White House Press Secretary Plays Down Split With The Pentagon Over Afghanistan Withdrawal

 

Politico: White House plays down split with military over Afghanistan withdrawal  

"I think it's important for the American people to know that these conversations don't happen in black and white," Jen Psaki told reporters. 

The White House on Tuesday sought to minimize the impact of congressional testimony from top military officials that contradicted President Joe Biden’s past assertions that he was not urged to keep thousands of troops in Afghanistan. 

“I think it's important for the American people to know that these conversations don't happen in black and white, like you're in the middle of a movie," press secretary Jen Psaki said during the daily press briefing. 

Gen. Frank McKenzie, who commands U.S. Central Command, told members of the Senate Armed Services committee earlier Tuesday that he recommended maintaining a force of roughly 2,500 troops in Afghanistan earlier this year. 

McKenzie also acknowledged discussing with Biden a similar recommendation to leave a few thousand troops on the ground from Gen. Scott Miller, the commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan until July. 

Miller detailed that recommendation to Congress in closed testimony last week.  

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WNU Editor: It is quite a sight to see Psaki's verbal gymnastics in explaining what the President said and meant when he said that he was not urged to keep thousands of troops in Afghanistan by the military leadership. 

She did not succeed. 

And while partisan Democrats will still vocally support the President, after today's testimony where all the top Pentagon leadership were very clear that they had advised the President to keep a US military presence in Afghanistan even though he said they did not, President Biden's credibility has taken another major hit.