Dailymail
‘I want to talk about happy things, man, it’s July 4’: Biden snaps at reporters asking about Afghanistan and says he will only answer ‘legitimate questions’ as last US soldiers are flown out of Bagram and Taliban take swathes of country
President Joe Biden cut off reporters who questioned him about the US troop withdraw from Afghanistan
‘I want to talk about happy things, man,’ he said
‘I’m not going to answer anymore on Afghanistan. It’s Fourth of July,’ Biden said
US defense officials confirmed all US troops have left Bagram Airbase
The base served as a linchpin for US operations for almost two decades of war
It was the site of a number of deadly Taliban attacks over the last 20 years
Sources said it has now been handed over to Afghan National Security and Defence Forces
President Biden has vowed to have every US soldier out of Afghanistan by September 11
One insider told CNN it was a ‘gut decision’ on Biden’s behalf; some experts fear it could cause new violence to erupt across Afghanistan
President Joe Biden on Friday cut off reporters who questioned him about the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, saying he wanted to focus on the upcoming Fourth of July holiday and ‘happy things.’ ‘I want to talk about happy things, man,’ he told reporters who asked him about the American troops who left Bagram Airbase after almost two decades of war. Biden had come out to brag about Friday’s strong jobs report when he was asked about the exit of American troops in the middle of a Taliban resurgence that has sparked fears Afghanistan could descend into civil war. The Taliban claims to have recently captured more than 100 of the over 400 districts across Afghanistan. The airbase, which is located 30 miles north of Kabul, Afghanistan, has now been handed over to the Afghan National Security and Defense Force in its entirety. The American troops left quietly, with little fanfare and no public ceremony. White House press secretary Jen Psaki later accused reporters of reading too much into the president’s snappy responses, arguing he wanted to focus on the upcoming Independence Day celebrations. ‘I think what he was trying to convey to all of you is that he is heading into July 4 weekend, a weekend for family, we can celebrate America, and he was ready to be done answering questions. It wasn’t it wasn’t related to Afghanistan,’ she said at her White House press briefing.
