Why should the American people have confidence in national security advisors
Reporter: Just sort of distilling some of the questions you’ve been asked about accountability — I appreciate the fact that lessons have been learned, and I assume that the President still has full confidence in his national security team that gave him the advice, which is pointed out in this summary. Why should the American people have confidence in all of those national security advisors, given what this report lays out?

Kirby: The President does have trust and confidence in his national security team, and he did ask a lot of questions. And there was some assessments passed to him that — that proved faulty, that proved to be wrong … he has — continues to conclude that this is an extraordinary — extraordinarily talented group of leaders.

When Asked When Biden Will Stand For Questions On Afghan Withdrawal, WH Spox Kirby Has No Response
Reporter: Sorry, if I could just follow up. Kristen asked a question earlier. This report — this summary of your perspectives came out as the President was on his way to the Camp David retreat for the Easter weekend. When should we anticipate an opportunity for the President to stand for our questions about the findings in this document?

Kirby: I don’t have anything on his schedule to speak to.

WH Spox John Kirby Blames Afghans For The Billions Of Dollars Of U.S. Equipment Left In Afghanistan
Reporter: In looking through this, it doesn’t seem to address the $7 billion in military hardware and technology that was left in Afghanistan for the Taliban. You know, the President took office in January; the withdrawal happened in August. Does the President take responsibility for — for leaving all or some of that?

Kirby: You know who’s responsible for that equipment? The Afghans. Because you know why? It was their equipment … the $7 million — $7 billion. There was very little — and I mean very little — U.S.-owned equipment or U.S.-operated equipment that we left when we left Afghanistan. I’m talking, like, some forklifts at the airport and some ladder vehicles, some fire trucks that we were using at the airport … Everything else outside of that airport — the stuff that’s at Bagram — or you pick the base in Afghanistan — was all turned over and according with a very elaborate, deliberate retrograde plan that the U.S. military put in place to turn over all that stuff to the Afghan military. And the Afghan military, as I said in my opening statement, decided they weren’t going to fight for their country, that they were just going to leave it behind. So, it is the Afghans who were responsible for the turnover of all that equipment.

hotwash? very detailed accounting? you say this is not about “accountability”
Reporter: Jake Sullivan promised a “hotwash” — I think is the word he used to describe what would come out of that. That certainly sounded like a very detailed accounting. And you say this is not about “accountability,” but how does the American people trust that the United States has learned from the mistakes that were made if they do not see those mistakes and see the administration acknowledging them, being public with them, and how they’re going to address them?

Kirby: I think that’s what I’m doing today. And I think that’s the document you got in front of you. I think it’s also — hang on a second — it’s also the fact that those after-action reviews are on Capitol Hill voluntarily

KJP Claims The “Debt Ceiling, It Should Be Done Without Negotiation”
Reporter: Karine, any update on the debt limit talks? Is there — are there any plans underway — and I know we ask you this —

KJP: Yes, I know.

Reporter: — for President Biden to meet with or speak with Speaker McCarthy?

KJP: Honestly, when it comes to — to asking me about what are the plans, I would ask Republicans in the House … that’s actually a question for House Republicans to answer.

Reporter: But given that it’s so critical, Karine, why are you letting the clock tick down and inch closer to this deadline?

KJP: Wait. I want to be very clear: I — I definitely disagree with — with the question, Kristen, here. Because it is not us; it is them … Republicans in the House cannot and should not be holding, you know, our nation’s debt hostage. They should not be doing that. We’ve been very, very clear. They did it three times — three times in the last administration.

Reporter: Can you guarantee that the U.S. won’t default?

KJP: I — that is for House Republicans to answer. That truly is for them to — to deal with the situation that we have said — again, it is their responsibility, their constitutional responsibility. I can’t say that enough. They — this should be done without negotiations. This should be done without conditions …

Why should American people have confidence? When Biden Will Stand For Questions On Afghan, Kirby Has No Response