As of Monday night, the United States has left Afghanistan, abandoning “several hundred” Americans to their fates at the hands of the Taliban. So it’s worth reminding journalists that Joe Biden lied to George Stephanopoulos on August 19 when he swore to the Good Morning America host: “If there’s American citizens left, we’re going to stay until we get them all out.”
Apparently not. Will journalists remember this falsehood?
Stephanopoulos, to his credit, has actually been pretty consistent on grilling the administration for its disastrous handling of Afghanistan. Here’s an exchange from the August 19 GMA:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Are you committed to making sure the troops stay until every American who wants to be out is out?
BIDEN: Yes, yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: How about our Afghan allies, does the commitment hold for them as well.
BIDEN: The commitment holds to get everyone out that, in fact, we can get out and everyone that should come out and that's the objective. That's what we're doing now. That's the path we're on and I think we'll get there.
Then came the moment where we now know Biden flat-out failed:
BIDEN: Americans got to understand we’ll be out of there before August 31.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But if we don’t?
BIDEN: If we don’t we'll determine at the time who is left.
STEPHANOPOULOS: [Prompting] And?
BIDEN: And if there are American forces-- if there's American citizens left we'll stay till we get them all out.
That didn’t happen. As the New York Post reported on Tuesday:
“Several hundred” Americans remain in Afghanistan following the complete US troop withdrawal, the Pentagon spokesman announced Tuesday, as military leadership failed in its stated mission to remove all Americans from the Taliban-controlled nation by the end of August.
Pentagon press secretary John Kirby told MSNBC’s Willie Geist that he doesn’t think there is an “exact figure,” for the number of Americans left in Afghanistan, sticking to vague language.
Again, to his credit, Stephanopoulos reminded National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan of this lie on Tuesday. He demanded to know: “You know, two weeks ago the President told me that American military would stay until all Americans were out, at least 100 Americans remain. What is the plan to get them out?"
It’s good that Stephanopoulos remembers what Biden said on August 19. Will other media outlets?
For more examples from our FLASHBACK series, which we call the NewsBusters Time Machine, go here.
Here’s part of the August 19 transcript. Click “expand” to read more.
Good Morning America
08/19/2021
7:10 a.m. EasternGEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: Are you committed to making sure the troops stay until every American who wants to be out is out?
JOE BIDEN: Yes, yes.
STEPHANOPOULOS: How about our Afghan allies, does the commitment hold for them as well.
BIDEN: The commitment holds to get everyone out that, in fact, we can get out and everyone that should come out and that's the objective. That's what we're doing now. That's the path we're on and I think we'll get there.
STEPHANOPOULOS: So Americans should understand troops might have to be there beyond August 31st.
BIDEN: No Americans got to understand we’ll be out of there before August 31.
STEPHANOPOULOS: But if we don’t?
BIDEN: If we don’t we'll determine at the time who is left.
STEPHANOPOULOS: ….And?
BIDEN: And if there are American forces--- if there's American citizens left we'll stay till we get them all out.
STEPHANOPOULOS: Well, there was the commitment right there. We're going to stay until all Americans are out.
