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.
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
-
Calls for both calm and consequences follow Kirk killingTALKING POINTS The suspected assassination of far-right activist Charlie Kirk has some public figures pleading for restraint, while others agitate for violent reprisals
-
Why does Donald Trump keeping showing up at major sporting events?Today's Big Question Trump has appeared at the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and other events
-
‘Democracy is under threat globally’Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to TrumpSpeed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raidsSpeed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raidSpeed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearingSpeed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mountSpeed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own listspeed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battleSpeed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants
