President Biden’s disastrous foreign policy in Afghanistan had led to the Taliban seizing abandoned U.S. military equipment like helicopters and drones, seizing every provincial capital, and finally seizing the capital of Kabul leaving Americans and our Afghan allies scrambling for their lives. But Sunday’s NBC Nightly News was concerned with how “Republicans have seized on” the very applicable “optical comparison” between the Kabul airlift and the Saigon airlift that marked the end of the Vietnam War.
The ridiculous complaint came from White House correspondent Monica Alba who even admitted that the Biden administration was airlifting people from the embassy to Hamid Karzai International Airport:
ALBA: Candidate Biden promised to bring troops home, and President Biden guaranteed last month there would be no airlifts from the embassy in Kabul, saying it was not at all analogous to the messy exit from Vietnam four decades ago.
SEC. STATE ANTONY BLINKEN: This is manifestly not Saigon.
ALBA: Still, helicopters continued to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies to the airport throughout the day.
“An optical comparison Republicans have seized on as they continue to blast the president's foreign policy strategy,” she whined, playing back-to-back soundbites of Republican members of Congress decrying Biden:
REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): This is going to be a stain on this president and his presidency. And I think he’s going to have blood on his hands for what they did.
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): This has been an epic failure across the board, one we're going to pay for for years to come.
Alba ignored Blinken getting destroyed on CNN by Jake Tapper earlier in the day and took on the role of his PR rep. by showing more favorable soundbites:
ALBA: Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisting there’s not much more the United States can do.
BLINKEN: Ultimately, it's up to the Afghans themselves, it’s up to the Afghan government, up to the Taliban to decide the way forward for the country.
ALBA: Now, conceding the Taliban's advances have been far faster than even he forecasted in June.
BLINKEN: I don't think it is going to be something that happens from a Friday to a Monday.
ALBA: Placing blame on the Afghan security forces.
BLINKEN: Tragically, they have not been able to defend the country and I think that explains why this has moved as quickly as it's moved.
ALBA: And pointing the finger at the Trump administration's deal with the Taliban to withdraw American forces by May of this year.
BLINKEN: The idea we could have maintained the status quo beyond May 1 if the president decided to stay I think is a fiction.
And she concluded the segment by not batting an eye at Biden’s refusal to address the nation until Wednesday as he hid out at Camp David. “The White House weighing that day by day with officials acknowledging the American people want to hear from him. For now, the President remains at Camp David where he has been largely out of view since Friday,” she announced.
The transcript is below, click "expand" to read:
NBC Nightly News
August 15, 2021
6:36:21 p.m. EasternPETER ALEXANDER: And tonight President Biden is watching the deteriorating situation unfold from Camp David and consulting with his national security team as he is facing fierce criticism for both his decision to withdraw U.S. troops and how it is being executed. Monica Alba, is at the White House.
[Cuts to video]
MONICA ALBA: As Afghanistan falls to Taliban control, the Biden administration stands by its plan to leave.
SEC. STATE ANTONY BLINKEN: That is the hard decision the president made.
ALBA: Secretary of State Antony Blinken insisting there’s not much more the United States can do.
BLINKEN: Ultimately, it's up to the Afghans themselves, it’s up to the Afghan government, up to the Taliban to decide the way forward for the country.
ALBA: Now, conceding the Taliban's advances have been far faster than even he forecasted in June.
BLINKEN: I don't think it is going to be something that happens from a Friday to a Monday.
ALBA: Placing blame on the Afghan security forces.
BLINKEN: Tragically, they have not been able to defend the country and I think that explains why this has moved as quickly as it's moved.
ALBA: And pointing the finger at the Trump administration's deal with the Taliban to withdraw American forces by May of this year.
BLINKEN: The idea we could have maintained the status quo beyond May 1 if the president decided to stay I think is a fiction.
ALBA: Candidate Biden promised to bring troops home, and President Biden guaranteed last month there would be no airlifts from the embassy in Kabul, saying it was not at all analogous to the messy exit from Vietnam four decades ago.
BLINKEN: This is manifestly not Saigon.
ALBA: Still, helicopters continued to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies to the airport throughout the day. An optical comparison Republicans have seized on as they continue to blast the president's foreign policy strategy.
REP. MICHAEL MCCAUL (R-TX): This is going to be a stain on this president and his presidency. And I think he’s going to have blood on his hands for what they did.
REP. LIZ CHENEY (R-WY): This has been an epic failure across the board, one we're going to pay for for years to come.
[Cuts back to live]
ALEXANDER: And Monica joins us now. Monica, are there any plans for President Biden to address the nation?
ALBA: Not currently, at least not tonight, Peter. The White House weighing that day by day with officials acknowledging the American people want to hear from him. For now, the President remains at Camp David where he has been largely out of view since Friday. Peter?
ALEXANDER: Monica Alba at the White House, thank you.
