White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said during a press briefing on Monday that it was false and “irresponsible” to say that Americans have been “stranded” in Afghanistan, even as thousands of Americans reportedly remain trapped in the country that is now controlled by Taliban extremists.
“Does the president have a sense that most of the criticism is not of leaving Afghanistan, it’s the way that he has ordered it to happen by pulling the troops before getting these Americans, who are now stranded?” Fox News reporter Peter Doocy asked. “Does he have a sense of that?”
“First of all, I think it’s irresponsible to say Americans are stranded. They are not,” Psaki claimed. “We are committed to bringing Americans who want to come home, home. We are in touch with them via phone, via text, via email, via any way that we can possibly reach Americans to get them home if they want to return home.”
“There are no Americans stranded is the White House’s official position on what’s happening in Afghanistan right now?” Doocy asked.
“I’m just calling you out for staying that we are stranding Americans in Afghanistan,” Psaki claimed. “When we have been very clear that we are not leaving Americans who want to return home, we are going to bring them home and I think that’s important for the American public to hear and understand.”
The New York Times reported on Sunday that U.S. officials estimated last week that up to 15,000 Americans were still in Afghanistan, although the number is likely smaller than that now as approximately 2,500 have been evacuated since August 14.
WATCH:
PSAKI: "I think it's irresponsible to say Americans are stranded. They are not."
DOOCY: "'There are no Americans stranded' is the White House's official position on what's happening in Afghanistan right now?" pic.twitter.com/0FEq5VkO6V
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 23, 2021
TRANSCRIPT:
PETER DOOCY, FOX NEWS REPORTER: Does the president have a sense that most of the criticism is not of leaving Afghanistan, it’s the way that he has ordered it to happen by pulling the troops before getting these Americans, who are now stranded? Does he have a sense of that?
JEN PSAKI, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY: First of all, I think it’s irresponsible to say Americans are stranded. They are not. We are committed to bringing Americans who want to come home, home. We are in touch with them via phone, via text, via email, via any way that we can possibly reach Americans to get them home if they want to return home.
DOOCY: There are no Americans stranded is the White House’s official position on what’s happening in Afghanistan right now?
PSAKI: I’m just calling you out for staying that we are stranding Americans in Afghanistan. When we have been very clear that we are not leaving Americans who want to return home, we are going to bring them home and I think that’s important for the American public to hear and understand.
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