Joe Biden

==== Withdrawal from Afghanistan ====
{{Main|2020–2021 US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan}}
[[File:President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris meet with their national security team and senior officials.jpg|thumb|left|Biden in a video conference with Vice President [[Kamala Harris|Harris]] and the [[United States National Security Council|U.S. National Security team]], discussing the [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|Fall of Kabul]] on August 15, 2021|alt=Photo of Biden seated alone at a table, looking at a videoconference screen]]
American forces began withdrawing from Afghanistan in 2020, under the provisions of a [[Doha Agreement (2020)|February 2020 US-Taliban agreement]] that set a May 1, 2021, deadline.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kiely |first1=Eugene |last2=Farley |first2=Robert |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2021/08/timeline-of-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/ |title=Timeline of U.S. Withdrawal from Afghanistan |work=[[FactCheck.org]] |date=August 17, 2021 |access-date=February 4, 2022 |archive-date=August 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817224525/https://www.factcheck.org/2021/08/timeline-of-u-s-withdrawal-from-afghanistan/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Taliban began [[2021 Taliban offensive|an offensive]] on May 1.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/politics/biden-afghanistan-speech/index.html|title=Biden admits Afghanistan's collapse 'did unfold more quickly than we had anticipated'|first1=Kevin|last1=Liptak|first2=Jeff|last2=Zeleny|first3=Kaitlan|last3=Collins|first4=Jennifer|last4=Hansler|first5=Maegan|last5=Vazquez|date=August 16, 2021|access-date=August 26, 2021|publisher=[[CNN]]|archive-date=August 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830160957/https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/16/politics/biden-afghanistan-speech/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first1=Nomaan|last1=Merchant|first2=Zeke|last2=Miller|url=https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-evacuations-32bb6a22846f649b626a3130f8c5dffb|title=Misread warnings helped lead to chaotic Afghan evacuation|date=August 19, 2021|access-date=August 26, 2021|work=[[Associated Press]]|archive-date=August 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829230019/https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-evacuations-32bb6a22846f649b626a3130f8c5dffb|url-status=live}}</ref> By early July, most American troops in Afghanistan had withdrawn.<ref name="images" /> Biden addressed the withdrawal in July, saying, "The likelihood there's going to be the Taliban overrunning everything and owning the whole country is highly unlikely."<ref name=images />

On August 15, [[Fall of Kabul (2021)|the Afghan government collapsed]] under the Taliban offensive, and Afghan President [[Ashraf Ghani]] fled the country.<ref name=images /><ref name="messy">{{cite news |title=Biden defends 'messy' US pullout from Afghanistan |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58238497 |access-date=August 17, 2021 |work=[[BBC News]] |date=August 17, 2021 |archive-date=October 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211023163517/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-58238497 |url-status=live }}</ref> Biden reacted by ordering 6,000 American troops to assist in the evacuation of American personnel and Afghan allies.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Prakash |first1=Nidhi |title=Joe Biden Blamed Afghan Leaders For Giving Up As The Taliban Took Control |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nidhiprakash/biden-afghanistan-speech-taliban-take-over |access-date=August 17, 2021 |work=[[Buzzfeed News]] |date=August 16, 2021 |archive-date=October 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211008133113/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nidhiprakash/biden-afghanistan-speech-taliban-take-over |url-status=live }}</ref> He faced bipartisan criticism for the manner of the withdrawal,<ref>{{cite news |last1=Edmondson |first1=Catie |title=Lawmakers Unite in Bipartisan Fury Over Afghanistan Withdrawal |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/us/politics/afghanistan-withdrawal-congress.html |website=The New York Times |access-date=March 1, 2022 |date=August 16, 2021 |archive-date=August 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210816201146/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/16/us/politics/afghanistan-withdrawal-congress.html |url-status=live }}</ref> with the evacuation of Americans and Afghan allies described as chaotic and botched.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Seligman |first1=Lara |title=Top generals contradict Biden, say they urged him not to withdraw from Afghanistan |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/28/top-generals-afghanistan-withdrawal-congress-hearing-514491 |magazine=[[Politico]] |date=September 28, 2021 |access-date=March 1, 2022 |archive-date=September 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210929165155/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/09/28/top-generals-afghanistan-withdrawal-congress-hearing-514491 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Melanie |last1=Zanona |first2=Lauren |last2=Fox |title=House Republicans vow to probe Biden's Afghanistan exit if they win in 2022 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/20/politics/house-republicans-afghanistan-biden-benghazi/index.html |publisher=CNN |date=August 20, 2021 |access-date=March 1, 2022 |archive-date=August 22, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210822125620/https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/20/politics/house-republicans-afghanistan-biden-benghazi/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first1=Christopher |last1=Cadelago |first2=Natasha |last2=Korecki |first3=Laura |last3=Barrón-López |title=Biden scrambles to tamp down panic over Afghanistan |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/18/biden-afghanistan-withdrawal-506065 |magazine=[[Politico]] |date=August 18, 2021 |access-date=March 1, 2022 |archive-date=November 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126220827/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/08/18/biden-afghanistan-withdrawal-506065 |url-status=live }}</ref> On August 16, Biden addressed the "messy" situation, taking responsibility for it, and admitting that the situation "unfolded more quickly than we had anticipated".<ref name="messy" /><ref name="buck1">{{cite news |last1=Watson |first1=Kathryn |title=Biden says "buck stops with me" and defends Afghanistan withdrawal |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-afghanistan-taliban-watch-live-stream-today-2021-08-16/ |access-date=August 17, 2021 |publisher=[[CBS News]] |date=August 16, 2021 |archive-date=August 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817054019/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-afghanistan-taliban-watch-live-stream-today-2021-08-16/ |url-status=live }}</ref> He defended his decision to withdraw, saying that Americans should not be "dying in a war that Afghan forces are not willing to fight for themselves."<ref name="buck1" /><ref name="buck2">{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |title=Biden says the 'buck stops with me' — while pinning blame on Trump and many Afghans |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/16/biden-says-buck-stops-with-me-while-pinning-blame-trump-lots-afghans/ |access-date=August 17, 2021 |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=August 16, 2021 |archive-date=August 17, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210817153113/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/16/biden-says-buck-stops-with-me-while-pinning-blame-trump-lots-afghans/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

On August 26, a [[2021 Kabul airport attack|suicide bombing at the Kabul airport]] killed 13 U.S. service members and 169 Afghans. On August 27, an American drone strike killed two ISIS-K targets, who were "planners and facilitators", according to a U.S. Army general.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Michael|last1=Collins|first2=Tom Vanden|last2=Brook|first3=Deirdre|last3=Shesgreen|title=Biden said US would 'hunt' down Kabul airport attackers. A day later, a drone strike killed two ISIS-K targets|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/28/kabul-bombing-u-s-issues-drone-strike-against-isis-k-planner/5628326001/|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=August 28, 2021|access-date=August 29, 2021|archive-date=August 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210830163452/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/08/28/kabul-bombing-u-s-issues-drone-strike-against-isis-k-planner/5628326001/|url-status=live}}</ref> On August 29, another American drone strike killed ten civilians, including seven children. The Defense Department initially claimed the strike was conducted on an Islamic State suicide bomber threatening Kabul Airport, but admitted the suspect was harmless on September 17, calling its killing of civilians "a tragic mistake".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stewart |first1=Phil |last2=Ali |first2=Idrees |title=U.S. says Kabul drone strike killed 10 civilians, including children, in 'tragic mistake' |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-military-says-10-civilians-killed-kabul-drone-strike-last-month-2021-09-17/ |access-date=September 19, 2021 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=September 19, 2021 |archive-date=September 21, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210921115447/http://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/us-military-says-10-civilians-killed-kabul-drone-strike-last-month-2021-09-17/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The U.S. military completed withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 30. Biden called the extraction of over 120,000 Americans, Afghans and other allies "an extraordinary success".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Madhani |first1=Aamer |last2=Freking |first2=Kevin |title=Biden defends departure from 'forever war,' praises airlift |url=https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-dd43bcc58bd17668b1cf4ae79997142b |access-date=September 5, 2021 |work=[[Associated Press]] |date=September 1, 2021 |archive-date=September 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908160545/https://apnews.com/article/afghanistan-islamic-state-group-dd43bcc58bd17668b1cf4ae79997142b |url-status=live }}</ref> He acknowledged that up to 200 Americans who wanted to leave did not, despite his August 18 pledge to keep troops in Afghanistan until all Americans who wanted to leave had left.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gore |first1=D'Angelo |last2=Farley |first2=Robert |last3=Robertson |first3=Lori |title=How Many Americans and Allies Are Left in Afghanistan? |url=https://www.factcheck.org/2021/09/how-many-americans-and-allies-are-left-in-afghanistan/ |access-date=September 5, 2021 |work=[[Factcheck.org]] |date=September 2, 2021 |archive-date=September 8, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210908104952/https://www.factcheck.org/2021/09/how-many-americans-and-allies-are-left-in-afghanistan/ |url-status=live }}</ref>