The botched withdrawal in Afghanistan in August 2021 was one of the biggest stains on the Joe Biden administration.

The admin’s failure to conduct a proper withdrawal led to the deaths of 13 U.S. service members and the abandonment of countless American and Afghan citizens as the Taliban infiltrated the Afghanistan capital of Kabul. Not only that, but billions of dollars worth of U.S. military equipment was left in Afghanistan and seized by the Taliban.

But to make matters worse, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have yet to fully take responsibility for their actions on that day. In fact, Harris has boasted in the past that she was the “last person in the room” when Biden decided to go through with the withdrawal.

And now a leaked email from Biden official John Kirby, the White House National Security Council spokesman, shows that the current administration still isn’t interested in shouldering the blame for the events that took place three years ago in Afghanistan.

Kirby Neglects Veteran Concerns Over Botched Withdrawal

After receiving an email from a Fox News reporter questioning John Kirby about comments made from four veterans who were angered by his willingness “to cover” for the Biden admin’s failed evacuation from Afghanistan, Kirby accidentally “replied all” to the email and stated, “Obviously no use in responding. A ‘handful’ of vets indeed and all of one stripe.”

When caught for his insensitive response, Kirby simply told the Fox News reporter, “Clearly, I didn’t realize you were on the chain.” Unsurprisingly, his original response about ignoring the four veterans’ concerns was met with heavy criticism.

“This is how the Biden-Harris administration talks about the well-founded concerns of our nation’s veterans?” Sen. John Thune (R-SD) said in a post on X. “Just days after the anniversary of the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal. On the anniversary of 9/11. Our Gold Star families deserve better.”

This is how the Biden-Harris administration talks about the well-founded concerns of our nation’s veterans?

Just days after the anniversary of the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal. On the anniversary of 9/11.

Our Gold Star families deserve better.https://t.co/U9ytppHV6J

— Senator John Thune (@SenJohnThune) September 11, 2024

“Retired Rear Admiral Kirby’s comments are appalling, but sadly not surprising. The Biden-Harris administration has consistently disregarded our veterans, servicemembers, and Gold Star families over their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan,” House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) declared in a statement.

The Blame Game: In-Depth Look At The Context Of Kirby’s Statement

While John Kirby’s comments were bad enough when initially discovered, they become much worse when context is added. Earlier in the week, a lengthy report from the House Foreign Affairs Committee found that the Biden administration had decided to conduct the withdrawal from Afghanistan despite warnings from U.S. military officials, allies, and the government of Afghanistan. Kirby decided that these findings were “one-sided” as well as partisan. Not only that, he also argued that Donald Trump was actually the one who was deserving of the blame for the withdrawal due to a poor deal made between the former president and the Taliban.

“President Biden, for his part, faced a stark choice when he came to office: Abide by the flawed agreement and end America’s longest war, or blow up the deal, extend the war, and see a much smaller contingent of American troops back in combat with the Taliban,” stated Kirby. “He chose the former and was able to buy additional time to prepare for that withdrawal all the way into summer, and we, as a nation, are safer for it.”

With this added context, John Kirby’s words in the accidental email to the Fox News reporter are much more damning. It shows a pattern of a complete lack of accountability not only by the Biden administration, but by the political establisment in Washington, D.C.

Americans simply want their leaders to be accountable for their actions. But many politicians like to shift the blame on others or gaslight U.S. citizens – in this case, U.S. veterans – into thinking they’re in the wrong for simply being outraged or concerned over a failed plan by the American government.

It’s time to demand more from our leaders, no matter their Party affiliation. The government works for the American people, not the other way around, and far too often that’s forgotten in the political establishment class.

What are your thoughts on John Kirby’s comments? Moving forward should he and the Biden admin display more accountability for the failed Afghanistan exit? Be sure to let us know in the comments below.