Update:
Following swift blowback over his decision to return to vacation while Americans remain trapped behind enemy lines in Afghanistan, it was announced Friday that President Biden would not depart for his home in Wilmington, Delaware, Friday.
UPDATE - Biden changed his plan and will not travel to Delaware today. He will remain in Washington, DC tonight, per White House (AP)
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) August 20, 2021
It remains to be seen whether the President will answer questions from reporters following his remarks on the crisis in Afghanistan now that he's not immediately leaving town.
Original Post:
Joe Biden will address the nation Friday afternoon on "on the Evacuation of American Citizens and Their Families, SIV Applicants and Their Families, and Vulnerable Afghans" and then, as has become his modus operandi, will hop on Marine One and head out of town after an abbreviated workday in D.C. to resume his vacation.
At 1:00 pm Biden will deliver remarks about Afghanistan
— Charlie Spiering (@charliespiering) August 20, 2021
At 2:00 pm he leaves the White House to resume his vacation in Delaware
This time, he's bound for home in Wilmington, Delaware, after spending much of the last week at Camp David, again leaving Pentagon and State Department officials behind to clean up the humiliating mess that has become the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
We have 15,000 American citizens still trapped behind Taliban lines, and Joe Biden is going home to take a nap. This is a humiliation. https://t.co/OTfy1WIF9c
— Jake Bequette (@JakeBequette91) August 20, 2021
Not only is Biden leaving others in his admin behind to deal with the consequences of his feckless exit from Afghanistan, but he's also leaving the White House while an apparently unknown number of Americans remain trapped behind the Taliban's checkpoints in Kabul.
American teacher trapped in Afghanistan: “It is insane . . . . They’re not letting anyone in. We are in huge danger and we need help.”
— Arthur Schwartz (@ArthurSchwartz) August 20, 2021
Joe Biden is on vacation and Kamala Harris is MIA. pic.twitter.com/dhMAopuyyF
It is, yet again, a bad look for the leader of the country and commander in chief of the military to be dipping out for a long weekend while a crisis of his creation rages and, as usual, Vice President Kamala Harris is also nowhere to be found.
Earlier this week, Biden interrupted his retreat at Camp David to address the nation after being caught apparently flat-footed by the Taliban's quick advance to Kabul, but hopped right back on his chopper and resumed his vacation. Then he changed his schedule again to return to the White House in order to update the nation on his administration's handling of the Wuhan coronavirus, of all things.
At this point in his chopper-hopping schedule, it appears he might just not care about what's going on anymore.
After Biden's first statement he flew right back to his vacation and after today's statement he's going right back to... his vacation.
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) August 20, 2021
I'd say those are some bad optics but I'm starting to think he just doesn't care. pic.twitter.com/nnjEX3aFzI
Hate to play the “can you imagine coverage if it were Trump,” but there are 10,000+ Americans stuck in Afghanistan thanks to Biden’s bad judgement and he’s.. back to vacation?
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) August 20, 2021
Can we at least get those super cameras back out that followed Trump on golf courses from a mile away? https://t.co/931v3YFNQh
The rest of the Biden administration, despite remaining in Washington, isn't doing much better managing questions about the situation in Afghanistan. Yesterday, the State Department's Ned Price characterized the Taliban checkpoints surrounding Kabul's airport as "congestion" and the Pentagon refused to deny that the United States is buying fuel for its airlift from the Taliban.