Beautiful Virgin Islands

Saturday, Jul 26, 2025

Biden says there's no way US could have withdrawn from Afghanistan 'without chaos ensuing'

Biden says there's no way US could have withdrawn from Afghanistan 'without chaos ensuing'

"The idea that somehow, there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don't know how that happens," Biden told ABC News.

President Joe Biden in a new interview on Wednesday continued to defend his administration's handling of the Afghanistan pullout amid a humanitarian crisis to evacuate fleeing people.

Speaking to ABC News' George Stephanopoulos, Biden rejected the criticism that the US's military withdrawal has been bungled after the Taliban seized control of the country over the weekend.

"So you don't think this could have been handled — this exit could have been handled better in any way, no mistakes?" Stephanopoulos asked Biden.

"No," Biden responded. "The idea that somehow, there's a way to have gotten out without chaos ensuing, I don't know how that happens. I don't know how that happened."

Biden's comments come as he faces immense public backlash over the US's exit strategy. Congressional Republicans and Democrats alike have expressed frustration over the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan and have slammed the Biden administration. Lawmakers have also called for an investigation into the situation to better understand what went wrong and why the US had not been more prepared for the Afghan-government collapse.

Critics began sounding off on Biden soon after the Taliban took control of the Afghan capital on Sunday. Photos and videos showed Afghans scrambling to leave the country and packing into cargo planes. Some footage showed Afghans clinging to and falling from a moving plane at the Kabul airport.

Stephanopoulos pressed Biden on the scenes, saying: "We've all seen the pictures. We've seen those hundreds of people packed in a C-17. We've seen Afghans falling."

Biden interjected and claimed "that was four days ago, five days ago," although the photos were actually taken on Sunday and Monday.

Biden told Stephanopoulos that they will try to get US troops out of Afghanistan by the August 31 deadline, but will stay past that until all Americans leave the country.

Biden first defended his Afghanistan strategy in a speech on Monday. He acknowledged the "gut-wrenching" scenes coming out of Kabul and said the US will continue to transport American citizens and Afghan refugees out of the country.

The president has also come under attack for not evacuating Afghan refugees sooner, considering the threat of the Taliban. But Biden stood by that position on Monday and said the Afghan government discouraged a "mass exodus," which would trigger a "crisis of confidence" in country's government. The collapse of that government Sunday triggered chaos as thousands of people tried to flee.


Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
×