretation of his words.
During the aforementioned interview, Mujahid was quoted as saying that they hope Trump “will win the election and wind up the US military presence in Afghanistan".
"US news outlet CBSNews has interpreted & published my remarks incorrectly", the Taliban spokesman tweeted in response. "Nothing of the sort has been communicated as publicized by them."
#Clarification
— Zabihullah (..ذبـــــیح الله م ) (@Zabehulah_M33) October 11, 2020
US news outlet @CBSNews has interpreted & published my remarks incorrectly. Nothing of the sort has been communicated as publicized by them. https://t.co/1DUnrQw9M0
Mujahid, however, did not elaborate which part of his interview exactly allegedly got misinterpreted.
Previously, the Trump campaign's director of communications Tim Murtaugh also declared that they reject the alleged endorsement by the Taliban.
"We reject their support and the Taliban should know that the President will always protect American interests by any means necessary, unlike Joe Biden, who opposed taking out Osama bin Laden and Qasem Soleimani," he said.
*Taliban - a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other countries
