President Joe Biden will return to Camp David on Monday evening to resume his vacation after returning to the White House for a few hours to deliver a speech defending his handling of the troop withdrawals from Afghanistan.
The White House released an updated schedule for the president, confirming he would return to Camp David, where he was scheduled to vacation until Wednesday.
In his speech, Biden tried to emphasize the importance of ending the American-supported conflict in Afghanistan but failed to accept his incompetent execution of the troop withdrawals.
Afghan people climb atop a plane as they wait at the Kabul airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021, after a stunningly swift end to Afghanistan’s 20-year war, as thousands of people mobbed the city’s airport trying to flee the group’s feared hardline brand of Islamist rule. (WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images)
“I am president of the United States and the buck stops with me,” he said. “I’m deeply saddened by the facts we now face but I do not regret my decision to end America’s warfighting in Afghanistan.”
But the president did not take questions from reporters about his failure in Afghanistan, as thousands of Americans remain stranded in the country.
Biden acknowledged he was overly optimistic of Afghanistan’s ability to defend itself.
“The truth is this did unfold more quickly than anticipated,” he said.
Earlier in the weekend, the president appeared reluctant to speak publicly as the crisis unfolded over the weekend, prompting heightened criticism of his handling of the situation as the capital city of Kabul fell under the Taliban’s control.
White House staff issued photos on social media of Biden taking video calls with national security and intelligence officials as proof he was taking the crisis seriously, but it did little to stem public criticism.
Staff also issued a 600-word statement in Biden’s name defending his actions but also tried to blame former President Donald Trump for the chaos taking place on his watch.