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The email chain originated from a Fox News inquiry, which included scathing remarks from four veterans who were sharply critical of the Biden administration’s mishandling of the withdrawal. Kirby’s dismissive reply was meant for internal White House staffers but accidentally reached Fox News, exposing his true feelings about those who dared to criticize the administration.
“Clearly, I didn’t realize you were on the chain,” Kirby wrote in a follow-up email to Fox News. But the damage was done. Kirby’s response had already made headlines, shining a light on the dismissive attitude of the administration towards those who served.
The veterans quoted in the Fox News inquiry included Republican Rep. Cory Mills of Florida; Mark Geist, Marine veteran and member of the security team involved in the 2012 Battle of Benghazi; Stuart Scheller, former Marine court-martialed for criticizing military leadership; and Chad Robichaux, a former Force Recon Marine who served in Afghanistan. These veterans’ words are a reflection of the broader contempt many Americans feel towards an establishment that refuses to take responsibility for its failures.
Geist didn’t hold back in his criticism of Kirby, describing him as a “dishonest warmonger.”
“In the press conference, John Kirby delivered a one-sided presentation of facts and falsehoods regarding the recent House Report on Afghanistan. I’ll start with where Mr. Kirby finished, which was likely the only thing he said that was completely true: they pulled out of Afghanistan because they wanted to start and fund the war in Ukraine,” Geist remarked, exposing the administration’s priorities.
Stuart Scheller, who sacrificed his military career by publicly criticizing the Afghanistan withdrawal, also had harsh words for Kirby. “John Kirby, a former Navy admiral, represents the morally weak military officer class willing to parrot narratives for individual advancement. These politicians in uniform demonstrate, time and time again, that they are terrified of honest assessments of failure,” Scheller said, underscoring the moral cowardice within the ranks of the political elite.
Meanwhile, Robichaux pointed to the devastating consequences of the Biden administration’s actions. “The fact is that Biden and Harris chose to go against the advice of their Joint Chiefs, military, and intelligence advisers, abandoning Afghanistan and giving up the most strategic military stronghold…Worse, they did so before evacuating Americans or our allies. We left behind 20 million women and girls to be sexually enslaved,” Robichaux stated, revealing the tragic human cost of political mismanagement.
Republican Rep. Mike McCaul of Texas, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, released a report this week condemning the administration for its handling of the withdrawal. McCaul didn’t mince words, calling Kirby’s remarks “appalling.”
“Retired Rear Admiral Kirby’s comments are appalling, but sadly not surprising. The Biden-Harris administration has consistently disregarded our veterans, servicemembers, and Gold Star families over their botched withdrawal from Afghanistan,” McCaul said in a statement posted to X.
What Americans witnessed in Kirby’s email is the hallmark of a ruling class that prioritizes power and politics over accountability and service. Rather than take responsibility for the tragic loss of lives and the abandonment of allies in Afghanistan, the administration has doubled down, dismissing criticisms and shifting blame wherever possible. An apology, let alone a request for forgiveness from the families of those who lost their lives, seems unlikely.
For millions of Americans, this incident serves as yet another reminder of how far removed the establishment has become from the very people it claims to represent. As long as this ruling class continues to evade responsibility, contempt for them will only grow. They’ve shown time and again that they are willing to prioritize their political survival over the well-being of the nation.
Kirby u are a pathetic, disgusting, lying, disgrace to the uniform. U are a incompetent, pos, like your corrupt administration, led by traitor , joe. How can u cover up, disgrace our fallen comrades, who sacrificed everything, because of total failure of a pull out of Afghanistan, leaving thousands of Americans and allies hostage. Many were killed, and hunted down, because of the train wreck of a withdrawal, that left many stranded, and unable to get out, thanks to this incompetent administration..