The Scoop

Media Slams Biden For Immediately Returning To Camp David For ‘Retreat’ After Afghanistan Address

By • August 17, 2021 2:26 pm

President Joe Biden faced immediate backlash for returning to Camp David to continue his “retreat”  after he addressed the nation over the escalating crisis in Afghanistan —  where he spent much of his time blaming the past administration and Afghan forces for the catastrophe.

Biden was forced to cut short his reported vacation in Camp David, the country retreat for the US president in Maryland, as criticism of the Democratic administration mounted after Taliban forces took over Kabul in Afghanistan after US forces were publicly pulled out of the country.

In his address to the nation —  which lasted about 20 minutes —  Biden said he stands “squarely behind” his decision to exit Afghanistan as he pointed the blame on the collapse of Kabul to US-trained Afghan forces who he claimed are not willing to fight for their own country.

“It is wrong to order American troops to step up when Afghanistan’s own armed forces would not,” Biden said, as he sought to assure Americans that he “squarely stands behind” his decision for US forces to leave Afghanistan.

“This did unfold more quickly than we anticipated,” Biden said, but added that the US forces “could not provide them with the will to fight for that future.”

Biden also didn’t acknowledge mistakes for the debacle that ensued and instead pointed finger at the Trump administration.

“The choice I had to make, as your president, was either to follow through on that agreement, or go back to fighting the Taliban,” Biden said, adding that not following through with the agreement would risk “escalating the conflict and sending thousands more US forces lurching back into the third decade of conflict.”

Shortly after his speech, however, Biden left without taking questions from reporters.

The White House said then that the Democrat president would promptly return to Camp David having only spent less than four hours in Washington, according to reports.

Media, critics blasts Biden

But this notice did not sit well for critics — and even the media, who were looking to get more answers from Biden.

“If Biden wasn’t going to take questions, why leave Camp David?” commented Tim Graham, from the Media Research Center.

Ric Grenell, former Acting Director of the United States National Intelligence also blasted Biden.

“He could have delivered his monologue from Camp David,” Grenell said.

Conservative writer Carmine Sabia also mocked Biden’s immediate return to Camp David. “Joe Biden is now heading back to Camp David for his nap,” Sabia tweeted. “I would like to be kidding but I’m not. The world is on fire and he’s heading back to his vacation.”

“President Biden [is] now heading back to Camp David. Why even come back to DC if the plan was not to take any questions whatsoever?” wrote Joe Concha, media and political analyst from The Hill.

“Build Back Better Get Back to Camp David,” Stephen Miller, wrote, as comments suggested Biden is “overseeing some renovations there.”

Earlier, Biden was already criticized by Republicans for spending time at Camp David while the situation in Afghanistan escalated over the weekend — and for taking calls from the presidential retreat rather than going back to the White House to monitor the situation.

“Why is Joe Biden in hiding? He should immediately address the nation and answer for the catastrophic situation in Afghanistan. Conference calls between cabinet secretaries and senators don’t cut it in a crisis,” GOP Senator Tom Cotton (Arkansas) said.

Democrat lawmakers also started calling out the chief executive for his conduct of withdrawing US military forces from Afghanistan.

“There’s no way to hide it. The situation in Afghanistan is another shame on this admin,” commented Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (Texas).

“Withdrawal was never going to be easy but it didn’t need to come to this,” he added. “The US must do everything in its power to help our partners & allies to safety & protect our national security.”

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Steeve Strange

Steeve is the CEO & Co-Founder of The Scoop.
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