President Joe Biden is not sharing what he would do if Americans are left in Afghanistan after the U.S. completes its withdrawal at the end of the month.
During an event at the White House on Monday, NBC News’ Peter Alexander tried to ask the president, “What will you do if Americans are still in Afghanistan after the deadline?”
After going unanswered at first, Alexander asked again, which prompted Biden to respond, “You’ll be the first person I call.”
I asked President Biden what he will do if Americans are still in Afghanistan after the 8/31 deadline.
— Peter Alexander (@PeterAlexander) August 25, 2021
His response: “You’ll be the first person I call.”
Took no questions. pic.twitter.com/MlyFIayrMZ
A reporter asks President Biden what he will do if Americans are still in Afghanistan after the deadline.
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) August 25, 2021
White House cuts the audio feed pic.twitter.com/noBM74gzNn
The audio feed was cut before Biden’s response.
Biden’s comments come a day after he decided against extending an Aug. 31 deadline to complete the withdrawal.
White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in a statement on Tuesday that the U.S. is “on pace to finish” by the deadline. She added, “Our mission in Kabul will end based on the achievement of our objectives.”
The Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan last week, said that it would be a “red line” if the U.S. stayed beyond the end of the month deadline, and there would be “consequences.”
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) urged Biden to ignore the deadline. In a statement, he said, “The American people are not going to surrender our fellow citizens to the Taliban. Americans want us to stay until we get our people out, and so do our allies. The Biden Administration needs to cut the Stockholm syndrome.”
“Mr. President, tell the Taliban we’re getting our people out however long it takes, and that we’re perfectly willing to spill Taliban, al-Qaeda, and ISIS blood to do it,” he added.
And Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Biden should be impeached for his decision to stick to the deadline.
Last week, Graham said, “If we leave one American behind, if we don’t get all those Afghans who stepped up to the plate and helped us out, then Joe Biden, in my view, has committed a high crime and misdemeanor under the Constitution and should be impeached.”
Some lawmakers have said they do not believe the U.S. will be able to complete the evacuations by the end of the month.