White House press secretary Jen Psaki has been attempting to clean up the mess of President Joe Biden since his disastrous withdrawal of U.S troops and civilians in Afghanistan. Psaki has repeatedly dodged questions about Biden’s attitude towards the most recent attack.
A suicide bombing in Afghanistan left 13 US service members dead, as well as a few dozen Afghan allies. Biden has refused to take questions from the media on the incident or call on reporters. He only struggles to read what’s on the teleprompter and then heads out of the room, without even giving a second glance at reporters. So much for the ‘transparency’ they promised.
Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich also called out the president’s behavior at the dignified transfer of the U.S troops. One of the fathers even called out the president for checking his watch every time a transfer case came out of the plane. A sister of another Marine said that everything felt like a fake and scripted apology. Heinrich asked Psaki if the president was looking at his watch and if he has a message to the people who felt offended?
Psaki started off by saying that his message to the family members there is that he is “grateful” to their sons and daughters, along with knowing first-hand what it’s like to lose a child. She said there are “no words” that is going to fill that hole that is left by that. She said Biden is not going to speak to “private conversations” but that people have the right to convey whatever they would like.
“But I will tell you, from spending a lot of time with him over the past couple of days, that he was deeply impacted by these family members who he met. Oh just two days ago, he talks about them frequently in meetings and the incredible service and sacrifice of their sons and daughters. That is not going to change their suffering but I wanted to convey that, still,” Psaki said.
Psaki, however, didn’t deny that Biden looked at his watch and refused to comment on the matters any further. She reiterates that Biden will keep his promise to get every American citizen out of there, despite breaking that promise earlier this week after the last of the U.S troops left the Kabul airport. Biden said there are still about 100 to 200 Americans in Afghanistan “with some intention to leave,” adding that the rest of the troops have left a day ahead of the Aug. 31 deadline.
One reporter asked Psaki why Biden allowed his credibility to “go out the door” by promising to get every American citizen out if he wasn’t going to keep it. Psaki defended Biden’s move by saying he remains “committed” to getting every American citizen who wants to get out, out. She said it is an “enduring commitment” that will not change, despite the fact they have pulled the rest of their troops.
Psaki went on to say that they have “enormous leverage” over the Taliban, including access to the global marketplace and community. She said they have made it clear what they expect In terms of safe travel, evacuation, and departure for those wanting to leave Afghanistan. She adds that nearly half of the countries in the world have also signed onto the statement, making it clear what the objective is.
But the Biden Administration clearly has no plan or idea what they are doing. They continue to say they will control the Taliban and that they have leverage over them, even after giving them $80 billion in advanced military aid and billions in cash. Not to mention, the Americans are still stuck there. Psaki is attempting to do damage control, but it’s only making Biden’s plan look worse.
