NEWS AND OPINION:
The Republican Study Committee has a very stark message for President Biden following news that many American citizens were left in Afghanistan after the official U.S. airlift ended.
“Remember ‘Saving Private Ryan’? Steven Spielberg’s hit movie told the story of a group of soldiers who risked life and limb to save a low-ranking paratrooper who was trapped behind enemy lines,” the committee — a conservative caucus of House Republicans — asked in a wide-ranging report released Tuesday.
It pointed out that the film was very dear to the hearts of Americans — winning five Oscars and earning $217 million at the U.S. box office. The movie also proved to be a cultural force all on its own.
“What made the film so successful? It was a visual depiction of the ancient concept of nemo resideo, which is Latin for ‘leave no man behind’ — which is also the U.S. Army Ranger creed. If Biden was in charge of the mission, Private Ryan would be dead,” the committee said.
“Joe Biden should rewatch this 1998 classic film, because his administration seems comfortable leaving hundreds of Americans behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. We can’t let that happen. As Republicans in Congress, we need to hold the Biden administration accountable to evacuating every single American trapped behind enemy lines,” the group said.
‘WE WILL LEAD’
The crisis in Afghanistan and the woes of the White House just keep on increasing. Americans have a very pronounced opinion of the situation, according to an ABC News/Ipsos poll.
It found that 84% of U.S. adults said that U.S. troops should stay in Afghanistan until all Americans have been evacuated. The survey also revealed that 71% of U.S. troops should remain until all Afghans who aided the U.S. have been evacuated.
The poll of 513 U.S. adults was conducted Aug. 27-28 and released Sunday.
Republican lawmakers, meanwhile, are not overlooking an opportunity here, and have made a show of force in the nation’s capital.
House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy of California, Reps. Mike Bost of Illinois, Michael McCaul of Texas and Mike Rogers of Alabama, plus a large and resolute group of lawmakers who are also military veterans currently serving in the House Republican Conference made a noteworthy appearance Tuesday.
This GOP platoon had a word to say after Democrats blocked a vote for a GOP bill which would prohibit President Biden from withdrawing troops until every American is safely home from Afghanistan.
“What is the plan to bring Americans home safely? Not some, but every single American? For the Democrats who behind closed doors want to hold this administration accountable — we’re going to give you that opportunity. Now is the time for leadership in Congress, and we will lead,” Mr. McCarthy advised.
21 AND COUNTING
Both the press and the public are still mulling the U.S. exit from Afghanistan, and not in a good way.
“President Joe Biden ordered a hasty, chaotic, and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan, leaving hundreds of Americans stranded there on August 31. Ironically, Biden had promised — repeatedly — to leave ‘no one behind’ there, or anywhere,” wrote Joel B. Pollak, senior editor-at-large at Breitbart News.
But wait. Something about that phrase seemed a little too familiar to Mr. Pollak — who did some research, only to find out “no one behind” appears to be a favorite go-to sound bite for Mr. Biden.
“The tagline — leave ‘nobody behind’ or ‘no one behind’ — has been a part of Biden’s stump speech since at least the 2019-2020 Democratic presidential primary. He has used it in several speeches, including his speech to the 2020 Democratic National Convention, and he has tweeted it frequently from his official account,” Mr. Pollak wrote.
He found 21 examples of this usage in that period alone. Mr. Biden appears to be a fan of this flexible phrase and its derivatives.
“Sometimes, he uses the phrase to refer to economic equality. But always, he insists that leaving ‘no one behind’ is a core American value — one that, he once claimed, President Donald Trump did not share. Now, Biden has proven just how empty that promise, that principle, is to him,” Mr. Pollak said.
PHRASE OF THE DAY
“Biden remorse and Trump regret.”
This handy five-word phrase is from Seton Motley, founder of Less Government, a nonprofit group dedicated to reducing the power of government and protecting the First Amendment.
He cites the recent actions of President Biden.
“Joe Biden’s disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal has to have almost the entirety of the planet reconsidering its perspectives on Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump,” wrote Mr. Motley, who also noted that many voters in the 2020 presidential election voted for Mr. Biden because it was a vote “against” Mr. Trump.
This, of course, was the preferred action among political elites and the chattering media classes who let their views be known.
The problem is that the U.S. economy was humming when Mr. Trump was in office, gas prices were reasonable and inflation in check, the borders were more secure and Afghanistan was not a factor. Few could overlook those factors.
“With each new day, more and more of these anti-Trump voters are realizing they have been royally had,” Mr. Motley said in his essay.
“Here’s where it gets really difficult for them. Admitting they were wrong about Biden — means they must also come to grips with … they were wrong about Trump too. Biden has certainly helped demonstrate that fact,” he advised.
POLL DU JOUR
• 36% of U.S. adults are following the news about COVID-19 “very closely”; 28% of Republicans, 31% of independents and 50% of Democrats agree.
• 41% overall are following COVID-19 news “somewhat closely”; 44% of Republicans, 42% of independents and 39% of Democrats agree.
• 16% overall are not following the news “closely”; 21% of Republicans, 18% of independents and 9% of Democrats agree.
• 7% overall are not following the COVID-19 news at all; 7% of Republicans, 8% of independents and 2% of Democrats agree.
SOURCE: An Economist/YouGov poll of 1,500 U.S. adults conducted Aug. 21-24.
• Follow Jennifer Harper on Twitter @HarperBulletin.
• Jennifer Harper can be reached at jharper@washingtontimes.com.
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