Media top headlines August 31
In media news today, critics resurface Biden ABC interview where he pledged to stay in Afghanistan until every American was rescued, Blinken gets knocked for avoiding questions after Afghan withdrawal speech, and Biden repeatedly implies he's not in charge of when, where he can take press questions
President Biden's speech touting the military withdrawal from Afghanistan had critics howling over what was described as his "angry" tone all while simultaneously taking credit for the decision and blaming his predecessor, former President Trump.
The president told the nation that he kept his vow not to extend the "forever war" and remained defiant amid criticism over his administration's chaotic withdrawal that resulted in 13 U.S. military service members killed, over 100,000 people rescued and hundreds of Americans still left behind.
"Biden wants this to be a victory lap speech, but because Americans were left behind, he’s being forced to spin that as a success," National Journal columnist Josh Kraushaar reacted.
BIDEN REPEATEDLY IMPLIES HE'S NOT IN CHARGE OF WHEN, WHERE HE TAKES QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS
"This speech is all over the place and completely off the wall," The Reload founder Stephen Gutowski reacted. "The policy was right and perfectly executed and, also, Trump's fault. We got out lots of people but, also, those we left behind deserved it for not listening to our warnings over our reassurances."
"Shorter Biden: The Afghan government and the Trump administration are responsible for this debacle. Also, there is no debacle," Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin wrote.
Many drew attention to the hostile tone Biden had throughout his address.
"for better or worse, Biden is responding ferociously to the ferocious political attacks he has faced over the last two weeks," CNN correspondent John Harwood noted.
"Why so angry if it’s such a success?" New York Post columnist Miranda Devine wondered.
"Who thought this angry, shouting, blame literally everyone else in the world speech was a good idea?" GOP strategist Matt Whitlock asked.
"Angry, defensive, delusional, irrational. Just what you want to see from your commander-in-chief amid the biggest foreign policy blunder in recent history," The Lafayette Co. president Ellen Carmichael wrote.
"This isn’t a speech, it’s a parsed together angry comments section," radio host Dana Loesch quipped.
BROADCAST NETWORKS CRUSH BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OVER AFGHANISTAN: ‘HUMBLING DAY FOR THE UNITED STATES’
Others were perplexed by the president's mixed messaging throughout his remarks.
"So which is it… was the withdrawal a success or a failure that’s Trump’s fault?" Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., asked.
"Joe Biden simultaneously insists in this speech that he was bound by Trump's negotiations but he had to abrogate the terms of that deal," Commentary associate editor Noah Rothman wrote.
Biden was also criticized for appearing to blame the Americans who are still stranded in Afghanistan since the State Department offered various warnings earlier this year.
"Joe Biden is actually blaming Americans who he left stranded behind. Shouting at and blaming the American people is not what was needed in this speech. For Joe Biden, the buck stops with anyone and everyone but himself," Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., tweeted.
"Is he still blaming Americans for choosing to stay in Afghanistan?!?!? This is such a disgusting display from the @POTUS!" Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., exclaimed.
"Biden now blaming the stranded Americans for being stranded," radio host Annie Frey wrote.
"just in awe Biden's defense for leaving Americans in Afghanistan can be summed up as 'you snooze, you lose,'" Washington Examiner commentator Becket Adams reacted.
President Biden was further criticized for not taking questions from reporters, including a fake-out when he briefly turned around to grab his mask from the podium.
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"No questions. The President of the United States is abandoning Americans in a terrorist war zone, and he cannot be bothered to answer a single question from the press," House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., tweeted.
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