Joe Biden’s eyes closed and his voice cracked as he physically reflected the devastating blow to his presidency caused by the assassination of 13 US service members during the desperate Kabul evacuation.
Addressing the nation from the White House, Biden bowed his head for a moment of silence before taking questions from journalists who pressed him on the bloody twist in the already tragic operation to end Afghanistan’s 20-year war.
As he spoke of the deceased “heroes,” he appeared to be on the verge of tears at times. And when he told the assailants, “we will hunt you down,” he spoke with steel in his voice.
The bombing at Kabul’s airport has undoubtedly shaken Biden’s presidency to its core.
After the turbulent Donald Trump years, he took office in January promising calm at home and respect for the United States abroad.
Now Biden faces a mountain to climb if he is to persuade the country and America’s allies that either goal is still achievable.
The 78-year-old Democrat was already reeling from the almost instant collapse of the US-backed government and army, which had left the handful of remaining US troops, as well as many thousands of US citizens and allies, at the mercy of the Taliban.
Working around the clock for ten days, his administration had hoped to salvage a victory from disaster.
The airlift was going much better than expected, with the US military performing flawlessly and the Taliban mostly keeping its end of the bargain in securing Kabul.
The White House proudly announced the latest remarkable figures early Thursday in Washington: more than 95,000 people have been safely flown out since Kabul’s fall to the Taliban.
Then the bombs detonated
Biden, who was surrounded by aides in the Situation Room, cancelled a meeting of state governors and informed visiting Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that their planned meeting in the Oval Office would have to be postponed until Friday.
Biden was “sombre” and “outraged” throughout a day of meetings with national security staff, according to Press Secretary Jen Psaki.
“Any day in which you lose service members may be the worst day of your presidency.”
‘Resign’?
Biden did not initiate the Afghan war. George W. Bush was a Republican.
And Biden was the first of four presidents to make good on promises to end the disaster.
However, as Biden stated, the “buck stops” with him.
That means he won’t be able to escape the outpouring of rage and horror in his home country as a result of the servicemen’s deaths – or the political fallout.
“Joe Biden has blood on his hands,” said Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik. “Joe Biden’s weak and inept leadership is solely to blame for this heinous national security and humanitarian disaster. He is unfit to serve as Commander-in-Chief.”
Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn said in a tweet that Biden and his top national security advisers “should resign or face impeachment and removal from office.”
The Republican backlash was unsurprising. However, the broader damage reflected in polls will be more concerning for Biden.
