Staff Reports
In a stunning display of political accountability—or perhaps just a slip of the tongue—National Security Council spokesman John Kirby found himself in a bit of a pickle when he responded to a reporter’s inquiry about the Biden-Harris administration’s catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Instead of pulling out all the stops to defend what has widely been deemed a disaster, Kirby bluntly stated it was “no use in responding” to any critique. Apparently, even he knows there are some positions that are utterly indefensible.
This candid admission might have been intended as a lapse in protocol, but it has more the feel of a refreshing moment of honesty in the generally murky waters of Washington politics. By suggesting that responding to critiques was futile, Kirby not only exposed the administration’s weaknesses regarding the whole fiasco but also highlighted a broader sentiment that many Republicans have been preaching: It’s hard to spin a failure, especially when that failure has cost lives and national credibility.
John Kirby tells the truth on Afghanistan failure: For Biden-Harris, dead soldiers mean nothinghttps://t.co/FrGEMe3its
— Just Regular Rob (@reg1776) September 14, 2024
The Afghanistan withdrawal was nothing short of a circus, complete with hasty retreats, clumsily abandoned military equipment, and the unfortunate elevation of the Taliban back to power. As chaos reigned at Kabul airport, with desperate citizens clinging to aircraft and a host of panicked scenes unfolding, the Biden administration was left trying to figure out how to justify it all. Kirby’s half-hearted admission seems to reflect the deep inkling among even those working within the White House that maybe—just maybe—the administration bit off a bit more than it could chew.
In an age where the very concepts of accountability and performance are increasingly optional for those in power, Kirby’s statement also raises eyebrows about the administration’s overall strategy concerning national security. It seems less about protecting American lives and interests, and more about appearing to be in control—something that seems to have gone comically awry. Defense of this botched operation has taken a back seat to sheer denial, which isn’t very comforting for a nation yearning for some semblance of coherent leadership.
Ultimately, Kirby’s comment serves as a discussion starter, albeit an unintentional one, about how this administration should be graded on its performance—something akin to a school report card that flunks midterms while promising “better luck next time!” With the Biden-Harris team stumbling over their own foreign policy blunders, one can only wonder how many more honest faux pas it will take before they realize that they can’t just ignore the fallout. If only they’d stop burying their heads in the sand long enough to see the glaring fault lines in their strategy.
