Will Taliban surge in Afghanistan hurt Biden politically? Or are Americans done with the war?

Will Taliban surge in Afghanistan hurt Biden politically? Or are Americans done with the war?Show more

Will Taliban surge in Afghanistan hurt Biden politically? Or are Americans done with the war?
As Afghanistan's provincial capitals fell in astonishingly rapid order to the Taliban this week, President Biden made it clear he has no regrets for withdrawing American forces from the country after two decades. A politician known for his deep reserve of empathy, Biden has offered surprisingly little solace to the Afghan people: "They’ve got to fight for themselves," he said Tuesday.

There is no doubt that Biden's decision is rooted in deep personal conviction — and a calculation that Americans no longer see a rationale for continuing "the forever war" to stabilize Afghanistan's fledgling democracy. Nevertheless, ending the two-decade U.S. campaign has allowed the Taliban to reassert its power with an onslaught far more swift than what Biden predicted just last month — a devastating denouement that could put the president in political peril.