Biden disgracefully tries to memory-hole his Afghanistan debacle

President Joe Biden’s low approval ratings and reelection numbers have long been the subject of commentaries and even jokes. But things weren’t always this way.

His administration lost the electorate’s confidence at a specific moment. It was August 2021, and it was because of his disastrous handling of U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Biden had gone on television earlier, on July 8, 2021, to boast that he had finally achieved the right conditions for withdrawal. He reassured the public that it would go smoothly. The Taliban would not rapidly overwhelm Afghan army forces and cause trouble for the retreating Americans.

“The drawdown is proceeding in a secure and orderly way, prioritizing the safety of our troops as they depart,” Biden said. “I trust the capacity of the Afghan military, who is better trained, better equipped, and more competent in terms of conducting war. … The Taliban is not the North Vietnamese army. They’re not remotely comparable in terms of capability. There’s going to be no circumstance where you see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy. It is not at all comparable.”

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