Ep. 1328 - Biden Is A F***ing Disgrace, And Must Resign

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode argues that the Kabul airport attack, which killed 13 U.S. service members and many Afghans, was the predictable result of Biden’s Afghanistan withdrawal strategy. It condemns the administration for poor planning, reliance on the Taliban for security, alleged “kill list” sharing, and repeated public misinformation, framing the withdrawal as a historic foreign-policy disaster with grave moral and geopolitical consequences.

Main Topics: Kabul airport attack and U.S. casualties (Priority: 5/5): Shapiro opens with the immediate aftermath of the Abbey Gate and hotel explosions, emphasizing the deaths of 13 service members, injuries to others, and the scale of Afghan civilian casualties as proof of the withdrawal’s failure. Critique of Biden’s withdrawal strategy (Priority: 5/5): The host argues the decision to leave Afghanistan, especially the manner and timeline of the pullout, directly caused the attack and worsened U.S. leverage, security, and evacuation outcomes. Reliance on the Taliban for security (Priority: 4/5): A major theme is the administration’s decision to depend on the Taliban to secure evacuation operations, which Shapiro treats as historically naïve and strategically dangerous given the Taliban’s past harboring of al-Qaeda. Alleged sharing of names and biometric data (Priority: 5/5): The transcript highlights reports that U.S. officials gave the Taliban lists of Americans, green card holders, and Afghan allies, plus biometric devices, portraying this as putting allies on a literal kill list. Biden’s public statements and perceived incoherence (Priority: 4/5): The episode devotes substantial time to Biden’s remarks after the attack, presenting them as incoherent, evasive, and dishonest, and using them to argue that he is unfit to manage the crisis. Timeline of administration misstatements (Priority: 4/5): Shapiro reviews earlier Biden and White House claims from April through late August, asserting they repeatedly promised a responsible withdrawal, denied comparisons to Saigon, and falsely claimed no Americans were stranded. Geopolitical and moral consequences (Priority: 4/5): The discussion closes on broader warnings that U.S. credibility, military technology, allies, and counterterrorism posture have all been damaged, with the withdrawal described as immoral and historically unprecedented.

Key Arguments: Biden’s withdrawal plan directly enabled the attack because pulling out without adequate security created a vacuum that ISIS exploited. Keeping a small U.S. force in Afghanistan had prevented combat casualties and functioned as a stabilizing “cork in the bottle.” Trusting the Taliban to provide security was irrational because the same group previously sheltered al-Qaeda and enabled anti-U.S. terrorism. Handing the Taliban names and biometric data of Afghan allies and Americans exposed them to retaliation and death. The administration repeatedly misled the public about the safety, success, and completeness of the evacuation. Biden’s argument that staying would inevitably have caused a larger war is presented as unsupported and speculative. The episode frames the entire withdrawal as morally wrong because it abandoned Americans, green-card holders, and Afghan partners to hostile forces.

Data Points: U.S. service members killed: 13 - Killed in the Kabul airport attack at Abbey Gate U.S. service members injured: 18 - Additional U.S. personnel wounded in the blast Afghan civilians killed: at least 90 to 100+ - Casualties from the twin explosions outside Kabul airport Total dead in attack: more than 100 - Combined U.S. and Afghan fatalities reported by major outlets Years since comparable U.S. military death toll in Afghanistan: since 2011 - Deadliest day for U.S. military in Afghanistan in a decade Zero combat casualties: since February 2020 - Used to argue the pre-withdrawal presence had reduced direct combat losses U.S. troops in Afghanistan near end of mission: 2,500 - Described as a small stabilizing force before withdrawal Afghanistan troop levels earlier in the war: 70,000-80,000 - Referenced to contrast with the later reduced footprint People evacuated: more than 100,000 - Administration’s claimed evacuation total over two weeks Americans believed to remain: roughly 1,000 - State Department figure cited in the transcript Green-card holders acknowledged: excluded from the 1,000 figure - Shapiro argues legal permanent residents were not counted Value of military equipment left behind: over $85 billion - Claimed total of U.S. equipment now accessible to the Taliban Vehicles left behind: 75,000 - Part of the military equipment inventory cited Aircraft and helicopters left behind: over 200 - Part of the military equipment inventory cited Small arms and light weapons left behind: over 600,000 - Part of the military equipment inventory cited Deadline for full withdrawal: August 31 - Described as the administration’s fixed timeline despite the attack Date of Biden withdrawal announcement: April 14 - Used in the timeline of alleged misstatements Date Biden denied Saigon comparison: July 8 - He said the evacuation would not resemble Vietnam Date of Biden’s key post-withdrawal speech: August 16 - He said the buck stopped with him and defended the mission Date of Stephanopoulos interview: August 18 - Biden reportedly said no one had died 'right now' and no Americans would be left behind Date of press secretary’s “no Americans are stranded” remark: August 23 - White House response to criticism of stranded Americans

Pivotal Quotes: "Yesterday was one of the worst days in modern American foreign policy history." — Ben Shapiro: Opening characterization of the Kabul attack and withdrawal debacle "We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not let them stop our mission." — Joe Biden: From Biden’s post-attack remarks defending the evacuation "We have been very clear that we are not leaving Americans who want to return home." — Jen Psaki: White House press briefing dismissing claims that Americans were stranded

Implications: The episode warns that the withdrawal damaged U.S. credibility, empowered hostile actors, endangered allies, and may lead to further attacks or reprisals. It argues the crisis will shape foreign-policy trust and perceptions of U.S. reliability for years.