President Joe Biden again refused to take questions on his Afghanistan debacle, a day after 13 United States service members were killed in a twin suicide bombing.
The president spoke to reporters during his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.
“I’m not going to take any questions, because of the prime minister being here, on Afghanistan now,” he said.
The event with Bennett was the only press event scheduled for Friday after the initial meeting was canceled on Thursday once news broke of the suicide bombings and the slain American troops.
Biden struggled to answer questions from reporters after a speech Thursday — at one point lowering his head and clutching his folder in response to questions from Fox News reporter Peter Doocy.
President Joe Biden pauses as he speaks about the bombings at the Kabul airport that killed at least 12 U.S. service members, from the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
The White House continues to try to limit access to Biden, as he has walked away from several events this week without taking questions.
The president remains convinced his decision to withdraw troops was the right one but continues resisting blame for the botched withdrawal.
He continues to point to the withdrawal agreement the Taliban made under former President Donald Trump.
“Here’s the deal,” he said, arguing with reporters on Thursday. “You know, I wish you one day say these things, you know as well as I do, that the former president made the deal with the Taliban to get all American forces out of Afghanistan by May 1.”