{"id":1914721,"date":"2023-04-14T08:43:11","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T12:43:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-senior-military-official-blasts-biden-wh-over-disgraceful-afghanistan-withdrawal-spin\/"},"modified":"2023-04-14T08:45:37","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T12:45:37","slug":"former-senior-military-official-blasts-biden-wh-over-disgraceful-afghanistan-withdrawal-spin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/former-senior-military-official-blasts-biden-wh-over-disgraceful-afghanistan-withdrawal-spin\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Senior Military Official Blasts Biden WH Over \u201cDisgraceful\u201d Afghanistan Withdrawal Spin"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fformer-senior-military-official-blasts-biden-wh-over-disgraceful-afghanistan-withdrawal-spin%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=1914721&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><section class=\"post-body\">\n<p>On one hand, I still can&#8217;t quite believe this is what they&#8217;re going with, considering how undeniably obvious the Afghanistan withdrawal disaster was. \u00a0It wasn&#8217;t just memorably chaotic; it was historically awful, humiliating and infuriating. \u00a0To pretend that there was no chaos at all, or that the mess was somehow limited to a few unpleasant hours before an orderly process unfolded, is next-level gaslighting &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2021\/06\/29\/surreal-new-dem-talking-point-actually-republicans-are-the-defund-the-police-party-n2591742\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">even for<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2022\/11\/17\/reality-check-the-biden-administration-will-never-stop-gaslighting-us-on-the-border-crisis-n2616017\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this crew<\/a>. \u00a0On the other hand, the president himself presided over this catastrophic failure in real time and had the gall to summarize it <em>at the time<\/em> as an &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/08\/31\/biden-to-address-end-of-afghan-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">extraordinary success<\/a>,&#8221; so perhaps similarly pathetic lying almost two years later from his cronies is to be expected. \u00a0In case you missed it last week, here is one of the administration&#8217;s alleged adults in the room assaulting the truth and insulting Americans&#8217; collective intelligence:<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_4\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/6177\/slm.townhall\/tipsheet\/300x250_4_0__container__\" style=\"border: 0pt none;\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\" style=\"display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 439px; height: 562px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"Twitter Tweet\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&#038;embedId=twitter-widget-0&#038;features=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%3D&#038;frame=false&#038;hideCard=false&#038;hideThread=false&#038;id=1644040764979118080&#038;lang=en&#038;origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Ftipsheet%2Fguybenson%2F2023%2F04%2F12%2Flisten-former-senior-military-official-rips-biden-wh-over-disgraceful-afghanistan-spin-n2621810&#038;sessionId=25c82bb6734e82e1e98964f6b0bdeb80aaad34cd&#038;siteScreenName=townhallcom&#038;theme=light&#038;widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&#038;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1644040764979118080\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The moment President Biden&#8217;s job approval rating fell underwater for the first time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/epolls\/other\/president-biden-job-approval-7320.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aligns precisely<\/a> with the Afghanistan disgrace playing out. \u00a0It has never recovered, with Biden languishing in the mid-40&#8217;s to high-30&#8217;s in multiple recent polls. \u00a0That&#8217;s no coincidence. \u00a0Americans watched national embarrassment unfolding before their eyes, and saw not only a grossly incompetent administration, but a dishonest one, too. \u00a0Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg (retired) was one of the top national security officials in the Trump administration. \u00a0He had a hands-on role and a front row seat in the crafting of the previous administration&#8217;s Afghanistan policy. \u00a0In <a href=\"https:\/\/radio.foxnews.com\/2023\/04\/10\/gen-keith-kellogg-rips-john-kirby-for-denial-of-chaos-during-afghan-withdraw-his-comments-were-disgraceful\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a radio interview<\/a> this week, Kellogg ripped into the White House&#8217;s spin, based on their self-serving, buck-passing whitewash of a &#8216;report,&#8217; exemplified by Kirby&#8217;s remarks. \u00a0He blasted their assertions as untrue, hit Kirby specifically for &#8220;disgraceful&#8221; comments, and took detailed aim at their &#8220;garbage&#8221; version of events:<\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\" style=\"display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 439px; height: 655px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"Twitter Tweet\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&#038;embedId=twitter-widget-1&#038;features=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%3D&#038;frame=false&#038;hideCard=false&#038;hideThread=false&#038;id=1645800758384955393&#038;lang=en&#038;origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Ftipsheet%2Fguybenson%2F2023%2F04%2F12%2Flisten-former-senior-military-official-rips-biden-wh-over-disgraceful-afghanistan-spin-n2621810&#038;sessionId=25c82bb6734e82e1e98964f6b0bdeb80aaad34cd&#038;siteScreenName=townhallcom&#038;theme=light&#038;widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&#038;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1645800758384955393\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"240\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=FOXM2502298292&#038;start=1303\" width=\"100%\" class=\"mw-100\"><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"row mb-3\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<h4 class=\"pc\">Recommended<\/h4>\n<div class=\"widget-list__noborder widget-list__hero mb-3\">\n<div> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/victordavishanson\/2023\/04\/14\/the-biden-10-step-plan-for-global-chaos-n2621956\" title=\"The Biden 10-Step Plan for Global Chaos\"><\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"py-3\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/victordavishanson\/2023\/04\/14\/the-biden-10-step-plan-for-global-chaos-n2621956\" title=\"The Biden 10-Step Plan for Global Chaos\" class=\"widget-list__body-title title-link\">The Biden 10-Step Plan for Global Chaos <\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/victordavishanson\/2023\/04\/14\/the-biden-10-step-plan-for-global-chaos-n2621956\" title=\"Victor Davis Hanson\" class=\"widget-list__author\">Victor Davis Hanson<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_5\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\"> <script type=\"text\/javascript\">                     googletag.cmd.push(function () {                         googletag.display(\"div-gpt-300x250_5\");                         \/\/googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot[\"div-gpt-300x250_5\"]])                     });                 <\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI think you know, what he did was actually disgraceful. And here\u2019s the reason I\u2019m saying that He\u2019s retired admiral. He knows better. I get it. When you\u2019re a flack and you\u2019re talking in the White House, I was there. I spent four years in the White House. I kind of know how the drill goes. But <strong>he knows better because he was a professional military officer. And that is he his comments were disgraceful.<\/strong> He knows exactly whats happening. You know, I\u2019d remind him that, yeah, there was an aircraft taking off full of people. It was also people hanging on airplanes that fell off as it were taking off. And what he says about chaos, no chaos. And then his definition of chaos guy, is a lot different than my definition of chaos.\u201c<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The internet went to work on Kirby&#8217;s surreal assertions late last week, dredging up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/john-kirby-admitted-chaos-deadly-afghanistan-withdrawal-2021-now-denies-seeing-chaos?intcmp=tw_fnc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kirby&#8217;s own use<\/a> of the word &#8216;chaos&#8217; during, well, the chaos &#8212; while others shared a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RealMattCouch\/status\/1645233063520092160\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video mash-up<\/a> of his comments against a backdrop of an infamous scene at Kabul&#8217;s airport. \u00a0As I noted in the segment, it wasn&#8217;t just the appalling optics at that airport, the bodies plummeting from the sky, the babies being hurled over walls by desperate parents, or even the terrorist bombing that killed 13 US service members (in light of that atrocity, it&#8217;s particularly grotesque that the administration is adopting the line that it is. \u00a0Of course, these are the same people who then accidentally killed innocent kids in retaliation for the bombing, then admitted the error <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/09\/17\/biden-hits-beach-as-us-admits-afghan-kid-kills-fda-spikes-boosters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">as a Friday news dump<\/a> with the president on vacation). \u00a0It&#8217;s about the US government abandoning an entire country to a terrorist organization in a breathtakingly shoddy, naive and foolish way, leaving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/us-abandoned-military-equipment-cost-afghanistan-taliban-takeover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">billions of dollars worth<\/a> of American military equipment behind. \u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_6\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\"> <script type=\"text\/javascript\">                     googletag.cmd.push(function () {                         googletag.display(\"div-gpt-300x250_6\");                         \/\/googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot[\"div-gpt-300x250_6\"]])                     });                 <\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It&#8217;s about stunning our closest allies (&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/europe-reacts-bidens-afghanistan-withdrawal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">disbelief and betrayal<\/a>&#8220;), who suddenly had to scramble to save their own people from the collapsing security situation on the ground. \u00a0It&#8217;s about leaving <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2021\/10\/07\/afghan-refugees-released-americans-stuck-n2596939\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">thousands of Americans behind<\/a> in a Taliban-controlled hell, along with tens of thousands of Afghan allies, after the <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2021\/08\/25\/flashback-biden-repeatedly-promised-to-rescue-all-afghans-who-helped-america-n2594709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">president&#8217;s solemn vow<\/a> to get everyone out. \u00a0This was not just a series of gargantuan tactical blunders and a strategic failure for the history books. \u00a0It was and is a stain on our nation&#8217;s conscience and reputation. \u00a0It was a striking sign post of American decline. \u00a0And the notion that it was all pretty terrific, and any of the minimal unpleasantness was really the fault of the previous administration, is just a slap in the face to basically everyone involved. \u00a0Our memories may be short these days, but not that short. \u00a0Whatever one thinks of the Trump Afghanistan policy leading up to the pullout, the final operational planning and execution fell to a new administration, which had been in place for more than half-a-year. \u00a0The Commander-in-Chief who promised a stable and orderly pullout, with nobody left behind, is totally responsible for what happened. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the idea that Joe Biden&#8217;s hands were tied by his predecessor is laughable, considering the knee-jerk manner in which the 46th president reflexively undid all manner of prior policies, including several conspicuously successful ones. \u00a0I&#8217;ll leave you with this flashback clip, which Joe Biden and John Kirby would certainly prefer to see memory-holed. \u00a0As you watch it, ruminate on the supposedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/house-republicans-hearing-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal-biden-rcna73009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chaos-free &#8220;extraordinary success&#8221;<\/a> they like to talk about:<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_7\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\"> <script type=\"text\/javascript\">                     googletag.cmd.push(function () {                         googletag.display(\"div-gpt-300x250_7\");                         \/\/googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot[\"div-gpt-300x250_7\"]])                     });                 <\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ratio ratio-16x9\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MGfUyC-HMtk\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"mw-100\"><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Thirteen more US service members were killed that day than were ever fired (zero) for the shockingly botched withdrawal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"thm-piano-promo\">\n<div class=\"tp-container-inner\" style=\"height: 322px; width: 552.656px;\"><iframe id=\"offer_0ae8e968ccebe04573aa-0\" name=\"offer_0ae8e968ccebe04573aa-0\" title=\"offer_0ae8e968ccebe04573aa-0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"payment\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/buy.tinypass.com\/checkout\/template\/cacheableShow?aid=tSxoqtcFa7&#038;templateId=OTTPT65L7XG3&#038;offerId=fakeOfferId&#038;experienceId=EXXNLCNPH188&#038;iframeId=offer_0ae8e968ccebe04573aa-0&#038;displayMode=inline&#038;pianoIdUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fid.tinypass.com%2Fid%2F&#038;widget=template&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"overflow: hidden; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; width: 552.656px; height: 322px;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"post-body\">\n<p>On one hand, I still can&#8217;t quite believe this is what they&#8217;re going with, considering how undeniably obvious the Afghanistan withdrawal disaster was. \u00a0It wasn&#8217;t just memorably chaotic; it was historically awful, humiliating and infuriating. \u00a0To pretend that there was no chaos at all, or that the mess was somehow limited to a few unpleasant hours before an orderly process unfolded, is next-level gaslighting &#8212; <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2021\/06\/29\/surreal-new-dem-talking-point-actually-republicans-are-the-defund-the-police-party-n2591742\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">even for<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2022\/11\/17\/reality-check-the-biden-administration-will-never-stop-gaslighting-us-on-the-border-crisis-n2616017\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">this crew<\/a>. \u00a0On the other hand, the president himself presided over this catastrophic failure in real time and had the gall to summarize it <em>at the time<\/em> as an &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/08\/31\/biden-to-address-end-of-afghan-war\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">extraordinary success<\/a>,&#8221; so perhaps similarly pathetic lying almost two years later from his cronies is to be expected. \u00a0In case you missed it last week, here is one of the administration&#8217;s alleged adults in the room assaulting the truth and insulting Americans&#8217; collective intelligence:<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_4\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\">\n<div id=\"google_ads_iframe_\/6177\/slm.townhall\/tipsheet\/300x250_4_0__container__\" style=\"border: 0pt none;\"><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\" style=\"display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-0\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 439px; height: 562px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"Twitter Tweet\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&#038;embedId=twitter-widget-0&#038;features=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%3D&#038;frame=false&#038;hideCard=false&#038;hideThread=false&#038;id=1644040764979118080&#038;lang=en&#038;origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Ftipsheet%2Fguybenson%2F2023%2F04%2F12%2Flisten-former-senior-military-official-rips-biden-wh-over-disgraceful-afghanistan-spin-n2621810&#038;sessionId=25c82bb6734e82e1e98964f6b0bdeb80aaad34cd&#038;siteScreenName=townhallcom&#038;theme=light&#038;widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&#038;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1644040764979118080\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p>The moment President Biden&#8217;s job approval rating fell underwater for the first time <a href=\"https:\/\/www.realclearpolitics.com\/epolls\/other\/president-biden-job-approval-7320.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">aligns precisely<\/a> with the Afghanistan disgrace playing out. \u00a0It has never recovered, with Biden languishing in the mid-40&#8217;s to high-30&#8217;s in multiple recent polls. \u00a0That&#8217;s no coincidence. \u00a0Americans watched national embarrassment unfolding before their eyes, and saw not only a grossly incompetent administration, but a dishonest one, too. \u00a0Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg (retired) was one of the top national security officials in the Trump administration. \u00a0He had a hands-on role and a front row seat in the crafting of the previous administration&#8217;s Afghanistan policy. \u00a0In <a href=\"https:\/\/radio.foxnews.com\/2023\/04\/10\/gen-keith-kellogg-rips-john-kirby-for-denial-of-chaos-during-afghan-withdraw-his-comments-were-disgraceful\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a radio interview<\/a> this week, Kellogg ripped into the White House&#8217;s spin, based on their self-serving, buck-passing whitewash of a &#8216;report,&#8217; exemplified by Kirby&#8217;s remarks. \u00a0He blasted their assertions as untrue, hit Kirby specifically for &#8220;disgraceful&#8221; comments, and took detailed aim at their &#8220;garbage&#8221; version of events:<\/p>\n<div class=\"twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered\" style=\"display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;\"><iframe id=\"twitter-widget-1\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" class=\"\" style=\"position: static; visibility: visible; width: 439px; height: 655px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;\" title=\"Twitter Tweet\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/embed\/Tweet.html?dnt=false&#038;embedId=twitter-widget-1&#038;features=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%3D&#038;frame=false&#038;hideCard=false&#038;hideThread=false&#038;id=1645800758384955393&#038;lang=en&#038;origin=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com%2Ftipsheet%2Fguybenson%2F2023%2F04%2F12%2Flisten-former-senior-military-official-rips-biden-wh-over-disgraceful-afghanistan-spin-n2621810&#038;sessionId=25c82bb6734e82e1e98964f6b0bdeb80aaad34cd&#038;siteScreenName=townhallcom&#038;theme=light&#038;widgetsVersion=aaf4084522e3a%3A1674595607486&#038;width=550px\" data-tweet-id=\"1645800758384955393\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><script async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"240\" scrolling=\"no\" src=\"https:\/\/playlist.megaphone.fm\/?e=FOXM2502298292&#038;start=1303\" width=\"100%\" class=\"mw-100\"><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div class=\"row mb-3\">\n<div class=\"col\">\n<h4 class=\"pc\">Recommended<\/h4>\n<div class=\"widget-list__noborder widget-list__hero mb-3\">\n<div> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/victordavishanson\/2023\/04\/14\/the-biden-10-step-plan-for-global-chaos-n2621956\" title=\"The Biden 10-Step Plan for Global Chaos\"><\/a> <\/div>\n<div class=\"py-3\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/victordavishanson\/2023\/04\/14\/the-biden-10-step-plan-for-global-chaos-n2621956\" title=\"The Biden 10-Step Plan for Global Chaos\" class=\"widget-list__body-title title-link\">The Biden 10-Step Plan for Global Chaos <\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/columnists\/victordavishanson\/2023\/04\/14\/the-biden-10-step-plan-for-global-chaos-n2621956\" title=\"Victor Davis Hanson\" class=\"widget-list__author\">Victor Davis Hanson<\/a> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col d-flex align-items-center justify-content-center\">\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_5\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\"> <script type=\"text\/javascript\">                     googletag.cmd.push(function () {                         googletag.display(\"div-gpt-300x250_5\");                         \/\/googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot[\"div-gpt-300x250_5\"]])                     });                 <\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<blockquote><p>\u201cI think you know, what he did was actually disgraceful. And here\u2019s the reason I\u2019m saying that He\u2019s retired admiral. He knows better. I get it. When you\u2019re a flack and you\u2019re talking in the White House, I was there. I spent four years in the White House. I kind of know how the drill goes. But <strong>he knows better because he was a professional military officer. And that is he his comments were disgraceful.<\/strong> He knows exactly whats happening. You know, I\u2019d remind him that, yeah, there was an aircraft taking off full of people. It was also people hanging on airplanes that fell off as it were taking off. And what he says about chaos, no chaos. And then his definition of chaos guy, is a lot different than my definition of chaos.\u201c<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The internet went to work on Kirby&#8217;s surreal assertions late last week, dredging up <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/john-kirby-admitted-chaos-deadly-afghanistan-withdrawal-2021-now-denies-seeing-chaos?intcmp=tw_fnc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kirby&#8217;s own use<\/a> of the word &#8216;chaos&#8217; during, well, the chaos &#8212; while others shared a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RealMattCouch\/status\/1645233063520092160\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">video mash-up<\/a> of his comments against a backdrop of an infamous scene at Kabul&#8217;s airport. \u00a0As I noted in the segment, it wasn&#8217;t just the appalling optics at that airport, the bodies plummeting from the sky, the babies being hurled over walls by desperate parents, or even the terrorist bombing that killed 13 US service members (in light of that atrocity, it&#8217;s particularly grotesque that the administration is adopting the line that it is. \u00a0Of course, these are the same people who then accidentally killed innocent kids in retaliation for the bombing, then admitted the error <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2021\/09\/17\/biden-hits-beach-as-us-admits-afghan-kid-kills-fda-spikes-boosters\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">as a Friday news dump<\/a> with the president on vacation). \u00a0It&#8217;s about the US government abandoning an entire country to a terrorist organization in a breathtakingly shoddy, naive and foolish way, leaving <a href=\"https:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/us-abandoned-military-equipment-cost-afghanistan-taliban-takeover\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">billions of dollars worth<\/a> of American military equipment behind. \u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_6\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\"> <script type=\"text\/javascript\">                     googletag.cmd.push(function () {                         googletag.display(\"div-gpt-300x250_6\");                         \/\/googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot[\"div-gpt-300x250_6\"]])                     });                 <\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>It&#8217;s about stunning our closest allies (&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.eu\/article\/europe-reacts-bidens-afghanistan-withdrawal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">disbelief and betrayal<\/a>&#8220;), who suddenly had to scramble to save their own people from the collapsing security situation on the ground. \u00a0It&#8217;s about leaving <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2021\/10\/07\/afghan-refugees-released-americans-stuck-n2596939\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">thousands of Americans behind<\/a> in a Taliban-controlled hell, along with tens of thousands of Afghan allies, after the <a href=\"https:\/\/townhall.com\/tipsheet\/guybenson\/2021\/08\/25\/flashback-biden-repeatedly-promised-to-rescue-all-afghans-who-helped-america-n2594709\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">president&#8217;s solemn vow<\/a> to get everyone out. \u00a0This was not just a series of gargantuan tactical blunders and a strategic failure for the history books. \u00a0It was and is a stain on our nation&#8217;s conscience and reputation. \u00a0It was a striking sign post of American decline. \u00a0And the notion that it was all pretty terrific, and any of the minimal unpleasantness was really the fault of the previous administration, is just a slap in the face to basically everyone involved. \u00a0Our memories may be short these days, but not that short. \u00a0Whatever one thinks of the Trump Afghanistan policy leading up to the pullout, the final operational planning and execution fell to a new administration, which had been in place for more than half-a-year. \u00a0The Commander-in-Chief who promised a stable and orderly pullout, with nobody left behind, is totally responsible for what happened. \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore, the idea that Joe Biden&#8217;s hands were tied by his predecessor is laughable, considering the knee-jerk manner in which the 46th president reflexively undid all manner of prior policies, including several conspicuously successful ones. \u00a0I&#8217;ll leave you with this flashback clip, which Joe Biden and John Kirby would certainly prefer to see memory-holed. \u00a0As you watch it, ruminate on the supposedly <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/congress\/house-republicans-hearing-botched-afghanistan-withdrawal-biden-rcna73009\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">chaos-free &#8220;extraordinary success&#8221;<\/a> they like to talk about:<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-4\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-300x250_7\" class=\"gpt-ad ad-250 text-center\"> <script type=\"text\/javascript\">                     googletag.cmd.push(function () {                         googletag.display(\"div-gpt-300x250_7\");                         \/\/googletag.pubads().refresh([gptAdSlot[\"div-gpt-300x250_7\"]])                     });                 <\/script> <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"ratio ratio-16x9\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MGfUyC-HMtk\" title=\"YouTube video player\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" class=\"mw-100\"><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"fr-mk\" style=\"display: none;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p>Thirteen more US service members were killed that day than were ever fired (zero) for the shockingly botched withdrawal.<\/p>\n<div class=\"thm-piano-promo\">\n<div class=\"tp-container-inner\" style=\"height: 322px; width: 552.656px;\"><iframe id=\"offer_0ae8e968ccebe04573aa-0\" name=\"offer_0ae8e968ccebe04573aa-0\" title=\"offer_0ae8e968ccebe04573aa-0\" scrolling=\"no\" allowtransparency=\"true\" allow=\"payment\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/buy.tinypass.com\/checkout\/template\/cacheableShow?aid=tSxoqtcFa7&#038;templateId=OTTPT65L7XG3&#038;offerId=fakeOfferId&#038;experienceId=EXXNLCNPH188&#038;iframeId=offer_0ae8e968ccebe04573aa-0&#038;displayMode=inline&#038;pianoIdUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fid.tinypass.com%2Fid%2F&#038;widget=template&#038;url=https%3A%2F%2Ftownhall.com\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"overflow: hidden; background-color: transparent; border: 0px; width: 552.656px; height: 322px;\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On one hand, I still can&#8217;t quite believe this is what they&#8217;re going with, considering how undeniably obvious the Afghanistan withdrawal disaster was. \u00a0It wasn&#8217;t just memorably chaotic; it was historically awful, humiliating and infuriating. \u00a0To pretend that there was no chaos at all, or that the mess was somehow limited to a few unpleasant<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1914722,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[547],"tags":[24365,7228,3620,3675,4505,4808,7400,7469,8050],"class_list":["post-1914721","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-bongino-report","tag-disgraceful","tag-afghanistan","tag-biden","tag-blasts","tag-military","tag-official","tag-senior","tag-spin","tag-withdrawal"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1914721","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1914721"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1914721\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1914722"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1914721"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1914721"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1914721"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}