Biden says he spoke to Bush about decision to exit Afghanistan


President Biden on Wednesday revealed he spoke privately with former President George W. Bush about his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by or before Sept. 11, 2021.
Biden didn't provide any specific details about the conversation, saying only that the two, despite various political differences, are "absolutely united" in their support for the men and women in the U.S. armed forces. But the revelation was still striking, considering Bush was the commander-in-chief who oversaw the initial invasion of Afghanistan just weeks after the 9/11 attacks.
White House Secretary Jen Psaki provided a little more context regarding the phone call, adding that Biden also spoke with his old running mate former President Barack Obama about the decision (there is no indication he spoke with his immediate predecessor, former President Donald Trump.) "While we are not going to read out private conversations, [Biden] values [Bush's and Obama's] opinions and wanted them both to hear directly from him about his decision to withdraw troops from Afghanistan," Psaki tweeted.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The conversation wasn't the only connection between the two presidents — Biden addressed the departure in front of the same "rarely used" White House backdrop that Bush used when he announced the first U.S. airstrikes in Afghanistan nearly 20 years ago. Tim O'Donnell
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.
-
5 museum-grade cartoons about Trump's Smithsonian purge
Cartoons Artists take on institutional rebranding, exhibit interpretation, and more
-
Settling the West Bank: a death knell for a Palestine state?
In the Spotlight The reality on the ground is that the annexation of the West Bank is all but a done deal
-
Crossword: August 23, 2025
The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Judge: Trump's US attorney in NJ serving unlawfully
Speed Read The appointment of Trump's former personal defense lawyer, Alina Habba, as acting US attorney in New Jersey was ruled 'unlawful'
-
Third judge rejects DOJ's Epstein records request
Speed Read Judge Richard Berman was the third and final federal judge to reject DOJ petitions to unseal Epstein-related grand jury material
-
Texas OKs gerrymander sought by Trump
Speed Read The House approved a new congressional map aimed at flipping Democratic-held seats to Republican control
-
Israel starts Gaza assault, approves West Bank plan
Speed Read Israel forces pushed into the outskirts of Gaza City and Netanyahu's government gave approval for a settlement to cut the occupied Palestinian territory in two
-
Court says labor board's structure unconstitutional
Speed Read The ruling has broad implications for labor rights enforcement in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi
-
Feds seek harsh charges in DC arrests, except for rifles
Speed Read The DOJ said 465 arrests had been made in D.C. since Trump federalized law enforcement there two weeks ago
-
Trump taps Missouri AG to help lead FBI
Speed Read Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has been appointed FBI co-deputy director, alongside Dan Bongino
-
Trump warms to Kyiv security deal in summit
Speed Read Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called Trump's support for guaranteeing his country's security 'a major step forward'