President Biden’s White House scheduled Tuesday afternoon remarks on the end of the war in Afghanistan were pushed back for a second time.
Reporters who had gathered to enter the room to hear Mr. Biden’s speech were told to return to the press room about five minutes after the remarks were set to start.
The remarks, originally scheduled for 1 p.m., had been rescheduled for 2:45 p.m. It is not clear after the latest cancellation when Mr. Biden will speak, but reporters were told it would “not be any time soon.”
White House press secretary Jen Psaki said the president planned to thank U.S. troops who served in Afghanistan and lay out his reasons for sticking to the Aug. 31 withdrawal deadline, which already had passed in Afghanistan.
Mr. Biden repeatedly insisted on sticking to the deadline despite pressure to extend it coming from not just Republicans but also from some members of his own Democratic Party.
His refusal to move back the deadline drew criticism from both parties because an unknown number of Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan remain in the country.
By leaving Americans in Afghanistan, Mr. Biden broke his pledge to bring home all Americans and Afghans who aided the war effort.
It is estimated that between 100 and 200 Americans who wanted to leave Afghanistan remain in the country. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Monday the number is less than 200, while U.S. Central Command leader Marine Corps Gen. Frank McKenzie placed the number in the “very low hundreds.”
The administration has emphasized that it is committed to getting out stranded Americans through diplomatic means.
National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said the Taliban, which took control of Afghanistan, has assured the U.S. that people with travel documents can still leave the country.
As of Monday afternoon, more than 122,000 people had been airlifted from the Kabul international airport. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said 5,400 Americans were among those evacuated.
Last week, 13 U.S. service members were killed in a suicide bombing outside Kabul airport in the deadliest attack on U.S. troops in Afghanistan for years.
Mr. Biden met Sunday with the families of the fallen troops during a transfer of their remains at Dover Air Force Base.
The U.S. carried out an airstrike Sunday that targeted the suspected planners of the attack. The strike also killed nine members of a family, including six children, a relative of the family told media outlets.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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