White House press secretary Jen Psaki confirmed Thursday that the Biden administration would abide by the Aug. 31 deadline to get troops out of Afghanistan.
Psaki also noted that if Americans who wanted to leave still remained in the country after that deadline, the State Department would coordinate with the Taliban in order to get them out safely. (RELATED: WH Press Sec Jen Psaki Responds To Calls For Biden To Resign)
WATCH:
Daily Caller White House correspondent Shelby Talcott began with a statement from the Pentagon noting that evacuation efforts would not be wrapping up in 36 hours but would instead continue through the “end of the mission.”
“What does the administration define the ‘end of the mission’ as?” Talcott asked, drawing a distinction between the stated deadline of Aug. 31 and the plan to get all American citizens out of the country.
“Yes, the 31st,” Psaki confirmed, but she also noted there would be an ongoing mission even after the troops left to make sure that Americans and Afghan partners were able to leave safely.
Talcott pushed back. She asked how the Biden administration planned to protect American citizens once all U.S. troops had left the country, and noted that even with troops on the ground, security was a complicated issue, especially given Thursday’s terror attack.
“We have evacuated one hundred and four thousand people, including the vast majority of Americans, who were in Afghanistan,” Psaki replied, adding, “We will need to continue to coordinate with the Taliban in order to get people to the airport and out from the airport, those operational details and discussions are ongoing.”