President Joe Biden refused to answer a question on Afghanistan and promptly left the podium Sunday after delivering remarks at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters.
Biden reported on the government’s response to Hurricane Ida, which made landfall in Louisiana earlier Sunday. Towards the end of his speech, Bloomberg News senior White House reporter Jennifer Jacobs requested to ask the president a question.
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“I’m not supposed to take any questions but go ahead,” Biden told Jacobs.
Jacobs then inquired if an “acute risk” was still present at the Kabul airport but was stopped by Biden mid-sentence.
“I’m not gonna answer on Afghanistan now,” the president said before tapping on the podium and walking away. (RELATED: ‘You’ll Be The First Person I Call’: Biden Jokes When Pressed On Plan For Americans Left Behind In Afghanistan)
“I’m not supposed to take any questions, but go ahead,” @POTUS told me at FEMA HQ. I asked if there’s still an acute risk at the Kabul airport. “I’m not going to answer on Afghanistan,” he said. pic.twitter.com/fZ8WL9gfWI
— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) August 29, 2021
This is not the first time the president declined questions related to the situation in Afghanistan. Biden also walked away from an Aug. 20 press conference despite a cacophony of questions from the attending reporters.
“Why do you continue to trust the Taliban, Mr. President?” one of the reporters asked.