Earlier today, White House chief of staff Ron Klain said in a tweet that “over 37,000 people” have been evacuated from Kabul so far. Klain was then asked to be more specific about the number of Americans who have been rescued from Afghanistan.
It’s now clear that the White House and Pentagon are being quite vague about the number of U.S. citizens who have been evacuated, and how many remain. Major General Taylor said he knew the number but didn’t have it with him:
At the Pentagon briefing Maj. Gen. Taylor was just asked if he knows how many of these are U.S. citizens. He said "I do but I don't have that right now." https://t.co/NqxRVM7Wmy
— Doug Powers (@ThePowersThatBe) August 23, 2021
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby later said “we think it’s a few thousand” but declined to be specific. The lack of specifics caused one reporter to ask if the Pentagon was being “deliberately vague” or really doesn’t know:
REPORTER: "Were you being deliberately vague when you said the number of Americans was several thousand, or was it because you're not sure of the number?"
KIRBY: "I think I'm just going to leave it at several thousand right now." pic.twitter.com/e4POmoSaiw
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 23, 2021
If the number of Americans evacuated was quite high we can be fairly certain the Biden administration and Pentagon wouldn’t be so hesitant to provide the actual number:
Hate to see this from the Pentagon…too worried about the politics of their language…just shoot the truth and answer the hard questions.
— J Drake (@Jakeddrizzle) August 23, 2021
“Just pick a something that’s higher than the number of terrorists that were released from bagram AFB” https://t.co/XIPZSOoq2j
— Matt Vespa (@mVespa1) August 23, 2021
Because I have no idea! Doesn't read well, and makes Kamala laugh too much
— 2nd Revolution (@AAScott300) August 23, 2021
This administration seems more idiotic as each day passes https://t.co/GCFS5dOZR9
— Suzie (@SuzieDanica) August 23, 2021
We're going to have to circle back https://t.co/ezjXWVgRCd
— Daniel Hoppe (@Hoopeystar) August 23, 2021
Have to circle back to that.
— Karl Cardinelli (@TylerDi41437491) August 23, 2021
It sounds like the Pentagon spokesman has learned a little from Jen Psaki.
