First, he was on vacation, then he came back to the White House after the humiliating fall of Kabul to declare the Afghanistan withdrawal buck stops with him but that he's not to blame, then he went back to Camp David, and then he came back to the White House again Tuesday evening despite being scheduled to stay at his presidential retreat until Wednesday.
Marine One carrying President Biden arrives at Washington’s Fort McNair after flight from Camp David pic.twitter.com/bqANwXyWLT
— Steve Holland (@steveholland1) August 18, 2021
One might think he's returning to be closer to his military and diplomatic advisors to figure out how he'd evacuate the remaining Americans stranded in Afghanistan or respond to Taliban violence in the streets of Kabul, but one would be wrong to think that.
No, he's not coming back to update the American people on the progress getting their fellow countrymen abroad home safely. He's back to give an update on the Wuhan coronavirus. According to the White House, Biden will deliver "remarks on the COVID-19 response and the vaccination program" from the East Room of the White House at 3:45 pm.
Good morning. Thousands of Americans are stranded in Afghanistan behind enemy lines. The country has been taken over by blood thirsty Islamic terrorists. This is the White House schedule today. pic.twitter.com/LBu3htLeVc
— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) August 18, 2021
You can't make it up. Needless to say, the Biden administration's head-in-the-sand / topic-changing approach did not go over well.
We still have Americans to save in Afghanistan. This is reprehensible. WTF. https://t.co/hBneqQqc5x
— Lisa Boothe (@LisaMarieBoothe) August 18, 2021
Biden’s WH comms strategy: quickly change the topic. https://t.co/iUj2iKCVdz
— Mercedes Schlapp (@mercedesschlapp) August 18, 2021
This is unacceptable. The American public deserves a press conference and updates every day until every single American is home from Afghanistan. https://t.co/u0xHdFrveL
— Kassy Dillon (@KassyDillon) August 18, 2021
At the time of publication White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, State Department Spokesman Ned Price, and Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby have not announced plans to take questions from the press on Wednesday.