"You know, this isn't horseshoes, right? Close doesn't matter. Will you get them out? I'm hearing in there that you are prepared to leave people behind."
That was Brianna Keilar's trenchant way of ending her interview of Biden communications director Kate Bedingfield on CNN's New Day on Friday morning.
The subject was Biden's commitment to evacuate American's Afghan allies -- translators and others -- out of the country.
And what Keilar was telling Bedingfield was that whereas she affirmed Biden's commitment to getting "all" Americans out, she was equivocal when it came to Afghans. Bedingfield would only say that Biden is committed to getting as many Afghans "as possible" out "before the August 31 deadline." With that deadline looming less than two weeks away, to those who have worked inside Afghanistan it sounds like an abandonment -- if not a death sentence -- for thousands of Afghans who aided the American war effort.
Keilar had couched her question in stark terms. She began by asking whether Biden felt a "moral obligation" to the Afghan allies, pointing out that "because of those Afghans there are Americans, service members and civilians, who are still alive."
Bedingfield claimed that Biden "absolutely" feels a moral obligation. But how absolute can it be if he plans to leave so many behind to face the tender mercies of the Taliban?
Bedingfield also appeared on today's Morning Joe. She faced a number of challenging questions there, but no one pressed her the way Keilar did. Bedingfield did manage to get off a couple of whoppers, though. She claimed that Biden is "not looking at this through a lens of politics." Sure.
And when Willie Geist asked if Biden would take questions after his 1 pm address today, in contrast to the two earlier addresses he made this week at which he exited immediately without taking questions, Bedingfield claimed that Biden "never shies away from questions." Except when he routinely does!
Note: among Bedingfield's talking points, she repeatedly trotted out the way-past-its-use-by-date trope that Biden is "laser-focused" on Afghanistan.
CNN's Brianna Keilar grilling Biden Communications Director Kate Beningfield on Biden's commitment to evacuating Afghan allies of the US was sponsored in part by USAA, Procter & Gamble, maker of Downy, Sleep Number, and AT&T.
Here's the transcript.
CNN
New Day
8/20/21
7:48 amKATE BEDINGFIELD: The president is laser-focused on getting every American who wants to get out of Afghanistan out of Afghanistan, and our Afghan allies as well.
. . .
BRIANNA KEILAR: Kate: laser-focused. So, where are the issues then?
. . .
BEDINGFIELD: We're working to get people out as quickly as possible and working through all the logistical challenges on the ground and problem solving in realtime. Obviously this is the president's laser focus right now . . . What I can tell you is that the president is laser-focused on this.
. . .
KEILAR: How does the administration see its moral obligation to Afghans who helped the U.S., and because of those Afghans there are Americans, service members and civilians, who are still alive. How does the administration see its moral obligation to those people?
BEDINGFIELD: Absolutely, the president does feel a moral obligation . . . He absolutely feels a moral obligation.
KEILAR: You'll work to get them out -- you'll work to get them out --
BEDINGFIELD: Can I finish?
KEILAR: You'll work to get them out. But, you know, this isn't horse shoes, right? Close doesn't matter. Will you get them out?
BEDINGFIELD: The president has committed, we will get every American who wants to get out, out of Afghanistan and we are working to move as many of our allies who helped us, who stood by us, who helped our servicemen and women get out as possible.
KEILAR: What I'm what it, what you are not saying, though -- I'm hearing in there that you are prepared to leave people behind.
BEDINGFIELD: We are doing everything we can to get as many people out who want to get out before the August 31st deadline.
