Biden Rejects Afghanistan Report, Calls Reporter a “Wise Guy” Over Inflation, Manchin Warns Against “More Fuel on the Fire”

On 2/11/2022, President Biden flatly rejected the Army’s Afghanistan after-action report in an NBC interview, saying “that’s not what I was told” and “I am rejecting them.” When a reporter asked about his July claim that inflation would be “temporary,” Biden called the reporter a “wise guy.” Senator Manchin warned the economy was “on fire” and more government spending would be “throwing more fuel on the fire.” A poll showed 56% of Americans who disapproved of Biden could not name a single thing he had done that they approved of.

”That’s Not What I Was Told”

In an NBC interview, Biden was confronted with the Army’s classified after-action report on the Afghanistan withdrawal, which included damning assessments from military commanders about the State Department and NSC being unprepared.

“Who said the administration ignored the handwriting on the wall? Does any of that ring true to you?” the interviewer asked.

“No. No. That’s not what I was told. No,” Biden said. “What I was told — no one told me that. Look, there was no good time to get out. And there was no way we were ever going to unite Afghanistan. No way that was gonna happen.”

“Are you rejecting the conclusions or the accounts that are in this Army report?” the interviewer pressed.

“Yes, I am,” Biden said flatly. “I’m rejecting them."

"You’re Being a Wise Guy”

When a reporter noted Biden had said back in July that inflation would be “temporary” and asked what his “definition of temporary” was, Biden pushed back.

“Well, you’re being a wise guy with me a little bit, and I understand that’s your job,” Biden said. He then blamed inflation on supply chains. “The reason for inflation is the supply chains were cut off, meaning that the products — for example, automobiles, the lack of computer chips to be able to build those automobiles so they could function.”

Biden pledged to bring down food prices. “I know food prices are up and we’re gonna bring them down,” he said. “I grew up in a family where the price at the pump went up, you felt it. And I understand. But these things are necessities.”

He again repeated his signature promise: “If you’re making less than $400,000, you’re not paying a single penny more in taxes. Not a single penny more. And it does not increase the debt because it’s paid for."

"In the Doldrums”

A CNN poll showed 56% of Americans who disapproved of Biden could not name a single positive action he had taken — “not on coronavirus, not on the economy, not even on getting a cat.” An analyst described the situation as “the doldrums” and said it “all relates back to that inflation situation.”

“This inflation is real. It’s harming people. It’s 7.5%. That’s a tax. And it continues to increase. It’s not decreasing,” the analyst said.

Manchin: “Economy Is on Fire”

Senator Joe Manchin offered the most vivid warning against more spending. “We have inflation, and we have basically an economy that’s on fire,” Manchin said. “We don’t throw more fuel on the fire that’s already on fire, causing the problems that we have.”

Manchin was asked directly about the political implications. “How do you think the inflation will affect Democrats?” a reporter asked.

“I don’t know. People should quit worrying about the politics,” Manchin replied. “The worst thing that happens is you lose. Do the right thing for the American people. Be an American. Don’t worry about being a Democrat or Republican.”

On energy, Manchin drew a line. “I’ve said I am not going to vote — with my vote, I’m not going to vote to put our country in a situation where we’re going to be dependent on foreign supply chains for the fuel that we need,” he said. “We’re the greatest nation on earth. We should be able to be energy independent and take care of ourselves.”

Ukraine: “American Citizens Should Leave”

Biden said he had told Putin directly about the consequences of any action affecting American citizens. “I’m hoping that if in fact he’s foolish enough to go in, he’s smart enough not to do anything that would negatively impact on American citizens,” Biden said.

“Have you told him that?” the interviewer asked.

“Yes,” Biden said. “He knows that.”

Biden reiterated the administration’s message: “American citizens should leave. Should leave now.”

Key Takeaways

• Biden flatly rejected the Army’s Afghanistan after-action report: “That’s not what I was told. I’m rejecting them.”
• He called a reporter a “wise guy” for asking about his July claim that inflation would be “temporary” when it had hit 7.5%.
• A poll showed 56% of Biden disapprovers could not name a single positive action he had taken.
• Manchin warned the economy was “on fire” and more spending would be “throwing more fuel on the fire,” calling for energy independence.
• Biden said he told Putin that actions affecting American citizens would have consequences and urged all Americans to leave Ukraine immediately.

Transcript Highlights

The following is transcribed from the video audio (unverified — AI-generated from audio).

• Does any of that ring true to you? No. That’s not what I was told. Are you rejecting the conclusions? Yes, I am. I’m rejecting them.
• You’re being a wise guy with me a little bit, and I understand that’s your job.
• We have inflation, and we have basically an economy that’s on fire. We don’t throw more fuel on the fire.
• 56% of respondents who disapprove of Biden say he has made zero moves that they approve of — zero.
• People should quit worrying about the politics. The worst thing that happens is you lose. Be an American.
• American citizens should leave. Should leave now.

Full transcript: 847 words transcribed via Whisper AI.