White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre attempted to correct President Joe Biden's false statement that “no U.S. troops have been killed under the president's command.”
Biden falsely stated that he is the first president to not witness the deaths of U.S. troops overseas in the past decade, despite the botched withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan on Aug. 26, 2021, leaving 13 U.S. soldiers dead.
“Three U.S. soldiers have been killed in Jordan this year and many more in Afghanistan in 2021. How can the president say there have been no deaths under his administration?” a reporter asked at a press conference on Friday.
“So, um, you know, the president is the commander in chief and you see he also talks at the end of these remarks about respecting those troops that are currently serving. And he always has and he continues to do so. And obviously his son served as well. So this is something that he respects. So I don't think that will ever change. Our hearts and thoughts are with the families that are obviously still suffering and thinking about their loved ones. So we will continue to do that. For more details on fact-checking and so forth, please refer to the campaign. But I can talk about a president that has had great respect for our military and what they do for us every day and how they continue to serve our country.”
“Well, that was said during the debate, so it's fine to mention the campaign, but he's the president. This didn't feel like an off-the-cuff remark, it felt prepared, and it was clearly a mistake. Doesn't he think it was a mistake?” the reporter demanded.
Karine seeks to correct false statements that no soldiers were killed under Biden's watch. pic.twitter.com/A6pCdPg7JI
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) June 28, 2024
“What I want to say is the president respects our military. He respects the families who have lost service members. He will continue to do that and he's been consistent on that, not just as president but as vice president and senator. You'll hear him talk about the military and how they put their lives on the line every day to protect us. He always ends his speeches with a reference to that, referring to members of the military and honoring them. That's what I can speak about right now,” she said. (Related article: 'You don't even care': Mother of slain Marine slams Biden for failing to mention 13 soldiers killed in Afghanistan)
Gold Star families of five of the 13 service members told the Daily Caller they felt abandoned by the president and called on the administration to admit mistakes and honor the fallen. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a press conference on August 29, 2022, that she had “nothing to say” about how the president plans to honor the fallen soldiers.
Biden reportedly believed “no one made a mistake” during the withdrawal, despite widespread backlash from Gold Star recipient families and critics, according to a book titled “The Internationalists: The Struggle for a Post-Trump Foreign Policy Restoration.” Written by Politico's Alexander Ward, the book also notes that “no one offered to resign” and no one was fired because Biden believed his administration committed wrongdoing.
An internal investigation by the Biden administration faulted former President Donald Trump's administration for ordering contact with the Taliban in April 2023 without leaving behind a comprehensive plan for how the operation should be carried out.
White House National Security Council Spokesperson John Kirby Said The president said he was “proud” of the way his administration carried out the withdrawal.
